Strategic Organizational Leadership: Flint Association of the Deaf (FAD)

This intensive, 113-hour project was conducted as the capstone experience for the LDR 302 course at Central Michigan University, providing a comprehensive application of organizational leadership theory within a Deaf non-profit.

Project Focus: Organizational Transformation (113 Hours)

The project focused on strengthening the financial stability and cultural future of the Flint Association of the Deaf (FAD), a 501(c)(7) social club founded in 1919.

  • Goals: Increasing membership among younger Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) individuals, boosting fundraising efforts, and addressing urgent building maintenance issues.

Key Results and Impact

The project drove both financial modernization and significant cultural progress:

  • Membership Growth: Exceeded the original goal by successfully recruiting 11 new DDBHH members and 7 new hearing associate members.

  • Financial Modernization: Successfully advocated for the organization to adopt a modern financial strategy, including using a credit card for an urgent storm drainage repair (estimated at over $10,000) to protect the long-term building fund.

  • Increased Sales & Events: January 2025 bar sales totaled $3,215, a significant increase from $1,412 in January 2024. Maintained a goal to achieve a 5% increase in event profitability year-over-year.

  • Cultural & Structural Change: Successfully advocated for and facilitated the merger of the men's and women's boards in 2025, a historic shift toward inclusive governance. Also completed the long-term rewrite of the club's full bylaws (over 20 pages).

Core Leadership Skills Demonstrated

  • Transformational Change: Used patience and persistence to achieve the cultural shift of the board merger.

  • Proactive Communication: Improved board cohesion by initiating the use of group text messages and in-person check-ins to bridge communication gaps.

  • Inclusive Design: Ensured all important information used plain language and visual aids to accommodate DDBHH members with varying English literacy levels.

Inclusive Instructional Design: Michigan School for the Deaf

This project was conducted as part of the LDR 303 course, utilizing the leader’s expertise as a certified teacher to solve an educational equity challenge.

Project Focus: Curriculum Development & UDL Principles (30 Hours)

  • Total Project Hours: 30 hours

  • The Challenge: Traditional abstract math instruction presented barriers for Deaf students with diverse language and literacy needs.

  • The Goal: Design and implement a multi-modal, three-stage instructional framework to ensure equitable access and conceptual mastery for all students.

Key Results and Impact

  • Three-Stage Instructional Framework (CVA): Designed and implemented the Concrete, Visual, Abstract (CVA) model for teaching core math concepts (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division).

  • Educational Equity: Integrated American Sign Language (ASL) and visual aids seamlessly into instruction to minimize reliance on written English language proficiency.

  • Assessment Shift: Shifted assessment methods to prioritize visual demonstration of understanding through drawings and manipulative use.

Core Skills Demonstrated

  • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles

  • Instructional Design & Curriculum Adaptation

  • Stakeholder Empathy and Program Implementation

Academic & Analytical Depth: CMU Capstone/Future PM Prep

This project is a rigorous, analytical research effort focused on applying and refining leadership theory within organizational culture.

Project Focus: Organizational Analysis & Leadership Theory

  • Research Focus: Organizational Analysis, Strategic Planning, and Theoretical Framework Development.

  • The Challenge: Traditional leadership models often overlook the unique and transferable strengths of Deaf leaders.

  • The Goal: To synthesize findings into a new, actionable, strengths-based model for organizational culture that promotes Deaf leadership and highlights its competitive advantages.

Key Results and Impact

  • New Analytical Framework: Developed a new analytical framework that proved the competitive advantage of visually-centered leadership in organizational communication.

  • Strategic Insight: Proposed a framework for organizations to actively recruit, train, and leverage Deaf leaders to drive innovation and create a more equitable, strengths-based culture across all levels.

  • Academic Excellence: Paper received a high mark in the Disability Matters Project category.

Core Skills Demonstrated

  • Advanced Research Design and Data Synthesis

  • Strategic and Analytical Writing

  • Critical Thinking and Theoretical Framework Development

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