Jo-anne joined the CHHA Manitoba Chapter Board in September 2015. Her hearing loss began when she was in her forties and she now wears two hearing aids. Her association with CHHA began three years ago when she and Colleen Thackaberry (Transcona Seniors Resource coordinator) collaborated to form a support group for hard of hearing people living in her Transcona neighbourhood. The group has been meeting monthly since its inception. During that time Jo-anne completed levels one and two of CHHA’s national Speech Reading Instructor programmes. This training has helped her to provide an even higher level of support in the group she facilitates.
Jo-anne received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Saskatchewan and her Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Education from the University of Manitoba. She taught high school science in Australia and ran her own business in Manitoba before her retirement. Jo-anne became president of CHHA Manitoba Chapter in 2019.