¶ Maryland Association of the Deaf (MDAD)
Maryland Association of the Deaf (MDAD) preserves, protects, and promotes the civil, human, and linguistic rights of Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind individuals in the state of Maryland. Founded in 1956 by the Maryland School for the Deaf Alumni Association (MSDAA), MDAD has a long history of leadership in both state and national Deaf advocacy.
- Tina Joyner — President
- Jacob Leffler — Vice President
- Payal Sweet — Secretary
- Smita Kothari — Treasurer
- Vikki Porter — Member at Large
(2025–2027 Board of Directors)
- Bylaws: A "Bylaws" page exists on their official site, but no bylaws document is publicly provided there (as of 2026-06-04).
¶ Constitution / articles of incorporation
- No constitution or articles of incorporation found publicly (as of 2026-06-04).
- Meeting minutes: Pages for "2025–2027 Meeting Minutes" and "Past Meeting Minutes" exist on their official site, but no minutes are publicly provided (as of 2026-06-04).
¶ History and notable milestones
- Henry Nicol served as the first MDAD President (1956–1958).
- Gertrude Galloway was the first female MDAD President (1975–1977) and later became the first female President of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) in 1980.
- During Astrid Goodstein's administration (1997–2001), MDAD successfully advocated for legislation creating the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing under the Governor's Office (GODHH).
- Toyin Fasakin was elected in 2015 as the first Black president.
- Kirsten Poston was elected as the first Black female president (2021–2023).
- MDAD celebrated its 65th Anniversary in 2022.
- MDAD is a longstanding affiliate of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and is featured on NAD's Maryland state page.
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 527, Burtonsville, MD 20866
- Board email: board@mdad.tv