2026-2027 Board of Directors

Board of Director terms run from August 2026 to August 2027

 President: Ann Perreau, Ph.D., CCC-A

Dr. Ann Perreau is a professor specializing in audiology at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. She teaches courses on hearing science, research methods, and audiology. At the Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing, Dr. Perreau offers audiological services including hearing testing, hearing aid fittings, tinnitus and hyperacusis. She is highly regarded in the field of communication sciences and disorders for her commitment to education and patient care. Dr. Perreau's research contributions include tinnitus and hyperacusis assessment, questionnaire development, and publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She actively participates as a speaker and planning committee member in the annual international meeting on the Management of Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Patient. Additionally, in May of 2023, she received a grant from the US National Institutes of Health for her hyperacusis study. Contact the President.

 

 Past-President: Michael Blackburn, Au.D. 

Michael Blackburn, AuD (He/Him) is a Senior Product Manager at Sonova in Aurora, IL since 2020. At Sonova he leads development of new product solutions. He has previously held positions as a clinical audiologist at the St. Cloud Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minnesota and the OSF Illinois Neurological Institute in Peoria, IL. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University AuD program and completed his externship at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, IL.

 

 President-Elect: Marie Vetter Toalson, Au.D. 

Dr. Marie Vetter-Toalson is the owner of Northwest Speech and Hearing Center and Chicago Hearing Services. Dr. Vetter-Toalson has prioritized the commitment to patients and the community established by her predecessors, Dr. Steven Wolinsky and Dr. Mary Cay Chisholm, who were both active members of the Illinois Academy of Audiology. Dr. Vetter-Toalson is dedicated to mentoring the future audiologists, taking students from multiple universities across the country for clinical training. Her areas of expertise include hearing wellness, amplification, aural rehabilitation and counseling, and hearing loss prevention for musicians. Her practice has expanded coverage to include complex conditions such as cochlear implants and is recognized as a premiere vestibular clinic. They are also industry leaders in treatment for tinnitus as the only Modern Tinnitus Specialty Center in Illinois and is one of only 14 Lenire Preferred Providers nationally. Dr. Vetter-Toalson is the past vice-president of Governmental Affairs for ILAA, past vice-president for Communications, and has served as a volunteer for ILAA in many ways. She currently sits on the Illinois Consumer Protection Board. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology.

 

 Vice President of Education: Sadie Braun, Au.D.

Sadie Braun has been a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Speech and Hearing Science Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for almost 6 years. She specializes in diagnostic testing and hearing aid evaluation, fitting, and dispensing for all ages. For the first 10 years of her career, she was an audiologist at a large medical group in North/Central Illinois. The focus of her clinical work has been in creating outreach programs to provide audiology services to surrounding and rural communities as well as developing clinical questionnaire tools that can identify important and individualized factors that lead to a more successful hearing aid and assistive listening device fittings. In the last couple years, she has become interested in how speech-in-noise testing can be analyzed further, providing critical data that can be applied clinically to improve hearing device outcomes. Contact the VP of Education.

 

 Vice President of Membership: Courtney Baker, Au.D, CCC-A

Courtney Baker, AuD, CCC-A, is an audiologist specializing in central auditory processing, aural rehabilitation, tinnitus, and decreased sound tolerance. She is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University, teaching courses on aural rehabilitation and central auditory processing. Her specialty private practice, Hearing Brain Audiology in Chicago, offers central auditory processing evaluation/treatment, comprehensive aural rehabilitation therapy, and tinnitus/decreased sound tolerance therapy. Beyond patient care and teaching duties, Dr. Baker is actively involved in research and has contributed to several textbooks as an expert in central auditory processing and tinnitus. Dr. Baker is an active member of state and national professional organizations, including the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ISHA) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She has presented nationally on topics relating to aural rehabilitation, central auditory processing disorders, tinnitus/decreased sound tolerance disorders, and telepractice in audiology. Dr. Baker is currently the Neuroaudiology & Central Auditory Processing topic chair for the 2026 ASHA convention and serves on both the ISHA audiology and telepractice committees. Contact the VP of Membership.

 

Vice President of Communication & Marketing: Lex Berko, Au.D.

I am currently an audiologist at Jesse Brown VAMC, which is also where I completed my externship. I graduated from Northwestern's AuD program in 2022. Audiology is a second career for me, but has always been present in my life as my mother was also an audiologist. I was previously a writer and editor for a variety of digital publications, but in 2019, I left my 10-year-career to pursue this field as it combines my interests in science, sound, and serving others. 

 

Vice President of Government Affairs: Natalie McKee, Au.D.

Natalie M. McKee earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL and a Clinical Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D.) from Salus University. Growing up with congenital hearing loss influenced her decision to pursue the field of Audiology and she feels that this personal experience allows her to better understand and assist the patients she sees. Dr. McKee purchased Bloomington-Normal Audiology in 2012, after 7 years of understudy with the original owner, Dr. Deborah Pitcher. BNA was the first private practice audiology clinic in Bloomington-Normal when it began in 1990; building a reputation of providing state-of-the art technology in audiology to Central Illinois. Dr. McKee is honored to continue BNA’s esteemed reputation. Contact the VP of Government Affairs.

 

Secretary: Lauren Kelly, Au.D.

Lauren Kelly, AuD received her Doctorate in Audiology from Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Prior to joining Hearing Professionals of Illinois in 2019 and during her clinical training, Lauren gained experience working with patients at various hospitals in the area including Lake Forest Hospital, Lurie Children's Hospital, Jesse Brown VA and Northwestern Memorial. She also serves as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University. 

 

 Treasurer: Emily Dudley, Au.D.

 Contact the Treasurer

 

 

 

 Member-At-Large: Kristine Trester, Au.D.

Dr. Kristine Trester is the co-owner of North Shore Audiology Consultants, where she has practiced since 2012 (formerly North Shore Audio-Vestibular Lab). She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her Doctorate of Audiology from Rush University. Dr. Trester brings a strong record of leadership and advocacy at both the state and national levels. She currently serves on the Coding and Reimbursement Committee for the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), where she contributes to initiatives that directly impact policy, reimbursement, and access to care. Her prior service on the Illinois Academy of Audiology (ILAA) Board as Vice President of Communications reflects her commitment to advancing the Academy’s mission and engaging its membership. In addition to her leadership roles, Dr. Trester is an active educator and speaker, having been invited to present at Northwestern University’s AuD program and at numerous community events. Her research on noise exposure from Chicago Transit Authority trains has earned multiple awards and has been presented at both state and national conferences, demonstrating her ability to translate data into meaningful insights for public awareness and policy discussions. With a combination of clinical expertise, research experience, and proven leadership within professional organizations, Dr. Trester is well-positioned to advocate effectively on behalf of audiologists and patients across Illinois.

 

Member-At-Large: Marina Cox, Au.D.

Marina Cox received her Doctorate of Audiology from Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Arts in Hearing and Speech Sciences from University of Maryland College Park (go terps!). Her clinical externship was completed at the VA Puget Sound in Seattle WA. She joined Sonova as a research audiologist in 2024 as part of the Phonak Audiology Research Center (PARC) located in Aurora IL. She is passionate about bridging the gap between research and clinical practice. Marina is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the American Auditory Society.