OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

President and CEO: Michael Howland

Mike Howland became President and CEO of Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center in September 2014, bringing a wealth of leadership experience to his new role.  He previously led the U.S. Small Business Administration in San Francisco, Independent Charities of America, Christian Service Charities and three related associations of national charities, The Arc of Greater Indianapolis (Noble of Indiana), and the Southeastern Council of Foundations.  He also served as Vice President for University Advancement and Chief Strategic Relations Officer at his Jacksonville University alma mater.  His long history with JU includes serving as President of the student body and the JU Alumni Association, and as Chair of the Trustee Nominating & Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Mike has led the expansion of JSHC programs and services, the strengthening of staff and Board and the relocation of the organization from one office to two professional and accessible clinical sites (1010 N. Davis Street and 14595 Philips Highway) and an administrative office in the Jessie Ball duPont Center.  JSHC has forged new partnerships with foundations, corporations and governmental entities that have enabled the organization a broader community reach, especially as it relates to helping preschool children.

Mike has chaired a plethora of national and local non-profit boards and campaigns.  He currently serves as President-Elect of Leadership Jacksonville and Governance Chair of the 5 Buckets Foundation.  In addition to his JU degree, Mike was the first person to graduate from St. Louis University with both Juris Doctor and Master of Arts – Public Administration degrees.  He is a Certified Association Executive.  Mike is the proud father of three children and grandfather of three.

Fun Fact:  Mike has played baseball at Oracle Park in San Francisco, the Oakland Coliseum and Wrigley Field.  He has attended Major League Baseball games in 42 stadiums, and been a member of the No Bats Baseball Club, which raises money for worthy causes while playing baseball, for 30 years.  However, he enjoys most watching Little League and softball games of Howland grandchildren.

Chief Operating Officer: Chandra Manning 

Chandra joined the JSHC team in 2019 and comes with recent experience as a Director of Operations in private practice audiology.  She contributes to the success of the practice at our clinics by working with the team of doctors, speech language pathologists and administrative staff to ensure the highest quality speech and hearing healthcare available in Jacksonville and an unparalleled patient experience.

Her background in communication, creative marketing, office management and project management offer a wide variety of skills that are useful to JSHC.

Fun Facts: Chandra was a Navy brat, having lived as far west as Hawaii and as far east as the Azores.  She’s enjoys travelling, having visited or lived in six countries.  She’s called Jacksonville home since 1996.  It is here that she met her husband and has been raising their two daughters.

Director of Development: Erika Hooper

Erika joined JSHC in January 2020, fulfilling a lifelong goal of working for a non-profit organization.

Prior to joining the JSHC Team, she gained wide-ranging experience in the private sector.  Erika began her career path at a medical facility where she performed all front and back office duties that involved patient interaction while obtaining a Medical Assistant Certification and an Associate of Arts degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville. Erika then graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. After college, Erika followed her personal passion for the creative arts by working for a local photography studio and gained over a decade of experience as a Professional Photographer and Graphic Designer. Eventually, Erika went on to work as a regional sales coordinator and corporate customer service liaison for a nationwide provider of medical spa services. Erika also has experience as a Marketing Coordinator and Product Specialist in the financial technology field.

Fun Facts: Erika is a third generation Jacksonville native that works downtown near the bank where her Grandmother had her first job!  She is a proud foster parent that enjoys providing care and stability for children in need. Erika has past volunteer experience with the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the American Cancer Society; she is excited to turn a life of volunteering into a career.

Controller: Lynne Woodall

Lynne Woodall joined JSHC in October 2011, after 23 years as Chief Financial Officer at the Boy’s Home in Jacksonville.

Lynne and husband, Jerry, have been married for 43 years. They have a daughter, Jennifer, a Registered Nurse.

Fun Facts: She enjoys reading, completing crossword puzzles, and Genealogy. She collects M & M candy dispensers. In the fall her mantra is a passionate, “Roll Tide!”

Billing Manager: April Newton

April has been with JSHC since 2008. She began her journey at JSHC in the front office and has since worked her way up in the organization to become the referral coordinator and now the billing manager. She has a passion for helping people and is proud that her work makes a difference in the lives of others.  April is a Jacksonville native, she attended Jacksonville University and is a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She is also the mother of a very precocious daughter.

Fun Facts: April is an avid reader and loves all things purple and her favorite phrase is “Roll Tide.” She also is the daughter of a knife maker.

April Newton
Ray Griffiths

Clinic Services Manager: Ray Griffiths 

Raymond Griffiths joined JSHC in April 2018 as Front Office Coordinator. He now serves as Clinic Services Manager, where he focuses on insurance credentialing, as well as processing referrals and authorizations. He is a Minnesota transplant, having graduated from Eden Prairie High School and attended the University of Minnesota and University of Phoenix.

Fun Facts: Ray enjoys visiting art museums, going to the movies, and volunteering at various events around Jacksonville.

Development Associate: Olivia Vo

Olivia Vo joined the JSHC Team in July 2023 after a decade long career in staffing and recruiting. Olivia has branched out since then as a solopreneur in digital marketing, social media management, speaking, and self-publishing. She is enthusiastic to bring her skills to the nonprofit sector and value based organizations.

Olivia received her Bachelors degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts and awarded a U.S. Fulbright Fellowship to Vietnam upon graduation.

Fun Fact: Olivia won 1st place at the St. John’s Pitch Factory 2023 competition for pitching her independent self-publishing book business called “The Three Booketeers.” The Pitch Factory is a unique partnership between the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Center, and JAX Chamber and sponsored by North Avenue Capital.

Grant Services Coordinator: Jennie Medhaug

Jennie was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She is an Alumni of the College of Communication Sciences and Disorders at University of South Florida. She started in Architecture in high school and made the change to get her B.A. in Deaf Studies part way through college. In 2020, she moved to Jacksonville and started working at Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center in 2021. She now to work remotely from her new home state of Virginia with her husband, Tyler, and black Lab, Luna. She holds high value in giving the best service she can to patients and the schools she works with.

Fun Fact: Jennie used to play violin in school. She is also looking into teaching ASL in the future, so she is more than happy to teach you some signs and grammar.

Executive Assistant: Eriel Rucker

Eriel joined JSHC in 2022 as CEO Michael Howland’s Executive Assistant. Prior to joining JSHC, Eriel worked as the Lead Problem Solver for Amazon, where she became skilled in data entry, task management and troubleshooting. Eriel is very excited to learn and grow in this new role all while being able to help others in her community.

Fun Facts: Eriel is a recent graduate of Parisian Spa Institute as a Licensed Full Specialist and loves all things beauty. When it comes to beauty Eriel’s mission is to make all her clients feel confident and beautiful unfiltered. She plans to one day open a Salon/Day Spa in the future.

Executive Assistant: Sydney Prinzi

Sydney joined JSHC in February 2020 as Front Desk Coordinator with previous customer service experience as a Supervisor at Adventure Landing. She was promoted to Audiology Assistant in July 2020 after receiving extensive training in hearing aid repairs. After spending 3 years in this position, Sydney was promoted to Executive Assistant to the COO in May 2023. Sydney is a graduate of Sandalwood High School, where she was involved in band and the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC). Sydney is currently pursuing her English Education degree with the University of North Florida, expected to graduate in May of 2025 and hopes to teach high school English.

Fun Facts: Sydney has played cello for 10 years—in addition to singing, playing the piano, bass, and a few other instruments! She and her husband also love to hike up North whenever they get the chance, describing herself as a “mountain girl in a Floridian body.”