To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

May 2026 -  ACI Alliance Releases the May Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

April 2026 -  ACI Alliance Releases the April Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

March 2026 -  ACI Alliance Releases the March Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

February 24, 2025 -  ACI Alliance Releases the February Issue of ACI Alliance Calling. Calling is available to all Members, click HERE.

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

February 2026 -  ACI Alliance Releases the February Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

Dr. James A. Robinson has been selected to deliver a keynote lecture at CI2026 Chicago entitled “Why proven technologies fail to spread: institutions, incentives, and the case of hearing health.” CI2026 Chicago will be held May 6-9, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago (IL).  

James A. Robinson is a Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences and Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Chicago, whose groundbreaking research has reshaped how scholars and policymakers understand the role of institutions, incentives, and norms in shaping prosperity and the adoption of transformative technologies. Awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize for his work on how institutions are formed and how they determine who benefits from innovation, Professor Robinson is widely recognized for his rare ability to translate deep, rigorous scholarship into clear, compelling insights for diverse audiences.

An engaging and generous speaker, he combines intellectual authority with humility, curiosity, and genuine respect for practitioners, making his talks both thought-provoking and accessible. Having spoken openly about his own experience with hearing loss and long-term hearing aid use, he brings a deeply personal perspective to conversations about hearing health, further grounding his work in empathy, insight, and lived experience.

CI2026 Chicago features keynotes, podium talks, special sessions and exhibitions applicable to audiologists, physicians, speech pathologists, psychologists, scientists, engineers, educators, students, advocates, and others involved in cochlear implantation.

The conference will provide attendees with opportunities to explore current global topics for cochlear implant patients across the lifespan.

Registration and information for CI2026 Chicago is open with early bird rates available through March18, 2026 at www.CI2026Chicago.org. The conference program will be published in late January.

American Cochlear Implant Alliance Announces Student Scholarship Recipients for CI2026 Chicago Washington, D.C.: American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance) announced the student scholarship award recipients for CI2026 Chicago: Conference on Cochlear Implants, to be held in Chicago, Illinois May 6-9, 2026.

Registration for CI2026 Chicago is open with early bird rates available through March 18, 2026.

*For a full list of scholarship winners: CI2026 Chicago Student Scholarship Recipients - American Cochlear Implant Alliance

*For more information on CI2026 Chicago: CI2026 Chicago

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

January 2026 -  ACI Alliance Releases the January Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

December 2025- ACI Alliance Releases the December Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

ACI Alliance Executive Director Position Announcement

Position Overview

American Cochlear Implant Alliance (ACI Alliance) seeks a skilled healthcare advocate with deep knowledge of governmental affairs to serve as its next Executive Director (E.D.). In partnership with the Board of Directors, the Executive Director leads ACI Alliance’s efforts to fulfill its mission “to advance access to the gift of hearing provided by cochlear implantation through research, advocacy and awareness.”

ACI Alliance is a membership association of nearly 3,000 cochlear implant (CI) clinicians, educators, scientists, speech language pathologists, advocates, parents and consumers. The Alliance’s robust advocacy program with over 200 State Champions carries out initiatives at the state and national levels. Its annual Conference on Cochlear Implants convenes more than 1000 attendees to share and learn. The ACI Alliance stimulates and supports research in the field, and its website serves as the leading non-commercial source of information on cochlear implants.

The Executive Director serves as chief executive under the direction of the Board of Directors and oversees all aspects of ACI Alliance strategy and operations. The E.D. is responsible for management and support of staff, volunteers, and contractors; participation in collaborations and partnerships; membership engagement and expansion; advocacy and awareness-building; conference and event planning; financial management and fundraising; and legal compliance. Ideal candidates will bring a background in healthcare-related governmental affairs/advocacy, experience in association or nonprofit management, stellar communications skills, and a propensity for collaborating with individuals and organizations in mission-driven initiatives.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Advocacy

● In collaboration with the Advocacy Director and contracted lobbyist, devise and lead ACI Alliance’s advocacy efforts with deep engagement of members and allies in priority policies, regulations and issues.
● Support 200+ State Champions and work to expand the program.
● Collaborate with allied organizations to advance advocacy priorities.
● Organize in-person and virtual meetings between advocates and elected or appointed officials.
● Earn credibility and ensure regular communication with elected and appointed officials to advance strategic priorities.
● Facilitate the creation of issue papers, infographics and other position-informing resources.

Awareness

● Serve as the public face of the organization, representing ACI Alliance at events and speaking engagements, to media outlets, and with decision-makers.
● Ensure ACI Alliance serves as the premier source of research-based information to support increased access to cochlear implantation and that publicly available resources (Wikipedia, others) contain accurate and up-to-date content.
● Monitor emerging topics that impact CI access and awareness, and make position statements as appropriate.
● With support of a meeting planning firm, coordinate with ACI Alliance Conference Committee to oversee the design and management of conferences and events.
● Seek out opportunities for State Champions and allies to speak at state and national meetings and conferences.
● Oversee ACI Alliance digital and print communications, including media relations, website curation, social media, publications, email newsletters, podcasts, and other tactics.

Research

• Coordinate ACI Alliance’s input, guidance and support of clinical research studies pertinent to cochlear implantation, as determined.

• Support the presentation, publication and dissemination of research findings and recommendations important to the field.

• As necessary and appropriate, encourage and support information collection and reporting from CI clinicians and other professionals to track outcomes, barriers and other data that is critical to research in the field.

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership in developing and implementing Board-adopted strategic plans. 

• Execute comprehensive annual work plans towards strategic goal achievement.

• Grow Alliance membership and engage constituencies in the organization’s work. 

• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with sponsors, donors, allied organizations and technology manufacturers in the hearing healthcare space.

• Develop and support Board of Directors governance roles, and partner with the Board and its Committees to carry

Qualities & Qualifications

Successful candidates will bring an understanding and sensitivity to issues faced by people with hearing loss, and many of the following skills, experience, and attributes to the position.

● People-person with proven ability to: build and foster collaborative and strategic partnerships; cultivate diverse opinions and approaches; and exercise political savviness and diplomacy.
● Skillful mentor who can motivate and guide staff, Board members and volunteers.
● Background and knowledge in health policy, research and healthcare advocacy.
● Basic familiarity with cochlear implants and associated healthcare and therapies.
● Leadership experience in a non-profit membership organization with multiple constituencies and stakeholders.
● Knowledge and experience in human resources, budgeting, financial management and fundraising.
● Expertise in strategic communications; event and meeting management skills a plus.
● Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, time management and organizational skills.
● Confident self-starter with a willingness to embrace challenges and drive solutions.
● Patience, persistence and flexibility to accomplish projects in a collaborative setting.
● Integrity, honesty and a sense of humor.
● Bachelor’s degree and post-graduate education or equivalents preferred.

Location: Within commuting distance to Washington, DC.

Compensation:  Annual salary of $185,000 – $210,000, plus benefits

To Apply:  Send cover letter and resume to acialliance@hallcollaborations.com

Attn: Steve Rech, Search Committee Chair. Application Deadline: December 12, 2025

Commitment to Equity: We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law, and to maintain a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment, or bias based upon these grounds.

Message from the Chair of the Board of Directors, American Cochlear Implant Alliance

It is both an honor and a bittersweet moment for me to reflect upon Donna Sorkin’s recently announced retirement.  Donna is our founding Executive Director and has functioned in the role ever since, serving 13 years as our dedicated, tireless, and passionate leader.

From ACI Alliance’s inception, Donna has been the driving force behind our mission to expand access to cochlear implant services and improve the lives of all individuals with hearing loss. Donna’s goal was to build not only an advocacy organization, but also a community where people with hearing loss, their families, and their hearing healthcare providers could feel supported and heard. Under her guidance the ACI Alliance has grown from a small passionate group of voices into a nationally and globally recognized organization that has opened doors to hearing services, shaped policy, guided research efforts, advocated for the underserved and misrepresented, and given countless individuals the chance to experience or reexperience the world of sound. Donna’s accomplishments are too numerous to list, but I have known her for a long time, and I think she would tell you her proudest achievement is the culture of inclusion, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to those we serve that she has fostered. We all have our own stories of how her dedication has made a difference in our life or the lives of others, and those connections will be her lasting legacy.

While we will miss her daily presence and leadership, we know her impact will continue to be felt in the strength of this community she helped create and cultivate. And as we look to the future, we are confident the foundation she built will allow us to grow, adapt, and continue championing access to cochlear implant services for decades to come.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the tens of thousands of people who have worked with her over the years, I want to personally thank Donna for her extraordinary service and wish her every happiness and ongoing successes in her next chapter. Donna, you will be missed immensely, but you will certainly never be forgotten.

- Daniel M. Zeitler, MD FACS

Grateful Thanks from Donna Sorkin, Executive Director 

In 2012, the American Cochlear Implant Alliance was begun to advance access to cochlear implantation. After agreeing upon a mission statement, the Founding Board of Directors’ first task was to hire an Executive Director to serve under the direction of the Board to advance the mission and oversee all aspects of ACI Alliance.  I joined knowing it would be an extraordinary opportunity to be part of something unique and contribute to the organization’s development in ways that would truly matter for people. We had a mission statement, a board composed of dedicated people in the field, a non-functioning website, and an initial conference planned for 2014 in Nashville.  We had 11 organizations, and 70 individuals signed up as members when I began. 

Who would have guessed that 13 years later we would have grown to be the entity we are now with nearly 3000 members, 250 student members, and 220 State Champions? Our website is the leading non-commercial source of information on cochlear implants.  We answer questions every day from a range of people who found us via the website including individuals and family members dealing with hearing loss, primary care clinicians, hospitals, reporters, government agencies, and more. Our annual conference is where clinicians, educators, scientists, students, commercial entities, nonprofits, schools, and others gather to learn and share their clinical research, relevant products and services.  What I am most proud of is the extent to which our members have been empowered to become advocates for CI access at the state and national levels.  We provide support and they take on challenges—just as they have done recently with Medicaid expansions in Arizona and Missouri.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with so many extraordinary people to make a difference. We have fantastic members and superlative staff. I am ready to pass the torch and am working with the Board of Directors to begin a search for a new Executive Director.  I will support the transition for the next director to help them be successful and build on what we have done so far. 

Thank you for this tremendous honor, for your partnership, and for the opportunity to learn from you. See below to apply. 

Donna L. Sorkin, Executive Director, American Cochlear Implant Alliance

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

November 2025- ACI Alliance Releases the November Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE

ACI Alliance participated in the 15th conference of the global coalition co-chaired by Drs. James Saunders and Jackie Clarke. The conference included attendees from around the world. ACI Alliance member Asitha Jayawardena MD gave the opening keynote on his own personal journey and efforts to offer school-based hearing screening. Executive Director Donna Sorkin presented on language nutrition as part of a segment on empowering parents.

Dr. Craig Buchman Selected as Niparko Memorial Lecturer for CI2026 Chicago

"Tonotopic Coding in Cochlear Implantation”

Dr. Craig Buchman, MD, FACS is Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Utah and Past Lindburg Professor and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Georgia, his MD at the University of Florida, his residency and research fellowship in otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh, and a clinical fellowship in neurotology at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. He was a Founding Board Member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance and served as its Chair of the Board during the early years, immediately following Dr. Niparko. He is currently Chair of the Hearing Committee and past Chair of the Implantable Devices Committee and the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing for the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, past President of the American Neurotology Society, and past Chair of the William House Cochlear Implant Study Group. 

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

October 2025- ACI Alliance Releases the October Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

ACI Alliance Calling is the official publication of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance. Distributed electronically at least 3 times per year, ACI Alliance Calling delivers content on organizational activities including the annual conference, advocacy initiatives and advances, clinical and research features, and consumer updates. The publication is distributed via email to our membership and also posted below.

September 30, 2025 -  ACI Alliance Releases the September Issue of  ACI Alliance Calling. Calling is available to all Members, click HERE.

Message from the Chair of the Board of Directors, American Cochlear Implant Alliance

It is both an honor and a bittersweet moment for me to reflect upon Donna Sorkin’s recently announced retirement.  Donna is our founding Executive Director and has functioned in the role ever since, serving 13 years as our dedicated, tireless, and passionate leader.

From ACI Alliance’s inception, Donna has been the driving force behind our mission to expand access to cochlear implant services and improve the lives of all individuals with hearing loss. Donna’s goal was to build not only an advocacy organization, but also a community where people with hearing loss, their families, and their hearing healthcare providers could feel supported and heard. Under her guidance the ACI Alliance has grown from a small passionate group of voices into a nationally and globally recognized organization that has opened doors to hearing services, shaped policy, guided research efforts, advocated for the underserved and misrepresented, and given countless individuals the chance to experience or reexperience the world of sound. Donna’s accomplishments are too numerous to list, but I have known her for a long time, and I think she would tell you her proudest achievement is the culture of inclusion, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to those we serve that she has fostered. We all have our own stories of how her dedication has made a difference in our life or the lives of others, and those connections will be her lasting legacy.

While we will miss her daily presence and leadership, we know her impact will continue to be felt in the strength of this community she helped create and cultivate. And as we look to the future, we are confident the foundation she built will allow us to grow, adapt, and continue championing access to cochlear implant services for decades to come.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the tens of thousands of people who have worked with her over the years, I want to personally thank Donna for her extraordinary service and wish her every happiness and ongoing successes in her next chapter. Donna, you will be missed immensely, but you will certainly never be forgotten.

- Daniel M. Zeitler, MD FACS

Grateful Thanks from Donna Sorkin, Executive Director 

In 2012, the American Cochlear Implant Alliance was begun to advance access to cochlear implantation. After agreeing upon a mission statement, the Founding Board of Directors’ first task was to hire an Executive Director to serve under the direction of the Board to advance the mission and oversee all aspects of ACI Alliance.  I joined knowing it would be an extraordinary opportunity to be part of something unique and contribute to the organization’s development in ways that would truly matter for people. We had a mission statement, a board composed of dedicated people in the field, a non-functioning website, and an initial conference planned for 2014 in Nashville.  We had 11 organizations, and 70 individuals signed up as members when I began. 

Who would have guessed that 13 years later we would have grown to be the entity we are now with nearly 3000 members, 250 student members, and 220 State Champions? Our website is the leading non-commercial source of information on cochlear implants.  We answer questions every day from a range of people who found us via the website including individuals and family members dealing with hearing loss, primary care clinicians, hospitals, reporters, government agencies, and more. Our annual conference is where clinicians, educators, scientists, students, commercial entities, nonprofits, schools, and others gather to learn and share their clinical research, relevant products and services.  What I am most proud of is the extent to which our members have been empowered to become advocates for CI access at the state and national levels.  We provide support and they take on challenges—just as they have done recently with Medicaid expansions in Arizona and Missouri.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with so many extraordinary people to make a difference. We have fantastic members and superlative staff. I am ready to pass the torch and am working with the Board of Directors to begin a search for a new Executive Director.  I will support the transition for the next director to help them be successful and build on what we have done so far. 

Thank you for this tremendous honor, for your partnership, and for the opportunity to learn from you. See below to apply. 

Donna L. Sorkin, Executive Director, American Cochlear Implant Alliance

Executive Director, American Cochlear Implant Alliance

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

September2025- ACI Alliance Releases the September Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

To expand awareness about cochlear implants and our own research and advocacy activities, ACI Alliance launched a monthly free online publication— Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is intended for a broad audience and is suitable for your patient community and professionals who are interested in cochlear implants but not intensively involved. Please encourage those who may benefit to sign up here.

Augst 2025 - ACI Alliance Releases the August Issue of Listening @ ACI Alliance. Listening is available to all Members, click HERE.

Passing of Cochlear Implant Pioneer
Dr. Thomas J. Balkany

The American Cochlear Implant Alliance is saddened to share news of the passing of Thomas J. Balkany MD on July 30, 2025.

Dr. Balkany was the Hotchkiss Professor and Chairman Emeritus in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Miami’s School of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 1972 and went on to complete his otolaryngology residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and additional training in Neurotology/Skull Base Surgery at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles. 

Dr. Balkany founded the Colorado Ear Clinic after completing his training where he worked for 10 years before returning to Florida in 1990 as the founding director of the Miami Ear Institute and Cochlear Implant Program which has grown into one of the most respected programs in the world.  Dr. Balkany was also one of the Founding Members of American Cochlear Implant Alliance in 2011.

Throughout his career, Dr. Balkany was involved in many professional organizations including the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Auditory-Verbal International, AG Bell, the Triological Society, the American Otological Society, the American Neurotology Society, and the Florida Society of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Balkany was also the founding chair of the AAO-HNS Cochlear Implant Committee and the William House Cochlear Implant Study Group. Over his lifetime, Dr. Balkany published over 250 scientific papers and four books and held 14 U.S. and international patents related to cochlear implants. 

Dr. Balkany’s list of accolades is unrivaled and includes induction into the University of Miami Hall of Fame, the President’s Honor Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Frazer Award from the Royal College of Surgeons, and the Noel L. Cohen Award for lifetime achievement from the American Neurotology Society. He has been recognized by many organizations for his contributions to the field and shared his expertise on cochlear implantation as a visiting professor at over 40 universities nationally and internationally.

Following his retirement from clinical medicine, Dr. Balkany founded the Institute for Cochlear Implant Training (ICIT) in 2012, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to teaching and promoting excellence in cochlear implantation education and hands-on training. Through ICIT, hundreds of cochlear implant surgeons around the world have been able to learn cochlear implant surgery from one of the true pioneers in the field.