Sharon Kesler of the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center Receives Professional Award

Nov. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- For over 50 years, Sharon Kesler, M.S., CCC-SLP, has touched countless lives in the Jacksonville area by assisting children with speech disorders gain the power of communication.  On November 13, Jacksonville Area Speech Pathology Association (JASPA) awarded Ms. Kesler with their Honors of the Association Award for 2012.

Sharon Kesler obtained her B.S. and M.S. in Speech Therapy from the University of Wisconsin, and began her career as a speech language pathologist in 1961.  Two years later, she joined the staff at the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center.  

Ms. Kesler states that she has witnessed numerous changes in the profession, but has never lost her passion for helping children in need of speech treatment.  Today, she remains dedicated to the Center’s vision to identify, diagnose and treat every pre-kindergarten child in the First Coast region, who is at risk of failure in school or life because of unaddressed early childhood speech, language or hearing needs.

One life that Kesler significantly impacted is Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center alum, Patty Heard.  Patty now works at the Center as its Development Associate and Volunteer Coordinator.  "I am the person I am today because Ms. Sharon was, and still is, a passionate and poised speech pathologist, and most importantly, a friend to my family.  She is the reason why I’ve conquered so many things with my deafness and I’m back at the Center next door to her office,” states Heard.

For the past 63 years, the Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center has provided professional compassionate audiology and speech/language services to literally thousands of children and adults in our community. Today, the Center continues to provide these services to approximately 4,000 children, adults and seniors annually.

The Center is supported by United Way of Northeast Florida, the City of Jacksonville, Jessie Ball duPont Fund, and public and private donations.