Bethany Gehman (she/they) M.Ed.
Bethany Gehman (she/they) M.Ed., Founder and owner of jooux (Deaf Sexual Wellness Center) is an AASECT certified sexuality educator, with more than a decade of experience in providing caring, contentious, thoughtful sexual health and education services and professional trainings for educators and interpreters. Currently the Director of the Deaf, Deafblind, & Hard of Hearing Services at the Family Tree Clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota. Through experiencing her own barriers to sexual education and healthcare, it motivated her to get her masters in Human Sexuality Education. Bethany strives to listen, respond and collaborate with communities, seeking to eliminate the health disparities within the Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened communities. Bethany is passionate about education and access to evidence based healthcare. By providing sexual health education for people of all ages, professional training, and promoting affirming and comprehensive sexuality education in Deaf K-12 academic programs. She is a firm believer that advocacy and education cannot happen without genuine connections and dismantling systems of oppression.
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Deb Guthmann, Ed.D., NIC
Deb Guthmann, Ed.D., NIC, is a nationally recognized lecturer, administrator, researcher, educator, and advocate with over 40 years of extensive experience in service to the deaf and hard of hearing(D/HH) community.  Dr. Guthmann was the lead consultant for a NIDILRR funded grant with Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio which focused on the validation of mental health, substance abuse and career related screening tools in American Sign Language.  Dr. Guthmann also teaches online classes focusing on substance abuse in the DHH community.   She is the founding Director of the Minnesota Substance Use Disorder Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals which is one of the first inpatient treatment programs for DHHIndividuals in the country.  Dr. Guthmann worked 17 years as the Director of Student Services at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, California where she was responsible for admissions, clinical services, IEP implementation and due process.  She has made over 200 national and international presentations, written numerous articles and several book chapters focusing on ethical issues, substance abuse and treatment models to use with DHH individuals.  She is the lead editor on a book recently published by Gallaudet Press titled “Deaf People in the Criminal Justice System: Selected Topics on Advocacy, Incarceration and Social Justice.   Dr. Guthmann has also been involved in the development of materials specifically designed for DHH individuals including an Anti-Tobacco/E-Cigarette and HIV Prevention Curriculum.

Steve Hamerdinger, MA
Steve Hamerdinger, has been the Director of the Office of Deaf Services at the Alabama Department of Mental Health since 2003. Before that, he was the Director of the Office of Deaf and Linguistic Support Services at the Missouri Department of Mental Health for 10 years. Steve has a degree in counseling from Gallaudet and has been in the field of mental health and deafness since the early 1980's. He provides consultation and training on mental health and deafness nationally and internationally. In 2009, Steve was appointed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. as one of the two U.S. representatives to the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) Network on Mental Health and Deaf Individuals. He is a Past-President of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association (ADARA) served more than 14 years on the board. He is the recipient of the prestigious Boyce R. Williams award (2020) in recognition of his lifetime of work to better deaf mental health care. Steve is also a Past President of the New Mexico Association of the Deaf and was the first chairperson of the New Mexico Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Currently on the board of directors of the National Association of the Deaf, Steve served as chair of mental health subcommittee for 2 years and was presented with the Knights of the Flying Fingers award from the NAD in 2016.

Matt Reinig
There are moments where Matt needs to pinch himself since starting his journey meditating in 2014.  Practicing meditation has shaped him into who he is today.  Well-Being with Matt was founded in 2017 with the purpose to spread the power of mindfulness meditation and valuable tools for personal growth in American Sign Language (ASL).  Since its founding, there have been so many wonderful opportunities to fulfill the mission, from leading the unique Visual Guided Meditations that touch the lives of ASL-users and non-signers to Mindful Hikes to the 20+ workshops on various topics related to mindfulness, meditation, and life… During COVID-19, Matt started a weekly online visual meditation group to support everyone’s mental health during this challenging and unprecedented time… In the weekly meditation group, he grew because he witnessed the growth and transformation of those who attended.  He also discovered his greater purpose, which is to inspire others by being who he is, show love, embracing one’s inner strength, and be empowered to live consciously.