Key Staff

Joseph J. Cozzo, President/CEO

Joseph J. Cozzo is President/CEO of Buffalo Hearing a Speech Center. With over 35 years of experience in working with children and families, and with Masters Degrees in Psychology and in Counseling, Mr. Cozzo is a NYS Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Nationally Certified Trauma Counselor. He is a graduate of the 1999 class of Leadership Buffalo and is a Community Health Foundation Fellow. Joe is a sought after speaker and workshop leader in areas on child development and developmental issues, treatment strategies for working with emotionally disturbed youth, school related issues of at-risk students, effective discipline and parenting, and diversity issues in counseling and therapy. In the mid eighties, he developed a series of programs dealing with various aspects of adolescent suicide, and he regularly speaks and trains on the subjects of adolescent suicide, violence prevention, and management of anger and aggression. Currently a consultant for several public school faculties with the goal of developing effective strategies for working with angry and aggressive youth and transforming classrooms into "connection communities" he is also studying the effects of "compassion fatigue" as it affects urban teachers, and foster parents who work with traumatized children and youth. Mr. Cozzo has traveled to over 14 different nations worldwide, working with orphans and orphanages and conducting seminars on the effects of long-term institutionalization, post-institutionalized behaviors and reactive attachment disorder in children adopted from foreign countries. Joe speaks out on behalf of children's rights and is a member of several local community not-for-profit Boards of Directors.

Joseph Sonnenberg, Vice President,  Administration and Development

Joe Sonnenberg is Vice President, Research and Development of Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center. Joe is a licensed speech-language pathologist and administrator. He has worked to develop diverse clinical and educational programming to serve infants/toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, and adults with speech-language, hearing, and special education needs. Joe has been a driving force behind the transformation of the Center from a small not-for-profit agency into the largest hearing and speech center in the United States. Much of his work over the last 20 years has focused on the development of a school program to serve children birth to 5 years with disabilities. The school program has 12 approved sites and serves 4 counties in WNY. Joe is a New York State Certified School Administrator and Supervisor, a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and holds certification as a Teacher of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped and in Elementary Education. He has been with Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center for more than 30 years. 

Thomas Mohr, Vice President Finance

Thomas Mohr is Vice President Finance of Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center. His experience includes more than 25 years of extensive financial experience and expertise in nonprofit healthcare. Tom is responsible for a $12 million operation budget for the Center. He has significant in depth experience in cost based reimbursement systems, State Education Department financial reporting, both of are critical component to Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center's budget. Tom is a graduate of Daemen College and a lifelong resident of Western New York. He and his where wife Joan have four children. Tom's community service includes many years of leadership in his church. Tom has been employed with BHSC for more than 8 years. 

Amy Bamrick, Director Clinical Services

Amy Bamrick is Director of Clinical Services of Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center. She is a licensed and ASHA certified speech-language pathologist. Amy is a graduate of Boston College where she earned a B.A. in psychology, she received a second B.A. in Communication Disorders and Sciences from the University of Buffalo. She received her Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Buffalo State College. Other certifications include VitalStim therapy provider for treatment of dysphagia and is a Compton-PESL provider for accent modification.

Amanda Durkin, Controller

Amanda Durkin is the Controller of Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center. Amanda is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo where she earned her B.S. in Accounting. She has more than 10 years experience in the accounting profession. Amanda has been employed with BHSC since October of 2007. Prior to joining the BHSC team, Amanda was with a regional accounting firm where her area of expertise was in the nonprofit industry.

Barry Francis, Director Information Technology

Barry Francis is Director of Information Technology of Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center. Barry has been responsible for installing and maintaining more than four patient care management software systems, 12 servers, several clinical program software application, as well as implementing a new email system for the Center. Barry has been with Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center since 1987. Barry started his career at BHSC in the billing department as a temporary employee. He has more than 20 years of experience in Information Technology support. 

Debora L. Morlock,  Director, Early Childhood Program in Fredonia

Debora Morlock is the Director of the Early Childhood Program in Fredonia and Derby. She has over 25 years of experience in early childhood education. Debora taught first grade, remedial reading and math, and Reading Recovery for 18 years at Holland Central Schools. She was the recipient of the "Triple H" award in recognition of her service to Holland Central Schools. She was also employed as an assistant principal for the Churchville-Chili Central School District and as a Reading First Regional Coordinator for Erie 1 BOCES. Debora holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Math from SUNY College at Geneseo, a Masters degree in Education from SUNY College at Buffalo and a Certificate of Advanced Study from SUNY College at Fredonia. She is permanently certified by NYSED in Nursery, Kindergarten, Grades 1-6, Reading, School Administrator/Supervisor, and School District Administrator. She has been employed with BHSC since October 2005.

Lynn Shea, Director of Community Services/Oral Deaf Education Program.

Lynn C. Shea, MA CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech language pathologist and the Director of Community Services/Oral Deaf Education Program at Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center.
Lynn has been practicing speech language pathology for over 20 years and has specialized with children who are D-HH for the past 7 years. She is trained in the Moog Curriculum philosophy for teaching deaf children to talk and has also completed a fellowship year with Cochlear America providing expertise in educating deaf children with cochlear implants.
Lynn oversees the Moog Curriculum teaching method in the Oral Deaf Education Program as a teacher mentor/supervisor and provides ongoing family education. She frequently presents about Oral Deaf Education throughout the Western New York area. Lynn is a member of the BHSC cochlear implant team and is involved in program development at BHSC. She also works collaboratively with the Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Program at Canisius College and has participated in a number of research projects including Relationships between Early Child Factors and School Readiness Skills in Young Children with Hearing Loss with Dr. Marjorie Harrington and Dr. Jean L. DesJardin and the Early Development of Children with Hearing Loss (EDCHL) by Dr. Susan Nittrouer, a grant funded by the NIH-NIDCD to study outcomes of children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Lynn earned her master's degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo. She is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Options Schools International. She is the recipient of two ACE Awards from ASHA.

Julie Berrigan, Director of Development

Julie Berrigan is the Director of Development at Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center. In addition to overseeing all fundraising events and marketing for the Center, Julie focuses on individual giving, foundation support and corporate philanthropy. Julie joined Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center in 2010 after spending nine years doing development work in the independent school world and college setting. Julie holds a B.A. from Hamilton College in Communication Studies and is currently enrolled in the Communication & Leadership masters program at Canisius College. Additionally, Julie is a member of the WNY Association of Fundraising Professionals and the WNY Planned Giving Consortium.

Patricia Randle, Director of Human Resources

Patricia Randle, PHR is Director of Human Resources at Buffalo Hearing & Speech Centers.  Patricia is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources and Strategic Workforce Planner.  Patricia worked 10 years in Human Resources for private, for-profit companies, and the past 15 years as HR Director in a local nonprofit agency.  Patricia started at Buffalo Hearing & Speech in 2011.  Patricia is a current member of the American Society of Training Directors, Niagara Frontier chapter and was awarded the Friend of the Chapter Award in 2010.  She is also a national member of Society for Human Resource Management.  Additionally, Patricia is an active member of the DDAWNY HR Task Force.