Chairperson: 

J. Comer Yates

J. Comer Yates currently serves as the Chairperson of the Commission.  He is the Executive Director of the Atlanta Speech School.  Various awards include both the Distinguished Service Award and the President’s Award from the Atlanta Bar Association and the WXIA Community Service Award.  He serves on the board of directors for the following organizations: Carl E. Sanders Family YMCA, Camp Twin Lakes, Odyssey, and the Anti-Defamation League.  Mr. Yates received both his B.A. and J.D. from Emory University.

Vice Chairperson:

Dr. Jiovanne Hughart, AuD

Dr. Jiovanne Hughart is a private practice audiologist in the Atlanta area. She is an adjunct professor at Auburn University and adjunct instructor at Salus University, teaching private practice audiology and cerumen management. She travels nationally and internationally conducting cerumen management workshops, specifically the lab portion of the workshop. She currently serves as chairperson for the Academy Doctors of Audiology mentoring committee and as webmaster for the Georgia Academy of Audiology.

Members at Large:
 

Dr. Beth Lytle

Dr. Beth Lytle is a parent of a school-aged child with a bilateral moderate mixed hearing loss. Having encountered a number of obstacles within both public and private systems, Dr. Lytle understands the need for increased advocacy for the Hard of Hearing and Deaf community. She is passionate about improving HH/D education for school faculty and staff, ensuring proper credentials and training of the diagnosticians and SLP’s working with HH/D students, and outreach to physicians to help improve recognition of early warning signs of hearing loss. Dr. Lytle believes that every child in Georgia should have access to proper healthcare, assistive technology, and support within the school setting. Early intervention is critical at every age for every family. Dr. Lytle holds a Ph.D. from Emory University, an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. from Tulane University.

James "Jim" D. Lynch

Jim Lynch is a management consultant with Lynchpin Associates, LLC which he founded in 2007 serving a wide range of global companies and organizations.  He also serves on the Advisory Board of DropPoint North America, LLC.  Prior to his consulting career, Lynch served for 28 years in a range of senior management positions with The Coca-Cola Company and United Parcel Service. Lynch earned a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University and an MBA degree from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University.  He and his wife, Jacqueline, have two children and six grandchildren, all of whom live in the Atlanta area.

Lynch is a member of the Rotary Club of Buckhead, the Emory Alumni Association, and the American Marketing Association.  He served on the Board of Salvation Army (Atlanta) and as their COO for two years.