No Limits is proud of its dedicated staff whose collective passion helps hundreds of children with hearing loss and their families bloom to their full potiential.

Dr. Michelle Christie
Founder, Executive Director
michelle@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

Michelle Christie, Ms.Ed., CCC, Ed.D, founded No Limits in 1996. After 18 years in the entertainment industry, Dr. Christie decided to follow her dream of working with children with hearing loss who speak and listen. She changed her career path and earned a Masters Degree in Education, with a full fellowship and distinguished honors from the USC/John Tracy Clinic Program. She later received her Doctorate in Education from UCLA. Her dissertation focused on the needs and experiences of low-income Latino parents of school-age children with hearing loss. She has been invited to present her findings throughout the country, as well as internationally, including the Hearing Across the Lifespan (HEAL) Conference in Italy with representatives from over 60 countries.

Connie Hwang
Director of Development
connie@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

​Connie has excelled in fund development and leadership positions in the nonprofit sector for over 10 years. She is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of a diverse fundraising program to ensure the long-term sustainability and success of No Limits. Having grown up in an underserved immigrant community, she is an advocate of social justice and supports organizations that promote equity, inclusion, and education, making her an ideal ambassador for No Limits. Outside of her work, Connie is passionate about fitness and teaches yoga to underserved youth.

Julie Heimler
M.Ed. LSLS Cert. Aved
Director of Outreach & Programming
julie@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org  

Julie has been working at No Limits for almost ten years as an AVT therapist and a program director. Her knowledge, passion, creativity and love for families and children make her a great asset to No Limits and the community. She leads the way in partnerships between No Limits and the community, and is instrumental in running the Educational Centers in Los Angeles, Oxnard and Las Vegas. ​​

Eileen Nelson
National Theater Program Director 
​eileen@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

With over 30 years experience in theatre, Eileen coordinates all No Limits productions nationwide, and directs No Limits productions on the East coast. Eileen has been with No Limits since 1998, when her daughter, Christen, who is deaf, performed in the first No Limits New York production.  Eileen provides guidance to parents who enroll in the program and offers them help not only during the productions, but also throughout their child’s school-age years. Eileen credits No Limits for teaching her how to be an advocate for her daughter, who now has a masters in Occupational Therapy.

Adam Cooper
Communications Director
adam@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

Adam is a digital content veteran who has served as a New Media Director for Barack Obama and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a marketing director for startups, and a content strategist for brands like Coolhaus and Power Rangers. A board member of The Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble, Adam produced the organization's first film venture, the award-winning Iago. Adam is passionate about filmmaking, service, and helping tell the No Limits story. ​

Andrea Lacey
MS. Ed., DHH-Ed.Spc. 
​LA Program Coordinator and Outreach
andreal@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

Andrea has worked at No Limits for 3 years as a Speech and Language teacher and as a teacher for kids with hearing loss at Echo Horizon School. She has also served as a Deaf and Hard of Hearing itinerant teacher, working with students of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds in Los Angeles. With her multiple subject teaching credential, and Masters in Education from Mount St. Mary's, Andrea brings experience and passion to running the educational programs at No Limits.

Margoth Granados
LA Parent Liaison
margoth@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

As a parent of a child with hearing loss, Margoth knows first hand how challenging and rewarding this road can be, and is an essential liaison to our parents. She current holds a Masters Degree is Social Work and a Deaf and Hard of Hearing teaching credential where she works with DHH students learning to speak. ​

Donna Furlong
Las Vegas Program Director
donna@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

With over thirty years experience as a class room teacher and speech therapist, and a degree in elementary education and early childhood development, Donna is passionate about working with deaf and hard of hearing students. She is a Kentucky native who loves service, dogs, and her family. When not working at No Limits, she volunteers as a Baby Cuddler in the NICU and coaches her Special Olympics basketball team.

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Ericka Duesterhaus
Las Vegas Theater Director
ericka@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

Ericka is a teacher of the deaf with over 20 years experience in the Clark County School district, a BA in Deaf Education, and an MA in Early Intervention. Her expertise, combined with her love of theater and children, make her an integral part of No Limits' Theater Program. When not working with deaf children, she can be found spoiling her nieces and nephews or working on her photography.

Jeannette Robles
Oxnard Program Coordinator and Outreach
jeannette@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

Having worked for over 10 years as a teacher and administrator, coordinating with over 150 school districts throughout California, Jeannette brings a wealth of experience to the Educational Center in Oxnard. Her great passion is seeing the light in her students’ eyes when they achieve a goal they thought was impossible, which is the embodiment of  the No Limits motto: “I Can Do It!” When not at work, Jeannette enjoys cooking and volunteering for her son’s Little League baseball team. ​

Jo Anne Ryan
Oxnard Outreach Coordinator
jo@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

Credentialed in both English and TESOL, Jo has has over 25 years of experience working in education as a teacher, mentor, tutor, and instructor. She believes that teachers have a unique opportunity to transform the lives of students, and lives but this quote from William Butler Yeats: “Education is not the filling up of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

Raquel Lipsett
Oxnard Parent Liaison
raquel@nolimitsfordeafchildren.org

A No Limits parent herself since she enrolled her daughter, Emma, in 2015, Raquel is passionate about giving the parents of deaf children the tools to be advocates for their kids. The valedictorian of her class at  Santa Barbara Business College, Raquel loves family, traveling, cooking, and baseball. 
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No Limits is proud of its certified teachers of the Deaf, auditory verbal therapists, reading specialists, music and arts teachers, and collaborating audiologist.  No Limits also appreciates all its theater directors, workshop team members, and volunteers nationwide.