Joseph Roberson, M.D. serves as Founder and President for The Let Them Hear Foundation, a medical organization passionate about bringing the gift of hearing to those living in silence in the U.S. and around the world.
Currently, Roberson also serves as CEO and Managing Partner at the California Ear Institute, where he oversees all business, clinical and surgical daily operations at several Northern California locations. Roberson serves as faculty member and is the former Chief of Otology-Neurotology-Skull Base surgery at Stanford University where he worked before launching LTHF. He serves as a consultant for several industry leaders, including Acclarent, Medtronic, Advanced Bionics Corporation and Cochlear Corporation. He maintains an active clinical and surgical practice, and functions as the Fellowship Director of CEI, a program responsible for training surgeons in Otology-Neurotology-Skull Base surgery.
As LTHF Founder and President, Roberson leads all daily operations and strategic planning efforts for the Foundation. His responsibilities as President include traveling to train surgeons and found cochlear implant programs overseas, program development and administration.
A widely published and featured speaker, Roberson has appeared on multiple national television programs, and serves as the Medical Director of the Adult and Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at California Ear Institute and Children's Hospital Oakland.
Kirk Dunn Kirk Dunn brings to the Foundation a diversified knowledge base of technology engineering, marketing, and sales and management experience and presently is the CEO at Powerfile. During his nearly 20-year career, Kirk has worked extensively with Fortune 200 accounts, successfully built strategic sales and product divisions, and led international expansions. Prior to coming to PowerFile, Kirk was CEO of Bang Networks where he devised and executed a market and product strategy that delivered the first real-time Web messaging appliance to Fortune 200 customers. He was also Vice President of North America Field Operations for Inktomi where he built and led a team from $3M to a $150M run rate, and was instrumental in new product planning as member of Inktomi's executive strategy council. Kirk came to Inktomi from Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. (NET) where he held executive positions in sales, marketing, and professional services. Prior to NET, Kirk worked for IBM, in senior sales positions. Kirk received a B.A. in Mathematics and Applied Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Les Koonce Les was born in Raleigh, North Carolina where he attended school
and received his B.B.A from Campbell College. Years of traveling brought
him to the San Francisco area, where he now resides. Professionally, Les
entered the insurance business and organized Koonce Financial Corporation
in 1982. Presently, the firm provides insurance, investment and pension services
to over 1,200 individual and corporate clients.
In 1992, Les was appointed General Agent of Penn Mutual Life Insurance
Company of Northern California and managed over 70 associates in three
Bay Area offices. In 1993, the Peninsula Association of Life Underwriters
honored him as the “Insurance Professional of the Year”. Les
and his wife Suzanne, reside in Menlo Park, and enjoy golf, running marathons,
and attending Menlo Park Presbyterian Church where Les is a Deacon.
Jim Pollock Jim has grown up locally in the Bay Area and received his undergraduate
degree from Stanford University. He founded and is President of Pollock Financial
Group and its affiliates: Pollock Investment Advisory Corporation, Pollock
Realty Corporation and Pollock Life Insurance Corporation. Since 1960, Pollock
Financial Group and its affiliate corporations have provided various financial
services for its corporate and personal clients. While away from work, Jim
and his wife Guyla enjoy spending time with their five children and eight
grandchildren. Jim resides locally in Portola Valley and is an active member
in several professional associations. Personal favorite activities include
playing the banjo, cycling, tennis, fly-fishing, and softball.
