The MAAC Team
Mark Harder
President
Mark was a national plaster instructor and on February 1, 2018, he had a heart attack and stroke, leaving him with aphasia and low vision. Mark lost his career but found a passion in poetry and aphasia advocacy. Mark is the founder of Poems in Speech and co-founder of the Mid-Atlantic Aphasia Conference. He is also a National Aphasia Association Ambassador.
Dr. Denise Mendez
Program and Content Manager
I have aphasia but aphasia does not have me!
My aphasia journey began after the first of a series of hemorrhagic bleeds in my brain. These strokes brought many challenges that I had to learn to navigate and re-navigate! From communication and cognitive changes, an abrupt end to my career in public education, and the resilience to thrive in spite of aphasia... I continue to strive!
Participating in aphasia support groups is an important part of my personal rehabilitation as well as participating in research studies.
I am a founding member of the Mid Atlantic Aphasia Conference where I develop and facilitate support groups, plan conferences, get-togethers, and provide content to and edit the newsletter.
As the creator and editor of the podcast , “Still Something 2 Say” – I was able to give safe space to people with aphasia to tell their story, share opinions and simply converse with others having communication challenges.
Recently, I have joined the ranks of the National Aphasia Association Ambassadors and continue sharing and supporting those in our community!
Jenn Derry
Program and Content Manager fwenbean@gmail.com
Jenn Derry lives in Pennsylvania. Before her stroke, she was a Director of Operations, overseeing teams across the U.S. and boarders. On May 9, 2016, Jenn suffered a massive stroke that required a craniotomy. As a result, she experienced significant challenges, including right-side weakness, low vision, epilepsy, and global aphasia.
Today, Jenn serves as Program and Content Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Aphasia Conference (MAAC) and is an Ambassador and Council Member of the National Aphasia Association. Through her presentations, poetry, artwork, and community outreach, she is passionate about raising aphasia awareness, advocating for others, and connecting people with aphasia and their families.
Crystal Laughlin
Crystal Laughlin
Crystal Laughlin
Inclusion Liaison
Hi my name is Crystal Laughlin I am MAAC inclusion liaison. What that means there are ways to develop aphasia because I developed aphasia through Moyamoya. I had a stroke back in December 2022 while on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
I woke up one morning and could not read right or say my name I didn’t know what aphasia was but lucky for me my cousin is a nurse and knew that aphasia was sign of a stroke. We went to many hospitals in the Dominican Republic, they were not doing any thing for me there plus we didn’t speak the language so that the decision was made to get on the next flight to the closest hospital that was in Jacksonville Miami.
This was where I was diagnosed with MoyaMoya. Another word I was not familiar with. But I quickly learned MoyaMoya is with the arteries in the base of your brain begin to narrow so they create new arteries to compensate for the blockage, but they’re not sufficient enough to get blood flow to the brain causing a stroke. See I was having mini strokes (TIA) before my big stroke while I was on vacation, but I didn’t know it at the time. I just thought I was just getting old.
I was flown back where I had two brain surgeries and did speech therapy. My speech therapist gave me email of a man who ran a support group for aphasia. That’s where I met Mark Harder, who was the founder of MAAC and the rest is history.
I did speech therapy for about a year and was able to go back both jobs.
So now I do everything I can to advocate for aphasia and MoyaMoya because I don’t want anyone to be blindsided like I was I used my pain and turned it into purpose.
Sandy Stein
Crystal Laughlin
Crystal Laughlin
Language Pathologist
Sandy Stein has been a speech therapist for over 40 years. Although she has worked in all settings, she has spent the majority of her career in the hospital setting working with patients who have communication and swallowing difficulties and their families. She has been part of MAAC for several years.
Paul Allen
Crystal Laughlin
Matt Weingertner
Facilitator
I had a stroke in 2025 in June. I suffer from Aphasia, but very little other sides effects. I am very active in the Mid-Atlantic Aphasia Conference group. I also attend sessions at MOSS rehab facility in Jenkintown. In addition to this session, I attend speech classes at Drexel University, with the Speech Language Institute.
Prior to my stroke I worked in the pharmaceutical world for more than 30 years. And before this, early in my career, I was a research scientist studying how the body fights cancer.
I have a wonderful support team made up of my wonderful wife and kids and children. And is a matter of fact, my grandson (Peter) likes the work with me on some of my speech exercises! Along with the support from family, there is a strong network of my friends, who keep me focused on all that God is doing in life.
In my spare time love to play golf, and putter around in the garden. My wife is the real gardener, but I’m what I call a “sous gardener” (her assistant).
Rayhan Roy
Matt Weingertner
Mike Jankowski
Student Ambassador
Rayhan Roy is an undergraduate student at Rice University pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Philosophy. His interests center on communication and the human experience. Outside of academics, he is an avid reader and enjoys writing poetry whenever inspiration strikes. He is excited to support the MAAC's mission of fostering connection, advocacy, and understanding for individuals living with aphasia.
Mike Jankowski
Matt Weingertner
Mike Jankowski
MAAC Representative
I had a hemorrhagic stroke 4 years ago. I retired as an EMT/FF and Loss Prevention Detective. I have an amazing wife, Ana, kids, and grandkids who keep us busy. I am very active raising awareness and speaking to groups about Aphasia.