International Hearing Society Announces 2025 Award Winners

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – September 5, 2025 – The International Hearing Society (IHS) is excited to announce its 2025 Award winners, who are being recognized for their professional excellence, advocacy efforts, and commitment to helping IHS members achieve the highest possible standard of patient care. The awardees will be recognized at the Final Riff: an Indy Jazz Soiree evening celebration taking place September 20th, at the 2025 IHS Conference & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Learn more about these accomplished professionals in the October-November-December 2025 edition of The Hearing Professional magazine. You can also congratulate many of them in person at the Final Riff: an Indy Jazz Soiree evening celebration in Indianapolis, Indiana, and hear more of their exceptional contributions to hearing healthcare. Register today to reserve your ticket!

The 2025 IHS Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Alan Lowell, ACA, BC-HIS. Lowell became a licensed Hearing Aid Specialist in 1975 and has dedicated his career to being a devoted leader, prolific author, and remarkable teacher of the next generation. His volunteer involvement spans five decades and includes serving as Chair of the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS), Chair of the Hearing Aid Specialist Licensing Board in Florida, President of the Florida Hearing Society, and was the first person in IHS history to serve two terms as IHS President.

The James P. Lovell Advocacy Award is given annually to the member or organization that has accomplished extraordinary achievements in advocating for the hearing impaired. This year, IHS is pleased to give Jason Winn, PA, of Tallahassee, Florida, this award.

The IHS Emerging Professional Award will be awarded to Maggie Smith, BC-HIS, of Bloomington, Indiana. This award is given to an IHS member who has been licensed for less than five years and, during that time, has expanded the role of hearing aid dispensing through IHS/Chapter participation, leadership, volunteering, and/or professional growth, thereby representing and promoting the mission of IHS to a larger audience.

The IHS Outstanding Professional Member Award will be presented to Chris Arnold of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Individuals who earn this award are recognized for making significant contributions to the advancement of IHS’ values and goals, including advancing and enhancing the professional identity and status of IHS membership; advancing a mutual respect among hearing healthcare professionals, to assure IHS members’ eligibility as providers in the hearing care delivery system; advancing professional qualifications and standards in the hearing aid dispensing field; and educating the public about the profession’s role in hearing loss identification and hearing healthcare delivery. 

IHS Executive Director Alissa Parady applauded the 2025 IHS award winners, “I congratulate all our 2025 IHS award winners and nominees. Their devotion to the Hearing Aid Specialist profession and compassion in helping more individuals hear and better communicate is an inspiration to the communities they serve and professionals alike. I hope IHS members will join us in celebrating these exemplary professionals at the IHS 2025 Conference & Expo in Indianapolis.”

2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Alan Lowell, ACA, BC-HIS

Media Contact:

Sandra den Boer
Editorial, Public Relations, and Sales Director
International Hearing Society
P: 734-412-7571
E: sdenboer@ihsinfo.org

About the International Hearing Society
The International Hearing Society (IHS) is a membership association that represents hearing healthcare professionals worldwide, including hearing aid specialists. IHS members are engaged in the practice of performing hearing assessments, ordering the use of, selecting, fitting, and dispensing hearing instruments, counseling patients, and providing aftercare services. Founded in 1951, IHS protects, represents, and promotes the interests of hearing healthcare and hearing healthcare professionals. For more information visit www.ihsinfo.org.