Sarah Sommer, a leader in digital marketing and engagement, brings over two decades of experience to the Oberkotter Foundation building online strategies to improve access to care and services for individuals with hearing loss.
PHILADELPHIA, March 5, 2026 — Sarah Sommer joined the Board of Trustees of the Oberkotter Foundation on March 1, 2026, the Foundation announced. Ms. Sommer’s experience adds to the Foundation’s leadership as they champion work that fuels innovation in pediatric hearing healthcare and ensures every child who is deaf or hard of hearing has the option to develop age-appropriate listening, spoken language, and literacy skills.
On the Board, Ms. Sommer joins Bruce Rosenfield, former Executive Director of the Foundation, David Pierson, Lydia Denworth, and Dr. Cedric Pritchett. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees is responsible for setting strategic direction, maintaining good governance practices, and providing financial oversight to ensure the Foundation continues to fulfill its mission.
“The Foundation is identifying and championing innovative solutions to the challenges and barriers facing children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families,” Teresa H. Caraway, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the Oberkotter Foundation.
Ms. Sommer brings a wealth of experience identifying issues within healthcare systems and using the latest digital communications technologies and strategies to deliver practical solutions to the public. We are delighted that she will be joining a dedicated group of Trustees, who are committed to advancing the Foundation’s mission.Teresa H. Caraway, Ph.D.
A leader in digital marketing and engagement, Ms. Sommer currently serves as the Vice President of Digital Engagement at Geisinger. Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based healthcare, serving people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Prior to her time at Geisinger, she directed digital strategies at Boston Scientific Corporation.
In addition to her professional expertise, Ms. Sommer brings lived experience that reflects the communities the Foundation serves, as she is profoundly deaf and uses bilateral cochlear implants. Ms. Sommer combines her first-hand experience in listening and spoken language with her industry-leading knowledge of digital strategy to provide innovative leadership to organizations that advance opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her service has included board roles at the Alexander Graham Bell Association, the former Helen Beebe Speech and Hearing Center, and mentorship as an Advanced Bionics cochlear implant ambassador.
A graduate of Princeton University, Sommer earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, where she received the Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship for achievements in social enterprise. She also studied as a Fulbright graduate student at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, completing graduate work in education with distinction.
“Ms. Sommer’s expertise in driving innovation and digital engagement will be a tremendous asset as we continue to evolve the Foundation’s work and expand our reach to support more children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families,” said Lydia Denworth, a member of the Oberkotter Foundation Board of Trustees. “By combining professional excellence with her own personal experience, she not only strengthens our capabilities as a board but also embodies the opportunities and successes we believe should be open to every individual who is deaf or hard of hearing. We look forward to having her insight, leadership, and example helping to shape the work of the Foundation.”
About the Oberkotter Foundation
The Oberkotter Foundation helps families ensure their children who are deaf or hard of hearing have opportunities to reach their full potential through Listening and Spoken Language (LSL).
The Foundation is committed to advancing science and innovation that will improve access to quality audiological and LSL services for children with hearing loss so that they develop age-appropriate listening, talking, and literacy skills. Since 1985, the Foundation has provided over $500 million in funding to improve listening, spoken language, and literacy outcomes for children with hearing loss and their families.
