Mark Daly lives in Hopkins, Minnesota. He and his wife have two young adult daughters, and they will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary next year. Over the years, “[he] enjoyed a wonderful career as an investigative television reporter for KARE11 News for nearly 20 years.'' More recently, he served as the "Chief Storyteller" (Public Relations Director) for Anytime Fitness for 13 years. Currently, Mark serves as a board member for the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Twin Cities chapter and Access Press - a non-profit newspaper serving the disability community in Minnesota. “Despite my significant hearing loss, I remain very active socially and physically.”
As a reporter for KARE11 News, Mark researched and produced complex and inspiring stories to help viewers make informed choices and enjoy life to the fullest. As the Public Relations Director for Anytime Fitness (a MN-based, global fitness club franchise), his duties included internal and external communications, video production, government and media relations, crisis management, press release writing, and coordinating the company's charitable foundation. As a board member for HLAA-TC and Access Press, Mark strives to help people with a wide variety of disabilities learn about products, services, and programs that could help them enjoy life to the fullest.
“I love it when people tell me that information I've shared [has] inspired them to do new and exciting things. Most of the stories I share feature courageous people who have overcome challenges, obstacles, and/or societal barriers.”
Mark began to experience significant genetic hearing loss at age 35. His grandfather, father, and brothers experienced similar hearing loss. He has worn hearing aids since age 40. When Mark was younger, he sometimes pretended to hear others, “even when I truthfully did not. That never worked out well.” Now, he’s not shy or embarrassed to tell others that he is hard of hearing the first time that he meets them. “Not hearing well was a serious challenge during my last few years as a reporter. It was absolutely essential that I understood others clearly in order to make sure that my reporting was factual and accurate.” So, whenever possible, he conducted interviews in quiet environments and he relied heavily on photographers whom he worked with to make sure he got things right. “Noisy environments remain a challenge for me today. But I rely on closed captioning and BlueTooth technology to help me hear as well as possible. I also lip read and I coach others on how to communicate effectively with me: face me, speak slowly (not necessarily loudly), and enunciate."
Mark shares the following advice: “Regardless of whatever hearing challenges you face, choose a career that you love. Then find a way to make it work. Invest in whatever technology you need to do your job. Don't ever be shy about telling people you have difficulty hearing or how to help you hear as well as possible. Stand up for yourself. Just because you don't hear well (or at all) doesn't make you any less valuable as a team contributor.”
When not working, Mark loves playing golf and racquetball as well as traveling, photography, fine dining, and hiking.
In parting, Mark would like to add two things: “1) I sometimes like to flatter myself by telling others: "I may not hear well, but I'm a great listener." It's true. If hearing well doesn't come naturally, then you have to work at it. 2) It's important to remember that living with someone who doesn't hear well can sometimes be frustrating and tiring. Those of us who don't hear well occasionally feel sorry for ourselves. But it's crucial that we realize it's not easy for our closest friends and family members either. The struggle is real.”
The #CanDoAnything campaign showcases people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing at work, giving them an opportunity to share what they do at their jobs and explain how communication access works for them. This campaign shows what our community can do, which is anything!
