Amdahl Hearing

Bios

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  Kevin Amdahl

  Owner and President

  Kevin Amdahl is originally from River Falls, WI, where he spent his childhood hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors. He played football and wrestled in high school, and he is the proud son of Dave Amdahl, a well-known wrestling coach who worked at River Falls. In 1994, Kevin completed both his undergraduate and graduate work in audiology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. During the following years, he worked in private practices in Lansing, Michigan, and Willmar, Minnesota, where he found his purpose: to help as many people with hearing loss as possible. He was fascinated with audiology technology and the possibilities it created for people with hearing loss. He eventually achieved the position of Director of Audiology Services in a practice with six locations. Seeking a greater impact, Kevin took a position in 2002 with Micro-Tech, a hearing aid manufacturer, where he worked in the education and training department. He further immersed himself in the technology, aiming not only to better understand it but also to teach other professionals to apply it effectively. Kevin traveled extensively throughout the U.S. to train hearing professionals on the latest hearing aid technology and its appropriate applications in the most difficult cases. He spoke at national conventions and wrote a paper that was featured in a nationally published hearing journal. He eventually progressed to Head of the Education and Training Department, a position he held until July 2007, when he left the manufacturing world to open a private practice in St. Cloud, MN. Since then, Amdahl Hearing has grown to five locations and has expanded back across the border to his home state of Wisconsin.

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  Deric Peterson, Au.D.

  Doctor of Audiology St. Cloud, MN

  Dr. Peterson was born and raised in West Central Minnesota and received his Bachelor of Science in communication disorders from Minnesota State University-Mankato. From there, he went on to earn his master’s and doctorate degrees in audiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Deric completed his doctoral externship at the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview and gained valuable experience seeing patients of all ages, which involved several different aspects of audiology. He currently lives in the St. Cloud area with his wife, Jessica, and their children: Olivia, Ben, and Sam. When not in the office, he enjoys spending time with family, fishing, hunting, watching Minnesota professional sports, and spending time on the lake.

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  Kari Hancher, Au.D.

  Doctor of Audiology Hudson, WI

  Dr. Hancher was born and raised in a suburb near Dallas, Texas. She received both her Bachelor of Science in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Doctor of Audiology degrees from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas. She completed her doctoral externship at Amdahl Hearing. Prior to joining the Amdahl team, she trained in audiological evaluations and hearing aid fittings for both adult and pediatric populations. In her spare time she enjoys watching Texas Tech and Dallas Mavericks basketball as well as exploring the city with her husband and their two dogs.

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  Maggie Nilson, Au.D.

  Doctor of Audiology St. Cloud, MN

  Dr. Maggie Nilson grew up in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. She moved to Minnesota in 1998 after finishing her graduate work at the University of Arizona, Tucson. She has found Minnesota to be much like New York, other than the bitter wind that makes winters so much colder there. Since moving to Minnesota, she has worked in a variety of professional settings, including ENT offices, manufacturing companies, and private practice. In each placement, it has always been the interactions with patients and the opportunities to improve their quality of life that have inspired her in audiology. Dr. Nilson completed her doctoral degree through the University of Florida, Gainesville. She joined Amdahl Hearing in June 2012 and primarily works with insurance patients and veterans. When the opportunities arise, she enjoys going for a run, scrapbooking, gatherings with friends, and family time.

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  Megan Kramer, Au.D.

  Doctor of Audiology Maple Grove, MN

  Dr. Kramer grew up in the North Metro Area of the Twin Cities. She attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, graduating in 2017 with her bachelor’s in Communication Disorders. She continued her education at Pacific University near Portland Oregon, where she earned her doctorate in Audiology. She gained experience through working at the VA in Wisconsin, as well as in multiple private practices. Megan joined the Amdahl Hearing team in 2019 as an extern in our St. Cloud office. She now works in our Maple Grove office, where she helps with a variety of hearing healthcare needs. When Megan is not in the office, she can be found at the lake with her family and dogs, fishing, or snowmobiling. She loves a good home improvement project and doing crafts.

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  Raena DePerry, Au.D.

  Doctor of Audiology Hudson, WI

  Dr. DePerry was born in Stillwater, MN, and raised in Cameron, WI. She received her associate’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in Barron County; a Bachelor of Science in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls; a master’s in Audiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and her Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Raena has worked in Audiology for over 15 years and enjoys seeing patients of all ages. She is currently seeing patients at our Hudson location, as well as our outreach office in Amery. In her spare time, Dr. Raena enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys, getting involved in sports and scouts, and helping out in her church community

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  Daniel DiBenedetto, Au.D.

  Doctor of Audiology Hudson, WI

  Dr. DiBenedetto was born and raised in Vernon, Connecticut. He moved to the Midwest to compete for the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities men’s gymnastics team and received his bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Danny went on to attend the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, where he earned a Doctorate of Audiology. He completed his fourth–year doctoral externship with Amdahl Hearing, where he gained invaluable experience facilitating communication for all ages through hearing evaluations, amplification consultations, and treatment plans. He looks forward to building relationships while providing exceptional hearing healthcare. Living in the Hudson, Wisconsin, area with his wife and two dogs has granted Dr. Danny the best aspects of both city and country living. In his spare time, he enjoys anything that allows him to get outside and get moving.

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