The DePaul Speech Language Pathology Community Advisory Board contributes expertise and vision to the current and future development of the DePaul University Speech Language Pathology Program; offers a forum to share information regarding the growth and development of the profession of speech language pathology to ensure currency of the program; and contributes to the advancement of the program. Board members serve a 3-year term.
Nakisha Hobbs, Board President
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Nakisha Hobbs is the Principal and Co-Founder of Village Leadership Academy (VLA), an independent elementary school where the primary focus is to transform urban youth into global leaders. VLA serves over 700 students and redefines the purpose of urban education.
Katie Gore, Board Secretary, Founding Board Member
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Katie Gore, MA, CCC-SLP is the founder and president of speech IRL, a speech therapy and communication consulting practice. Katie's primary areas of clinical specialty include stuttering and fluency disorders, executive function, and social communication. Her other areas of interest include business and ethics issues in SLP practice. As head of speech IRL's consulting division, Katie provides communication and DEI training and facilitation to organizations and businesses in the USA and internationally.
Katie is the Chair of the ISHA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force and currently serves as Fluency Track Chair. She is a former member of the Board of Directors for the National Stuttering Association, and is the co-founder and Community Outreach Chair for Shared Voices, a Chicago-based community nonprofit dedicated to serving people who stutter. Katie also serves on the CSHA Convos Committee for the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is an adjunct faculty member at Rush University, where she teaches graduate coursework in stuttering and fluency disorders.
Annette Acevedo, Founding Board Member
Dr. Annette Acevedo is the English Language Learners Director for School District U-46 in Elgin, where she oversees one of the largest Spanish/English Dual Language Program implementations in the nation. She has been in the field of education for over 25 years, serving as a bilingual school social worker across PreK-12 before joining the administration ranks of teaching and learning within the bilingual program. Dr. Acevedo earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Purdue University, a master's in social work from the University of Chicago, and her doctorate in educational leadership and
organizational change from Roosevelt University.
Her areas of experience include culturally and linguistically responsive standards-based learning and assessment and curriculum development. Additionally, she has significant background in creating, facilitating and/or implementing differentiated professional development focused on instructional practices that promote content and language development for emergent bilingual students, as well as highlight students' home languages and cultural experiences as valued assets. Dr. Acevedo approaches her work within a lens of educational equity and is an advocate for providing increased access and opportunities of rigor and relevance for marginalized groups. She has presented at local, state and national conferences on such areas as, dual language implementation, best practices for serving multilingual learners, parental engagement initiatives, and collective teacher efficacy. She is also an appointed member of the Illinois Advisory Council on Bilingual Education for ISBE.
Sharon Kummerer, Founding Board Member
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Sharon Kummerer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a bilingual (English-Spanish) speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Dr. Kummerer teaches courses in Psycho-Educational Assessment for English Language Learners with Disabilities and Language Development, Diversity, and Disabilities. She received her B.A. from Marquette University, M.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Ph.D. in Special Education from UIC.
Her research and clinical interests concern providing culturally responsive services to monolingual Spanish and bilingual (Spanish-English) Latinos and their families. Dr. Kummerer’s areas of clinical expertise include aphasia, articulation/phonology, Autism Spectrum Disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, dysarthria, dysphagia, language delays and disabilities, neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders, right hemisphere cognitive impairment, telehealth, and traumatic brain injury across the lifespan. Dr. Kummerer has published on topics concerning language intervention and parental collaboration with children from Mexican-American homes. Engagement in professional service includes doctoral thesis committees, manuscript reviewer, and SLP clinical supervision.
Ashleigh Pierce, Founding Board Member
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Ashleigh Pierce, MS, CCC-SLP/L is a pediatric speech-language pathologist who services children in the public school system as well as the clinical setting. In addition to her background in speech-language pathology, Ashleigh has her teaching degrees in special education and elementary education. She is also a Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor. Ashleigh loves to integrate her knowledge from the fields of Speech and Language Pathology, Education, and Yoga to create and provide the most effective therapy plans for the children she works with. Ashleigh is the Vice President of the DuPage County Speech Language Hearing Association (DCSLHA) and is a member of both the Illinois Speech Language Hearing Association (ISHA) and American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA).
Arlinda Nuñez, Board Member
Arlinda Nuñez, MHS, CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor of Arts from Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL and her Masters of Health Sciences from Governors State University, University Park, IL. She is a bilingual speech-language pathologist who is trained to treat communication disorders, is culturally competent, and fluent in both English and Spanish. Arlinda is the owner of Nuñez Bilingual Speech & Language Therapies, Inc. where she contracts to public schools to evaluate and treat dual-language students. She primarily works in a public school setting with early childhood children transitioning from Early Intervention to a public school and with elementary age children. Arlinda has worked in private practice and treating adults in home healthcare. She recently retired from the U. S. Army Reserves with 34-years of honorable service on active duty and the Army Reserves.
Arnell Brady, Board Member
Arnell A Brady, M.A., CCC-SLP/L, is a certified and licensed Speech-language Pathologist and has been a direct clinical service provider for more than 40 years. Mr. Brady has provided speech language pathology services in settings that ranged across the life-span from Early Intervention (0-3 years of age) to senior nursing homes. He started building his private practice in 1984 after receiving his B.A. in speech-language pathology from Saint Xavier College (Chicago) and his M.A. in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University (Evanston). Early in his career he held staff medical speech language pathologist positions at three area hospitals (University of Chicago Medical Center, Saint Joseph's Hospital and Provident Hospital of Cook County) where he specialized in pediatric communication disorders and adult neurogenic communication disorders. Mr. Brady became a full-time private practitioner in 1995, operating Brady Speech-Language Pathology Ltd., and holding licensure in Illinois, Indiana. California, Arkansas and Georgia. Mr. Brady has said that having a private practice allowed for him to also volunteer to work for the betterment of the profession in professional associations and organizations. He was twice elected Chairman of National Board of Directors for the National Black Association for Speech Language And Hearing (NBASLH), where he also served many years as a Board member ad received top awards for leadership and service. In 2016 the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) awarded him their second highest honor of "Fellowship of the Association for Clinical Service, Service to ASHA and Service to related professional organizations". Mr. Brady has made international, national and local presentations on topics related to human communication disorders. He holds life membership in NBASLH, ASHA, and the American Academy of Private In Speech Pathology and Audiology. In the community, Mr. Brady is on the Board of Directors for the Scottish Rite FreeMasons Dyslexia Center (Metropolitan Chicago). Mr. Brady has been married to Dr. Patricia Brady for 50 years. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.
Ian Flynn, Board Member
Ian Flynn is the President and Founder of AnthroMed Education, a Chicago-based provider of school Speech-Language Pathology services with 150+ employees. In 2022-2023, AnthroMed Education provided speech therapy in four different states to over 3,000+ students and conducted over 50,000+ hours of speech therapy. In 2023, AnthroMed Education was a sponsor of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association's annual convention. As a leader in the speech therapy space, Ian is focused on creating new programs and innovative changes in schools as part of his goal to create an enriching and supportive environment for Speech-Language Pathologists at AnthroMed Education. Before to Founding AnthroMed Education in 2019, Ian was an entrepreneur early in his career and started his first company at 23 years old that primarily served the business community that operated for 10+ years. Ian is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago's Quinlan School of Business and a lifelong Chicagoan. Ian is excited to provide support and new ideas and perspectives to the DePaul Speech-Language Pathology Community Advisory Board that contribute to the future growth and success of the program for all those involved.
Laura Sambrooke-McQuade, Board Member
Laura Sambrookes-McQuade, SLPD CCC-SLP is the founder and CEO of Aurora Pediatric Therapy and Integrative Health located in Naperville & Yorkville, IL. Guided by principles of mindfulness and interprofessional practice, Aurora Pediatric Therapy and Integrative Health provides compassionate, empathetic and neurodiverse-affirming diagnostic and therapy services benefiting the community by improving our parent's physical health with emphasis on mental health as a foundation for all growth and development of gross/fine motor and communication skills. Dr. Sambrookes-McQuade received her
B.S. in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and received both her M.A. and SLPD from Northwestern University. Dr. Sambrookes-McQuade's doctoral research explored which strategies were most efficacious in teaching health education professionals to break bad news. She has been an invited lecturer at university programs across the United States to teach future speech-language pathologists this critical clinical skill. Dr. Sambrookes-McQuade has been published in the ASHA Leader and Autism Parenting Magazine specifically in the area of the intersectionality of resilience as a component of treatment planning within the speech-language pathology session and how caregivers may foster resilience after receiving information about their child's diagnosis. Clinically, Dr. Sambrookes-McQuade is passionate about working with autistic individuals from newly diagnosed to young adulthood and also provides pediatric dysphagia services for NICU graduates and infants.
Dr. Sambrookes-McQuade is the Vice President-Elect of ISHA's Division for Professional and Consumer Communications and currently serves as the chair of the Public Information, Membership and Marketing Commitee.
Jonathan Love, Board Member
Jonathan Love, M.S., CCC-SLP, received speech and language services from Arnell Brady at the age of 5 years to address his expressive language/fluency disorder. He was motivated by his success in therapy and the mentoring from Mr. Brady that he became a Speech – Language Pathologist. It was during his own therapy when he realized the mentoring aspect of speech and language pathology. He inspires and motivates his current school and private practice clients that first and foremost, they are amazing with their current delays and therapy is meant to enrich their lives. Jonathan graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans and earned a fellowship to attend University of Northern Iowa for his Master's Degree. He was awarded a Minority Student Leadership Program opportunity at the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) convention in 2004. This experience propelled him to pursue leadership positions in the school sector. After 11 years as a school speech pathologist, he was implored by his principal to get a master's in educational administration. Jonathan graduated at the top of his class and was eagerly sought for a principal position in Dolton, IL. While usually a principal position is given to a candidate with administration experience, Jonathan impressed the Superintendent and School Board with his poise, confidence, knowledge of teaching pedagogy, and answers to case studies and situational scenarios that he was afforded the position. Jonathan is currently using both his speech and language experience and his administrative experience to operate two educational consulting companies. His company serves Illinois and Indiana, with Georgia and Texas on the horizon for 2019. His professional mission is to use his leadership ability to promote the field of Communication Disorders to more high performing high school students, encourage more speech and language pathologists to pursue leadership positions in their respective sectors (schools, SNFs, hospitals, university, etc.), and to implore more speech and language pathologists and audiologists to become more comfortable with entrepreneurship in our field.
Denise Matthews, Board Member
Denise Matthews, M.Ed., earned her Master's of Educational Leadership and Administration from DePaul University. She is the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Equity, and Inclusion at Winnetka Public Schools-District 36.
Kelly Boris, Board Member, DePaul Alumnus
Kelly Boris, M.S., CF-SLP, is a graduate of DePaul University's inaugural Speech-Language Pathology program where she was elected as president of her cohort and served as recruitment chair for NSSLHA. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Dayton where she received recognition for her involvement in research, including a study focusing on executive functioning skills in preschoolers. She is currently serving the Chicago community through her position as a Clinical Fellow in early intervention at M Street Pediatric Therapy. Kelly has a passion for working with children and has an interest in furthering her experience and education on pediatric feeding and swallowing.
Friends of the Board
Sr. Kara Davis, Friend of the Board and Founding Member of the Board
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Sister Kara Davis, D.C., M.S., CCC-SLP, earned her master’s degree at Eastern Illinois University and is a speech therapist at Marillac St Vincent Family Services in Chicago. She splits her time working between the St. Vincent de Paul Center and the Marillac Social Center.
Sarah Vetter, Friend of the Board and Founding Member of the Board
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Sarah Vetter, M.S., CCC-SLP, MA, received her B.S. in Speech and Hearing Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Boston University. Sarah is a Speech-Language Pathologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, with 15+ years experience in speech-language and feeding-swallowing disorders as they relate to children born with cleft lip/palate and other craniofacial conditions. Further interest in program development, as well as learning and mentorship, prompted a more recent pursuit of an M.A. in Educating Adults at DePaul University and facilitated movement into the role of Education Coordinator for the Division of Rehabilitative Services at Lurie Children’s. In addition to her continued commitment to the Cleft/Craniofacial Program, she has additionally served in this role since 2016.
Quinn Niego, Friend of the Board and Founding Member of the Board
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Quinn Niego is the practice manager of Chicago Speech Therapy, a speech clinic that has grown into a multidisciplinary practice of 175+ employees serving hundreds of families. Quinn received his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago, where he later served as a teaching assistant. Quinn is a serial entrepreneur and a sought-after consultant who has founded several successful firms over the last two decades.
In recent years Quinn has turned his efforts to philanthropic activities. Quinn sits on several nonprofit boards and is currently building an organization that sends pediatric therapists to Central and South America to serve communities who lack access to needed pediatric therapies. Quinn is a prolific reader and podcast listener who has an insatiable curiosity about the world and how it works.
Karen George, Friend of the Board and Founding Member of the Board
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Karen George is a licensed pediatric speech-language pathologist with extensive experience in the diagnosis and intervention of children with a variety of communication disorders.
Karen received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Marquette University and was named Young Aluma of the Year by Marquette University in 2015.
Karen has been consulted for her expertise in the field by NPR, US News and World Report, the Chicago Tribune and more. The practice she founded, Chicago Speech Therapy, provides speech, OT, PT and ABA therapy in Chicago and surrounding suburbs.
Karen has authored or co-authored over 47 books and guides related to pediatric therapies.
In recent years Karen has turned her attention to philanthropic activities. She sits on several nonprofit boards and has become a distinguished advocate for children with disabilities and for aspiring clinicians who seek to serve them.
In her past, Karen enjoyed running, biking, and swimming along Chicago’s lakefront and completed more than 25 triathlons. Now, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four young children.
John Consalvi, Past President, Friend of the Board, and Founding Member of the Board
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John Consalvi is the founder and CEO of SPEDxchange LLC, is passionate about helping special educators make positive impacts on the lives of students that require specialized services. John worked in special education as a Bilingual Spanish/English Speech Language Pathologist and became a notable mentor, presenter, and educator. As an industry leader, John helped organizations he founded source, place, and prepare thousands of special educators to work in school districts nationwide.
John’s accomplishments have been noticed locally and nationally. John received the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Recent Clinical Achievement during the recent 2018 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention. John is an Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association Fellow and received Honors of the Association, which recognizes active participation in and significant contributions to the profession of speech-language-pathology. In 2019, John received the Distinguished Alumni Award from his Alma Mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the College of Applied Health Sciences.
Rena Spiegel, Friend of the Board and Founding Member of the Board
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Rena Spiegel M.S., CCC-SLP is a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP), licensed in Illinois. Rena earned her M.A. degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University, an Illinois Professional Educator’s License, and has earned two continuing education awards from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Rena is the Chair of the Department of Speech and Communication Disorders at Blitstein Institute of Hebrew Theological College, a member of the Touro College and University System. Rena works privately as an SLP and also services clients at Communicate and Connect Therapy.