Cindy Davis Ling, M.Ed., CCC-SLP has been the Owner/Partner of Ling & Kerr Therapy Services, LLP since 1994. At Ling & Kerr she not only provides direct services to clients in a variety of settings including homes, schools, and preschools and in the clinic but also supervises Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists in North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Georgia and Louisiana. In addition to her work at Ling & Kerr, she has been active in NCSHLA serving as Convention Chair and Vice-Chair, Finance Chair and Chair of Nominations. Ms. Ling has also been very active with Operation Smile serving as a Speech Pathologist traveling on numerous medical missions all over the world
NCSHLA Committee Leaders
Nominations Chair
Bliss Hemric, M.A., CCC-SLP
Boone
Ms. Hemric has been working in the field of Speech Pathology since 1986 and has had experience with both adults and children. She is currently a Clinical Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at Appalachian State University where she provides services in the evaluation and treatment of speech-language disorders in young children. She has previously been involved with a three year preschool literacy grant at Appalachian State University and the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services, Project SIFTOUT/SCRIPT through FRANK PORTER GRAHAM. Bliss serves as a guest lecturer for CSD courses and has presented at the local, state, and regional levels in her area of expertise. She participates on the Local Interagency Coordinating Council in Watauga County. Bliss has served on various NCSHLA committees for the past several years as well as being involved with the Southeastern University Clinical Educators (SEUCE). She is currently the chair of nominations for NCASSPA and a member of the NCSHLA Nominations Committee.
Education & Public Information Co-Chair
Colette Edwards
Greensboro
Colette Edwards, M.A. CCC-SLP currently is an Assistant Professor and Clinical Educator at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her expertise and interests are in the areas of Language-Literacy Assessment and Intervention, Foreign Accent Modification and Speech Sound Disorders. She particularly enjoys working with the preschool and the transgender population. Colette graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1976 and worked in the Rockingham County School System for 18 years serving as a speech-language pathologist and Lead for the Speech Department. She was an early proponent of the Inclusion model of service delivery as a result of her experiences as a kindergarten teacher for five years in a private Quaker school in Greensboro. Colette has presented at NCSHLA and ASHA and actively participated in NCASSPA. She has served on NCSHLA committees and was a co-editor of the newsletter Communiqué. She currently co-clerks with Perry Flynn on the NCSHLA Committee for Education and Public Information. She has had a variety of supervisory experiences over the years including overseeing 30 SLPs in the school system, CFY supervision, supervising SLP-Assistants, as well as part-time and full time supervision at UNCG. She is grateful that she has the opportunity to teach our future leaders in the field.
Convention Committee Chair
Lisa Pruitt
N. Wilkesboro
Lisa Pruitt is a speech language pathologist working for Autumn Rehab Corporation at The Villages of Wilkes in Wilkesboro. She completed both undergraduate and graduate studies in Speech Pathology at Appalachian State University. Her professional experience includes public school therapy in Wilkes County Schools; lead SLP/coordinator for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing services, and SLP for Alexander County Schools. In addition to working in the schools, Lisa gained further experience in positions serving home health, SNF, day care and alternative school placements. Previously, she has worked with NCSHLA in various roles including Convention Registration, Placement, Nominations, Education Committee, and currently, Vice-Chair of Spring conference. Lisa enjoys supervising graduate students from Appalachian State University and is active in the North Carolina Association of Supervisors in Speech-language Pathology and Audiology (NCASSPA), currently serving as convention liaison. Lisa enjoys spending time with her husband, Tim, their family and menagerie of animals.
Convention Committee Vice Chair
Sarah Reid, M.A., CCC-SLP
Greensboro
Sarah received her Bachelors degree from Wheaton College (IL) and her Masters degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has been working as a speech-language pathologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center since 2008. Sarah's areas of specialty include assessment and intervention for patients with cleft palate/velopharyngeal insufficiency as well as assessment and intervention for patients who utilize augmentative and alternative communication.
Fall Conference Chair
Stephanie Sjoblad, Au.D.
Chapel Hill
Dr. Sjoblad (pronounced SHOW-BLAD) is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Clinical Services at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Originally from Boston, MA she is one of three siblings in her family with congenital hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since the age of six. She has bimodal hearing as of spring 2009 when she received a cochlear implant in one ear. Dr. Sjoblad received a B.S. in Marketing and Business Management from Boston College. After several years in a business career she returned to earn the M.S. in Audiology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill followed by the Doctor of Audiology from the University of Florida. Dr. Sjoblad lives in the Triangle area with her husband and sons.
Fall Conference Vice Chair - SLP
Kristen Cline, M.A., CCC-SLP
Newton
Kristen Cline is a medical speech-language pathologist at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory where she has worked for the past eight years. In 1995, Kristen received her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies (emphasis on Pre-Speech and Hearing Sciences) with a minor in Linguistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received a Master of Arts in Communication Disorders at Appalachian State University in 1997. Kristen enjoys serving as clinical supervisor to ASU internship students. In addition to NCSHLA, she is an active member of ASHA and NCASSPA. She and her husband, Donovan, have four boys, Clayton, Samuel, Conner, and Derrick, and live in Newton.
Communique Editor - Aud
Phillip Griffin, Au.D.
High Point
Philip Griffin, Au.D. is a private practice audiologist with The Hearing Clinic,located in North Carolina’s Triad area. An alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Philip has focused his clinical attention on dizziness, imbalance, and fall prevention. He seeks to raise awareness about the inner ear’s connection to dizziness and falling, and how to minimize the risk of falling through proper audiological and medical care. Philip also maintains a general audiology practice, working with hearing loss, hearing aids, and hearing loss prevention.