TAASLP Leadership

Lindsey Eastland, M.S. CCC-SLP received her Bachelor of Arts from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Speech Pathology in 2003 then attended Tennessee State University where she earned her Masters of Science in Speech Pathology in 2005. After graduate school, she was employed by National Healthcare Corporation where she worked with patients at the skilled nursing facility, saw pediatric patients in the outpatient clinic, and did contract services with King’s Daughter School, as well as PRN work with Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital and Maury Regional Hospital.

Lindsey has been with Maury County School System since 2008, and she currently serves children with a variety of communication disorders as well as an autism classroom and a self-contained classroom at Marvin Wright Elementary School. Her specialty areas are preschool, autism, articulation impairments, and augmentative and alternative communication. She has trained in Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), VitalStim, AAC-LAMP, SCRETS, apraxia, and literacy. Lindsey has done presentations for Tennessee Association for Assistive Technology (TAAT) and for Maury County School System. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, spending time outdoors, running, working out, and going to the beach.

Contact Lindsey at president@taaslp.org.

Alyssa Conger, M.S. CCC-SLP graduated in 2012 with a Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Science. While in graduate school, she worked in the schools as a Speech-Language Teacher (Speech-Language Pathology Assistant) starting in 2008. Alyssa worked in the public school system until 2014 when she began a new adventure as an independent contractor in the Upper Cumberland area of Tennessee, working with both pediatric and adult patients. In addition to seeing patients in person, she works in the exciting and growing field of teletherapy, carrying additional health licenses in California and Idaho.

With the diverse treatment delivery options, her main priority is providing quality, family-centered care for her patients, encouraging the parents to be active participants in treatment. Her goal is to bridge the gap of school-based services with private services by creating an approachable, open communication corridor between therapists for continuity of care, while protecting the privacy of the patients.  Alyssa served as TAASLP President for the 2017-2018 term.

Contact Alyssa at taaslp.pastpresident@taaslp.org.

TAASLP is currently accepting nominations for President-Elect.  This term will last through December 31, 2020 at which time the individual will become TAASLP President for a two year term starting 2021.  This individual is expected to attend quarterly TAASLP Executive Council meetings, TAASLP Foundation meetings, and important TAASLP events like Annual Convention and Day on the Hill.  The ideal candidate will demonstrate leadership and organizational skills and will have been a member of TAASLP for at least two years.

Nominate yourself or a colleague by sending the nomination and a short bio to communications@taaslp.org.

Susan Amberg, AuD, CCC-A received her Doctorate of Audiology from Vanderbilt University. She has been a Clinical Audiologist at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center (VBWC) in Nashville, TN for 30 years, providing clinical services and graduate student supervision. Dr. Amberg is Assistant Director Cochlear Implant Program at VBWC and works primarily with the adult hearing impaired population. She has worked with cochlear implants for 27 years and has presented locally and regionally on hearing loss and cochlear implants. She has been a member of TAASLP since 1986 and has been Secretary-Treasurer of TAASLP since 2009 and of TAA since 2003.

Contact Susan at treasurer@taaslp.org.

Brittany Day, AuD, CCC-A completed her AuD at Missouri State University in 2010 and joined the Pediatric Audiology team at Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center in 2014 after working as a Pediatric Audiologist out-of-state. Her clinical specialties include pediatric diagnostics, electrophysiologic testing, and early hearing detection and intervention.

She currently serves on the AAA State Relations Committee and is a Clinical Director for the Tennessee Special Olympics Healthy Hearing program. She joined TAASLP leadership in 2018 as VP of Legislation. Brittany enjoys collaborating with family members and other professional team members to obtain the best outcomes for her patients. Outside of work, Brittany’s triplet children keep her and her husband busy.

Contact Brittany at advocacy@taaslp.org.

Danielle Garland, M.S. CCC-SLP attended East Tennessee State University for both her undergraduate and graduate education. Danielle is currently employed at Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee, where she works with patients in the NICU, PICU, and pediatric wards, as well as children served by the Tricities St. Jude Affiliate Clinic. She has previously worked in-home early intervention and in public school system. Danielle is also a writer for The Informed SLP.

Her clinical interests include dysphagia, improving the outcomes medically complex children, family-centered care, and pediatric brain injury. Danielle is enthusiastic about the clinician’s role in improving evidence-based practice and the dissemination of research.

Contact Danielle at communications@taaslp.org.

Dr. Kelley Corcoran AuD CCC-A has been working at Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center since September 2016. Areas of clinical practice are diagnostic adult hearing evaluations and balance evaluations, as well as cochlear implant evaluations and programming for adults and pediatrics.   Prior to working at Vanderbilt, she worked in an audiology private practice in Anchorage, Alaska for two years. She obtained her AuD from the University of Washington in 2014. She is currently serving on the American Academy of Audiology ‘s Ethical Practices Committee and on the TAASLP Executive Council as VP of Convention.

Kelley’s areas of interest include: adult and pediatric vestibular assessment; adult and pediatric cochlear implant programming and evaluations; and research in those areas.

Contact Kelley at convention@taaslp.org.

Jill Omer, M.A. CCC-SLP received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Middle Tennessee State University in 1995. She taught in the public schools until leaving to attend The University of Memphis, where she earned her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology in 1999. After graduate school she began providing therapy through the Child Language Intervention Program (CLIP) at Vanderbilt University on the research team of Dr. Stephen Camarata. Over the past 19 years, she has worked in the public schools in Franklin Special School District, in private practice, and as a Speech, Language, and Autism Coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Education.  In 2016 she returned to Vanderbilt University Medical Center as Autism Research Coordinator with Dr. Mark Wallace and Dr. Tiffany Woynaroski. She now works as an Educational Consultant for the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she provides training and support for professionals and parents working with children with disabilities. She also serves on the TRIAD Community Engagement Team and is a member of the Inclusion Network of Nashville (INN).

Jill enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. She loves reading, decorating, and traveling. She has previously served as Continuing Education Chair, Vice President for Membership and Vice President for Convention for TAASLP. She served on the Governor’s State Rehabilitation Council, The TN Autism Summit Team, and on the State Education Agencies Communication Disabilities Council as well as co-coordinated the Partners in Education Conference while at TDOE.

Contact Jill at membership@taaslp.org.

Kathleen O’Neal is a graduate student in the master’s program for speech-language pathology at Vanderbilt University. She currently works as a research assistant in the Developmental Stuttering Lab and the Child Language and Literacy Lab. She received a Bachelor of Science in speech-language pathology and audiology with a minor in special education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Contact Kathleen at student@taaslp.org.

Becky Brown, M.S. CCC-SLP graduated from Murray State University in 2004 with her Master of Science in Communication Disorders. Following graduation, Becky began working for National Healthcare Corporation where she worked with adults who were post CVA, TBI, dementia, dysphagia, and dysarthria, as well as children with speech and language deficits. She was also contracted to King’s Daughter’s School and The Center for Autism. In 2006, Becky began working for The Speech, Language and Learning Center, a pediatric private practice, which is owned by a past TAASLP President, Terri Philpot Flynn. At The Speech, Language and Learning Center in Columbia, Becky is the lead diagnostician in Autism Spectrum Disorders and pediatric aversions and dysphagia. Becky was promoted to Co-Director of The Speech, Language and Learning Center in 2015. She has also worked in a variety of settings which include hospital, nursing home, school system, home health, and early intervention. In 2016, Becky was presented the Award for Continuing Education by the Continuing Education Board in recognition of continued professional study. She is trained in the SOS Approach™ To Feeding: Picky Eaters vs. Problem Feeders®, Autism-Certified ADOS-2® Diagnostician, Picture Exchange Communication System™ (PECS), Orofacial Myology, VitalStim™,  AAC-LAMP® Training, and Interactive Metronome®.

Contact Becky at mal@taaslp.org.

John P. Williams is an attorney with the Nashville law firm Tune, Entrekin & White, P.C. He currently represents eight health care provider organizations, including the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants, the Tennessee Society for Respiratory Care, the Tennessee Optometric Association, the Tennessee Podiatric Medical Association, the Tennessee Chiropractic Association, the Tennessee Association of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists, the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association, and the Southern Pharmacy Cooperative. He has previously represented the American Cancer Society and the Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART).

He has drafted and successfully lobbied to passage numerous bills in the Tennessee legislature. Among the most notable laws he helped pass are the 1999 amendments to the Tennessee Prevention of Youth Access to Tobacco Act and the 1997 law which requires insurance companies to pay for equipment, supplies, and self-management training needed by persons with diabetes. He has drafted and successfully lobbied numerous changes in the professional practice acts of his clients, including bills to allow PA’s to prescribe, to allow podiatrists to treat ankle problems, to allow optometrists, podiatrists and PA’s to form professional corporations with MD’s and DO’s, and to allow speech language pathologists to perform endoscopy procedures. In 2003 he drafted and helped pass a bill governing the leases between optometrists and retail stores that sell optical goods.

John is a graduate of Davidson College and Vanderbilt Law School. He has practiced law in Tennessee since 1972 and has been a registered lobbyist at the Tennessee legislature since 1990.