Board of Directors

• CSHA Board of Directors
• ASHA State Liaisons
• CSHA Past Presidents

CSHA Board of Directors

President
Becky Spence

• Bio

  Becky Spence earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in speech-language pathology from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. She moved with her family to Fort Collins in 2006 and loves the Colorado lifestyle! Becky is owner and therapist at Achieve Therapy in Fort Collins, serving clients of all ages. Over the course of her career, Becky has worked in all areas of the medical arena ranging from neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to rehab to home health services. Becky’s areas of passion and specialty include feeding and swallowing in infants and toddlers and childhood apraxia of speech. An active member of the International Association of Orofacial Myology, Becky plans to complete certified orofacial mycologist (COM) certification this year. When not at work in the clinic, Becky enjoys reading, hiking, stand up paddle boarding (SUP) and a good family game night!

President-Elect
Andrea Glen

• Bio

  Andrea Glen is a therapist at Straka Speech in Colorado Springs. She grew up as an “Army Brat,” living Germany and across the United States. Andrea attended SUNY Geneseo, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Human Development, and subsequently received her post baccalaureate degree and Master of Science in Communicative Disorders through SUNY New Paltz. Andrea currently maintains her initial certification in PROMPT and enjoys working with children and adults alike. She has experience working with various diagnoses, articulation and phonological disorders, expressive and receptive language disorders, and very much enjoys holding social pragmatic groups for children and young adults of all ages. Outside of the speech room, she enjoys crafting, baking, belting songs from Broadway musicals, discovering new hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

Past President
Amber Rea Detwiler

• Bio

  Amber Rea Detwiler, is the clinic manager and a therapist at Straka Speech Castle Rock. She earned her BS and MA degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. Amber has experience working with children with Autism, Down syndrome, hearing impairments, stuttering difficulties, receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation impairments and social communication delays. She also enjoys providing early intervention for infants and toddlers with receptive/expressive language delays. Amber has developed a passion for working with children and adults who stutter, and has co-presented at several conferences on topics related to assessment and treatment of preschool and school-age stuttering. In her free time, Amber loves curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee, exploring colorful Colorado with her husband, Dalton, friends and family, and traveling.

Vice President Education
Diane Roberts

• Bio

  Diane completed a Master of Arts degree for speech pathology at Colorado University-Boulder, after finishing her Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Grinnell College. She owns a private practice called Expert Speech & Swallow Therapy in Aurora, CO which serves adults or older teens with issues of dysphagia, speech, voice, language, cognition, chronic cough and reflux-related issues. She has been a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for over 26 years in adult medical settings in Colorado including acute, long-term acute, subacute, long-term, home health and outpatient therapy. Her specialized training includes performing fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and videostroboscopy assessment of vocal fold function, myofascial release, use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), VitalStim and AmpCare, Lee Silverman Voice Treatments (LSVT) and certification as a brain injury specialist. She has presented at the Rocky Mountain Evidence-Based Practice and Research symposium on topics of wound botulism from heroin injection causing profound dysphagia, and alternatives to proton-pump inhibitors in management of reflux. She is fond of saying that “no one knows everything,” and that SLPs should support each other in life-long learning for the benefit of our patients.

Vice President-Elect Education
Christina (Tina) Farrell

• Bio

  Christina (Tina) Farrell completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Cal State Long Beach.  She then moved to Colorado and earned her Master of Arts degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Colorado – Boulder.  Her career has been focused in pediatrics, working in elementary schools as well as preschools.  The majority of her career has been shared between working at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Northern Colorado.  While at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Tina worked in outpatient therapy in the Audiology, Speech and Learning Department and Developmental Pediatrics, specializing in working with birth to 5 years old in the areas of early language, autism and speech sound disorders.  In 2013, Tina began working at the University of Northern Colorado as a part-time clinical supervisor and then in 2017, became the Clinic Director.  At UNC, Tina teaches multiple classes (both graduate and undergraduate), is the director of the speech-language clinic and continues to supervise in the clinic. Tina is also currently working with Children’s Hospital Colorado on a five year research grant focused on the positive effects of therapeutic horseback riding for autistic children. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and watching the Colorado Avalanche play hockey!

Vice President Membership
Emily Wilde

• Bio

  As a native of Iowa, Emily obtained her B.A. in Communicative Disorders and M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa. Emily ventured west after graduate school to Orange County, California, where she worked for eight and a half years before moving to Denver. She has worked in a variety of different settings including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, multi-disciplinary clinics, preschools, as well as in the home. She has provided intervention and assessments with a variety of different disorders, diagnoses, and a range of severity of impairments. Emily has primarily provided individualized speech-language therapy with children yet has lead small communication groups for children. Emily gained valuable experience supervising the speech department at a clinic for five years. She provided training to educate colleagues as well as supervised other speech-language pathologists, assistants, clinical fellows, and student interns. Emily values providing other clinicians and student interns hands on training to provide them with tools to help them be successful in their career. Since moving to Denver five years ago, Emily has primarily been working in early intervention providing speech-language therapy in the home and community settings and recently has been providing teletherapy. In addition, Emily is on a team that evaluates children for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Emily also enjoys participating in organizations for kids with special needs in nontraditional settings, such as a camp in the mountains as well as abroad while supervising undergraduate speech-language pathology students who provided therapy services to children in underserved communities.

Vice President-Elect Membership
Nicole Metzendorf, MS, CCC-SLP

• Bio

  Nicole grew up on the east coast for most of her life starting out in New Jersey then moving to New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, until recently moving to Colorado! She Received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from Ithaca College and her Master’s from SUNY Cortland. Nicole enjoys working with the Early Intervention age group as well as receptive/expressive language disorders, motor speech disorders, articulation/phonological disorders, and social pragmatic language. Outside of the office, Nicole enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, reading and watching funny dog videos! She loves hanging out with family and friends and cheering her husband on behind the Air Force men’s basketball bench! Go Falcons!

Vice President Public Policy
Allison Andrews

• Bio

  Allison Andrews, MA, CCC-SLP, received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Memphis in 2015. She is currently working as a pediatric speech therapist at Solace Pediatric Home Healthcare, providing services to children and their families in the greater Denver area. She has experience treating children with CAS, Autism, Down Syndrome, receptive/expressive language disorders, and phonological disorders. She especially loves working with children and their families in early intervention. She is also a member of ASHA’s SIG 18 (Telepractice), becoming a proponent of teletherapy services. Outside of her work, Allison enjoys rock climbing, reading, and hiking.

Vice President-Elect Public Policy
Katie Fischer

• Bio

  Katie Fischer is currently working as a school-based SLP for District 49 in Colorado Springs. Katie attended the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in 2005 and Master of Arts degree in 2007. Katie has worked with a variety of pediatric populations from birth to 8th grade, providing early intervention services and in working in schools. Katie and her family relocated from the Chicagoland area to Colorado Springs in 2019. When she is not helping kids communicate, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, hiking, camping and traveling to new places.

Treasurer
Nicole Everhart

• Bio

  Nicole Everhart is a speech-language pathologist based in Denver, Colorado. She graduated from Truman State University with a Bachelor of Arts in communication disorders. After that, she attended Kansas State University and graduated with a Master of Science in family studies and human services-communication sciences and disorders. Nicole holds the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP). In addition, she holds the Colorado Department of Education Special Services Provider License, and a license to provide services in the state of Colorado.

  Over the years, Nicole has worked in a variety of settings and with people of all ages. Through her experience, she has found her passion for working with people and families in the pediatric population. She has a special interest in working with children toward increasing their skills with regards to reading, writing, expressive and/or receptive language disorders, articulation disorders and auditory processing disorder. She enjoys working with families and school teams to ensure the child is receiving the necessary accommodations and services in the school-based setting. In order to be able to serve children and their families to the best of her ability, Nicole has received further training and/or certification in the following areas:

  • Yoshimoto Basic Orton Gillingham Approach to Reading and Spelling
  • PROMPT Certified Therapist
  • CAPDOTS Provider (CAPD Online Therapy System)
  • Social Thinking Curriculum by Michelle Garcia Winner
  • Advocacy Strategies for Students with Dyslexia
  • It Takes Two to Talk Certified by The Hanen Centre

Treasurer-Elect
Jamie Walter-Culver

• Bio

  Jamie Walter-Culver is a clinical audiologist and Assistant Director of Audiology at Advantage ENT and Audiology. She received her Doctorate of Audiology and Bachelor of Science degree in Audiology and Speech Language Sciences from the University of Northern Colorado. Jamie is passionate about helping people with hearing and balance concerns, and sees patients of all ages for diagnostic hearing and vestibular testing, hearing aid fittings and services, tinnitus treatment, and aural rehabilitation. She finds joy in watching her patients reconnect with those around them through the utilization of amplification technology. Jamie was born and raised on a farm and ranch in southeastern Colorado, and enjoys visiting home to help work on the ranch in her free time, as well as spending time with her husband, Marques, and their two cats.

Communications Director
Andrea Glen

• Bio

  Andrea Glen is a therapist at Straka Speech in Colorado Springs. She grew up as an “Army Brat,” living Germany and across the United States. Andrea attended SUNY Geneseo, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Human Development, and subsequently received her post baccalaureate degree and Master of Science in Communicative Disorders through SUNY New Paltz. Andrea currently maintains her initial certification in PROMPT and enjoys working with children and adults alike. She has experience working with various diagnoses, articulation and phonological disorders, expressive and receptive language disorders, and very much enjoys holding social pragmatic groups for children and young adults of all ages. Outside of the speech room, she enjoys crafting, baking, belting songs from Broadway musicals, discovering new hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

Communications Director-Elect
Brooklynn Mann

• Bio

  Brooklynn Mann is a therapist at Straka Speech in Colorado Springs. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Baylor University and her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of North Texas. Brooklynn’s area of interests is feeding and swallowing, articulation and phonological disorders, social pragmatic groups, and expressive/receptive communication disorders. Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking, traveling, baking, and trying new food!

Website Chair
Marie Jetté

• Bio

  Dr. Marie Jetté is an assistant professor and speech‐language pathologist in the Department of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her clinical expertise is assessment and treatment of voice and upper airway disorders. She has trained at the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center and the University of Wisconsin Voice and Swallow Clinics. Her research interest is understanding the pathophysiology of laryngeal laryngeal disease via insights to the laryngeal mucosa.

Audiology Chair
Paige Mowery

• Bio

  Paige Mowery received her Bachelor of Arts degree in speech, language and hearing sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2013. She worked as an audiology assistant and hearing aid technician prior to completing her Doctor of Audiology degree at University of Colorado Boulder in 2019. Paige went on to work with adult hearing aid patients, before joining the team at Rocky Mountain Ear Center in November 2020. Paige’s interests include diagnostic evaluations, vestibular evaluations and amplification devices. She was born and raised, and currently resides, in the Denver metro area. In her free time she enjoys reading, camping and spending time with her husband and English Bulldog, Lady Bug.

CU Student Liaisons 
David Roney

• Bio

  David Roney graduated from the College of Wooster (OH) in 2021 and is in his first year in the Master of Arts speech-language pathology program at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is originally from Colorado and is excited to become involved in CSHA as a student representative. David has experience working with individuals with autism and also with young people who stutter. He is also a person who stutters.

McKenna Spence-Olson

• Bio

  McKenna Spence-Olson is a first year Master of Arts speech-language pathology student at the University of Colorado-Boulder. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language-Hearing from the University of Kansas in the spring of 2021. McKenna is originally from the northern Colorado area and is excited to be back in Colorado. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading and spending time with her family and pets.

Natalie Sheppard

• Bio

  Natalie Sheppard is currently in her first year as an Master of Arts speech-language pathology student at the University of Colorado – Boulder. Prior to her graduate studies at CU, she was working in professional opera theatre, teaching private voice lessons and working for a non-profit in Los Angeles. Natalie holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Master of Music from the University of Southern California. She is excited to pursue this new field and has special interests in voice disorders and dysphagia.

Metro Student Liaison
Vacant

UNC Student Liaison
Veronica (Nica) Love Peltier

• Bio

  Veronica (Nica) Love Peltier is a first year student of the MA-SLP program at the University of Northern Colorado. She comes to the field from a non-traditional background, having worked in veterinary medicine for seven years and receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Irvine. When she’s not studying, Nica enjoys hiking, archery and playing video games. She is excited to be a part of the Colorado community and advocate for speech, language and hearing services for all of those in need as a CSHA student representative.

Foundation Representative Elizabeth (Betsy) Straka

• Bio

  Having been born and raised in Colorado, Betsy naturally went to the University of Colorado in Boulder where she received bachelor’s degrees in communication disorders and speech science and in psychology. She then went to Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma, where she earned a Master’s of Science degree in communication disorders. Betsy established Straka Speech in 1984 and has watched it grow and grow. When not working or tending to the office, she enjoys reading, traveling, skiing and spending time with family.

ASHA State Liaisons ASHA Colorado State Advocates for Medicare Policy (StAMP) Karen Johnson
ASHA Colorado State Education Advocacy Leaders (SEAL) Stacey Campbell

• Bio

  Stacy Campbell is a school-based speech-language pathologist working in the Colorado Springs area.  Stacy was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, but found her way to Colorado as a military spouse. Stacy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in the area of speech-language pathology and audiology from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in 2008 and then went on to receive her Master of Science in speech-language pathology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2010.  Stacy holds the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) and also holds a special services provider license through the Colorado Department of Education.  In her time as an SLP, Stacy has worked in both private practice and in the school setting, with a primary focus on the pediatric population.  Stacy enjoys working with her students and their families to support the best outcomes for their individual needs.  In addition to advocating for her students and families, Stacy also enjoys providing a voice for her profession and colleagues to improve the quality of special education services.  Outside of work, Stacy enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband and two children.

ASHA Colorado State-Based Reimbursement Network (STAR)
Jacqueline (Lacy) Hoyer-Helms

• Bio

  Jacqueline (Lacy) Hoyer-Helms is a speech-language pathologist and the president/co-owner of OASIS Pediatric Therapy.  OASIS Pediatric Therapy provides skilled PT/OT/ST services in multiple counties in Colorado.  Lacy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2001 and a Master of Arts degree in 2004, both in speech-language pathology and both from the University of Northern Colorado.  As a speech-language pathologist, Lacy has worked in a variety of settings including adult and pediatric clients.  Since 2008, Lacy has primarily served pediatric patients.  She was appointed as a member to the Home Care Advisory Committee Board by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in 2019.  Lacy regularly attends leadership conferences and participates in initiatives to advance, advocate and educate providers and the community to improve access to quality services for all.  She is driven to advance her knowledge to assist with providing services for the underserved community.  Lacy testified for the SB21-21 (speech compact bill) and assisted with the selection committee process for the Early Steps Program in Colorado.  Lacy enjoys skiing, camping, hiking, fishing, boating, water sports, biking, traveling and spending time with family.

Lobbyist
Megan Wagner

• Bio

  Megan Wagner is a lobbyist at Brandeberry McKenna Public Affairs and has been a member of the team since 2008. A graduate from Washington College in the state of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Ms. Wagner began her career as a legislative assistant for delegate Mary Roe Walkup from the Maryland House of Delegates. In 2006, Ms. Wagner worked for the Maryland Secretary of State under the term former Secretary R. Karl Aumann and former Secretary Mary D. Kane. In 2015, Ms. Wagner worked with Council of State Government’s West (CSG West) to plan a three-day transportation forum in Colorado for legislators from all over the United States. The forum provided a first hand look at recent transportation projects throughout the Denver’s metro region and a full day discussion forum with key transportation leaders. In 2017, Ms. Wagner in conjunction with the Center for Infrastructure Improvement and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce organized a briefing on the importance of Public Private Partnerships for the Public Affairs Council and members of the Colorado General Assembly. Ms. Wagner is a graduate of Impact Denver, a leadership program administered by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Wagner lives in Parker with her husband Ben and cat Ralph.

CSHA Past Presidents