Our Board and Staff

Officers

President: Douglas V. Jones
Vice President: Daniel L. Freye
Secretary: Lambros G. Deligan
Treasurer: John M. Parrish

Directors

Claude A. Bass, Jr
Duane E. Cunningham
Robert C. Dillard
Samuel E. Dunn
Terry F. Hilton
Richard C. Kidd
R. Michael McKenney
Linwood R. Spears
Dale E. Wright

Speech/Language Pathologists

Our staff has been trained in Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), PROMPT, Parent-Child Interaction (PCI), and Hanen.

Susan Combee, Executive Director, PhD

Susan Combee received her PhD in Educational Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. She received her Master’s degree as well as her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology from James Madison University. Susan holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and a Virginia State License. She has practiced as a speech-language pathologist in infant services, home, preschool, public school, and private practice settings.

Prior to her Executive Director position at the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, Susan served as an assistant principal for seventeen years at the elementary level. Her special interests in speech pathology include phonological processing, expressive and receptive language, and language related literacy skills. As a leader, she is extremely interested in job coaching and talent development. Being a speech-language pathologist has been a rewarding career. She reports, “I have learned so much already, but continue to learn every day from clients, professionals, and people around me. It is so exciting to be a part of the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center where the importance of communication and the impact it has on a child’s success in life are of greatest value.”

Lauren Carpenter, M.S. CCC-SLP

Lauren Carpenter received her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Longwood University. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a Virginia State License in Speech-Language Pathology. Since graduating from Longwood in 2013, Lauren has worked in both the nursing home and public school settings. She joined the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center in 2018. Lauren strives to remain up to date on the latest research and techniques and has a particular interest in working with children who use augmentative and alternative communication systems. Lauren has worked with children of all ages and with a wide range of disabilities including, but not limited to, articulation and phonological disorders, receptive and expressive language delays, fluency disorders, auditory processing disorders, and children with Autism. For Lauren, collaborating, both with other professionals, as well as with families, is of the utmost importance when assessing and providing therapy to her clients. She believes that growth and success occur when everyone is working together. Here, at the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, Lauren hopes to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families that she serves.

Elizabeth Kuhfuss-Beville, M.S. CCC-SLP

Elizabeth Kuhfuss-Beville received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from James Madison University. Prior to that, she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Longwood University. She currently holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a Virginia state license. Elizabeth completed an internship at Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center while in her Graduate program, then she worked for several years in the public school setting before returning to the Center as an employee. She greatly values partnering with children and their families to improve overall communication skills. Areas of particular interest at this time include fluency disorders (stuttering), autism, significant articulation (speech) difficulties, expressive language weaknesses, and literacy skills. Due to the unique nature of each student, there are always new topics to research and techniques to refine or modify to meet the individual’s needs. Elizabeth considers this one of the most refreshing aspects of her career because there is always more knowledge to gain and skills to improve. She looks forward to seeing growth and progress with all of her clients as she learns from them as well.

Becca Nikitakis, M.S. CCC-SLP

Becca Nikitakis received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Longwood University. For her undergraduate degree, she attended James Madison University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She currently holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed by the Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. Becca comes to the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center from the public school setting. In 2018, Becca was one of four finalists for a special education recognition award, the Christie Award, in Henrico County Public Schools. Becca has experience with the assessment and treatment of a wide range of communication disorders, including those involving articulation, apraxia of speech, voice, fluency, expressive and receptive language, communication modalities and social communication. Some of Becca’s special interests include early language and literacy, Augmentative Alternative Communication and articulation therapy. Becca is trained in Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT). Becca always strives for meaningful, effective and child centered care and looks forward to serving her clients each day!

Correspondence with board members should be mailed to:

Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center
4202 Hermitage Road
Richmond, Virginia 23227-3755

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