Our Interpreters

SLIS has an excellent staff of interpreters, and we pride ourselves in providing quality services for our customers and consumers. One of the reasons we have grown so rapidly is because of our excellent customer service and our ability to match the skill level of our interpreters to our clients’ communication needs.

Allowing communication to happen is our motto. That only occurs when qualified interpreters are available to satisfy your communication needs.

Alecia Barnes

RID NIC

I have been interpreting for a little over 14 years. I enjoy spending time with my husband and four boys doing anything outside. My all-time favorite outdoor activity is swimming.

Amber Braithwaite

VRI

I graduated from Southeast Technical Institute from the ASL ENGLISH Interpreting program in 2004 with an Associates of Applied Science in ASL ENG interpreting. I became nationally certified with RID in 2008, worked in education for 4 years and VRS for nearly 14. I now do mainly VRI and a sprinkle of on site interpreting. My preference is platform Interpreting conference work. I also love to work with my people, the Dakota, as well as other indigenous peoples across the country. Pidamayaye.

BethAnn Mundt

RID CI CT llC

I have been interpreting for over 20 years in a variety of settings. One thing I love is that I have the opportunity to learn something from each and every encounter. I am from a small town in Indiana with my beloved service dog, Miss Eilidh (pronounced Aye-Lee) Skye Reed and my Significant Other Person- Matt. I love being outdoors and enjoy hiking and learning survival skills. I always look forward to learning new things.

Carla Reid

BEI Level III

I have been an educational interpreter for 27 years. When not working or trying to convince my three young adult sons to spend time with me, I enjoy training for triathlons and sailing.

Dannette Lewis-Ross

BEI Level IV Court

I have been working as a certified ASL interpreter in various positions since the late 1980’s. I enjoy anything outdoors, hiking, camping & waterfalls are my personal favorites. I am learning how to play Pickle-ball and travel by plane or ship any time I can!

DeeAnn Harmon

RID NIC Master

DeeAnn Harmon has been married to her loving husband, Al, for 38 years, and they have 3 daughters ages 32, 29 and 19, who are successful in their own careers and talents. DeeAnn began her journey into the Deaf World at the age of 6 when she spotted an interpreter bubble on a TV program in the 1960’s (before closed captioning), and had a desire to learn to communicate with Deaf people in her area. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Deaf Education from Barton College in North Carolina and Masters of Education Degree in American Sign Language Interpreting from the University of North Florida. She is a retired educator with 35 years of experience in the field of Deaf Education as a teacher of the Deaf, interpreter, and ASL teacher. Currently, she works as a nationally certified free-lance interpreter in the Deaf community and serves as consultant, grant-writer, and teacher of English for Immigrant Deaf adults for Helping Hands for the Deaf, Inc. In her free time, DeeAnn enjoys Broadway musicals and traveling, and gathering with family and friends. She feels honored to work with SLIS and all the wonderful team of interpreters here.

Diane Black

RID CI & CT

My hobbies are fostering kittens. I have a non-profit Deaf Empowerment Abroad Foundation, supporting the Deaf Jamaica community and schools.

I love my family and I have been interpreting for 27 years.

Emily Furr

RID CT & CT, NIC Advanced

My name is Emily Furr, I am an Adult Child of Deaf Parents or CODA. I’ve been interpreting professionally for 35 years. I have experience in a variety of settings and continue to expand my knowledge as much as possible. I have been fortunate to have interpreted my career as it has resulted in helping me raise a family, pursue different interests, and become a "Jack of all Trades, expert in none". I am blessed with 4 children all of whom are grown. I have been able to learn gardening which is becoming a growing interest. I love the outdoors, hiking, camping, and traveling. I try to escape to all the National Parks, Mountains, and the Beaches as often as I can. I’ve been living in California for the last 19 years where I was born. I enjoy children and have one granddaughter who is almost 3. Interpreting is a wonderful career and I love to learn.

Jenni Knetl

BEI Advanced Level III

I have over 25 years of interpreting experience in an extensive array of settings. I am relational while professional, prioritizing the unique needs of each client while establishing rapport and respect in every venue. On a personal level, I am married to a man who is Deaf, whose career as a Deaf Pastor and ASL Teacher/High School Coach keeps us very involved in the Deaf community. I whole-heartedly serve the Deaf community and believe that professionalism and organization are key components to being an effective interpreter.

Kate Bowers

RID NIC Master

Katie Bower, M.A., NIC: Master, has been working as a certified interpreter since 2007. She earned her B.A. from The University of Texas (Austin) in Linguistics (2009), and she earned her M.A. from Gallaudet University (Washington, D.C.) in Interpretation / Translation (2013). While studying at Gallaudet, she conducted research on job stress and burnout in Video Relay Service (VRS) interpreting. Her study was published in RID’s Journal of Interpretation (JOI) in 2015.

Kathy Dorsett

RID NAD V

I have been interpreting for the past 35 years. I’ve worked in a variety of settings, but my favorite setting is medical.

I am a CODA to both culturally Deaf parents.

We live in South Dakota.

I have 2 children, 4 cats, and 1 dog.

Kathy Sellers

BEI Basic

I’ve been in the interpreting field for 26 years. I am currently the lead interpreter/coordinator for Bryan ISD/BVRDSPD. I have been an independent contractor for SLIS since 2007.

Lisa Pershan

RID NIC

I entered the Deaf community as a high school student. I grew up in Maryland and went to the only school that mainstreamed deaf students. I then went on to go to college to become a deaf educator. I earned a BA in Deaf Studies and an MS in Deaf Education. This background allowed me to see deaf people as my peers, not as people I need to "help." Education in the 21st century is not what it used to be. Therefore I am not willing to give up having the deaf community in my life. I have decided to continue as an advocate in a linguistic manner rather than an educational perspective. I took the ASLPI when I worked at an Elementary School in Washington DC (around 2010). At that time, I was at a 3+ (out of 4). My language has only become stronger over the past years. Learning and acquiring language through socialization has led me to have an incredibly strong understanding of the nuances of American Sign Language.

Roger Brown

BEI Master, BEI Court-Level IV

I’ve been working as a certified interpreter for 35 years. I enjoy hunting, fishing in East Texas, and flea market shopping with my Wife Sheri.

Stephanie Garner

BEI Level III

I have been interpreting for 28 years. I’m a beginner gardener and love to work with soil and plants. I might have a few too many houseplants! I like to relax playing the keyboard, knitting and spending time with friends.

Zee Broussard

BEI Level V

Zee has over 50 years of Interpreting experience and holds both RID (CSC) and BEI (V) certifications. Zee works in all areas of Interpreting, but his favorites are church, medical, and post-secondary.

He is married and hails from New Orleans, LA but for the last 27 years has called Houston, TX his home. He is a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Working with SLIS

We are always looking for qualified interpreters and transcriptionists! If you are interested in working with SLIS, please fill out our job application.