Sign Language Resources, inc. Staff
Interpreter Evaluator
Leela Chaitoo joined SLR as an Interpreter Evaluator and Schools and Community Liaison in October 2017.
Leela is Deaf and has two Deaf sisters. She graduated from Gallaudet University with a BS degree in Business Administration and Graduate Certification in Management and Leadership. Currently, she is studying for her MS degree in Organizational Leadership and expects to graduate at the end of summer 2022.
Prior to joining SLR, she was a Deaf Interpreter, Employment Specialist, and Deaf Advocate with a long history of involvement in Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, Social Services, Mental Health, and business-related environments. She remains an active interpreter, working out in the field as much as time permits.
Leela Chaitoo
Owner and Founder
Mary is one of the founders of Sign Language Resources, Inc., its owner and president, and CEU coordinator. She became involved with the Orange County Deaf community first as a teacher for deaf children at Orange Ulster BOCES from 1978 to 1982, and then after as a Sign Language interpreter in private practice. In 1989, Mary and Kathleen Pilus established SLR, knowing that the Hudson Valley region needed coordination of American Sign Language interpreting services and believing that as interpreters themselves, they knew first-hand how to support consumers and interpreters.
Since Kathleen's retirement, Mary spends a majority of her time in the office managing the business but always finds time to interpret as well as evaluate and mentor newcomers to the field. If you are new to the field of Sign Language interpreting, Mary is the person to talk to!
She and her husband, John, have 4 grown daughters, and live in Westchester County, New York. Mary holds CSC and CI certifications from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
Mary Darragh MacLean
Tammy Mancinelli
Vice President of Operations
Tammy Mancinelli joined Sign Language Resources, Inc in October 2013 and is currently our Vice President of Operations. She oversees the day to day operations which include our coordinating team, customer contracts, accounts receivable, all while focusing on the continued growth of SLR.
Tammy has over 30 years' experience in management, and has successfully held management positions in the Healthcare industry. Her diversity spans large and small businesses such as CIGNA, Bank of America, Coalition America, a well renowned ENT/Facial Plastic Surgeon practice, as well as in 2018 starting an all natural soap, bath and body products business.
Tammy grew up in Newburgh, New York, located in the Hudson Valley, and currently resides in Orange County, New York, with her family.
Educational Interpreter Supervisor
Adriana accepted her position as SLR’s schools liaison to the New York City Department of Education in August 2015, and has most recently transitioned into her role as an Educational Interpreter Supervisor.
She graduated from LaGuardia Community College’s Interpreter Training Program in June 2014, where Mary Darragh MacLean was one of her instructors. Before stepping into the interpreting field, Adriana was a first grade teacher at St. Joseph's School for the Deaf in the Bronx, NY.
She has a BS degree from Long Island University- C. W. Post Campus ,in Early Childhood Education, minoring in Sociology, and an MS degree from Hunter College in Deaf/HH Education.
Although Adriana has experience interpreting in a variety of settings, she works primarily as a K-12 Educational Interpreter and in Video Relay.
Adriana Vasquez--tester
Educational Interpreter Supervisor
Diana began her journey with SLR as a Deaf Interpreter in 2016, and stepped into the role of Educational Interpreting Supervisor in August 2023.
As a second-generation Deaf individual, Diana's journey in interpretation commenced from her earliest days. Reading bills, facilitating TTY communications, transcribing dialogues for her parents who were immigrants, she cultivated a profound appreciation for linguistic mediation. With her passion in interpreting, Diana dived in the profession in 2012 by immersing in several trainings and workshops. She worked for other interpreting agencies to learn more about the industry, including certifications, regulatory adherence, and other necessary demands to serve the community.
With her first-hand experiences as a student navigating the corridors of NYC public schools with interpreters, Diana understands what it is like. She strives to ensure full accessibility in the Deaf community, especially in classrooms, and to elevate interpreters throughout their interpreting journey. Beyond the world of signs and words, Diana's degree in Psychology and her long-time experiences in social work equip her with the understanding of how to support others.
Diana resides in New York City, with her husband and their two boys (Asher and Jonah).
Diana Abayeva
Staff Interpreter & Administrative Support
Kia joined SLR as a ASL-English Interpreter in January 2022 and transitioned to her current role as Staff Interpreter and Administrative Support in August 2022. Before beginning her work as an interpreter in the K-12 setting, she was the Lead Copywriter and Brand Manager at Tara Dowdell Group, a marketing and communications agency in Jersey City.
She graduated from the ASL-English Interpreting Program at LaGuardia Community College in 2021 and she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Linguistics from George Mason University in 2015.
Kia currently lives in Jersey City with her dog, Juniper.
Kia Presley
National Interpreter Coordination Specialist
Karen joined SLR's Interpreter Coordination team in May of 2010. This followed almost two decades of coordinating experience at SLA, in Maryland. During that time, she also earned her AAS degree in interpreting from Catonsville Community College (CCBC). Now based in Colorado, she coordinates work for a variety of SLR clients both locally and nationally.
Karen resides in Denver, having moved back to her childhood home, with her mother and a sister. She loves being Grandma to eight grandchildren and Gigi to three great-grandchildren. With family members living in Maryland, Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado, she has plenty of places to travel for visits!
karen johnson
Interpreter Coordination Specialist
ReyAnna joined SLR's Interpreter Coordination team in January 2023. Prior to joining the SLR team she worked in the medical field for 18 years.
She is very excited for the career change and to be part of providing an important resource to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Growing up with Deaf family members in an area where interpreters were not always accessible, she saw first hand the difficulties of not having effective communication.
ReyAnna recently moved from her home town of Reno, Nevada to Billings, Montana with her husband and 2 of her 3 children who are attending college in Billings.
Her oldest son is a fireman and still lives in Reno. ReyAnna loves to travel the country, especially to attend MLB games.
Reyanna Watson
Educational Interpreter Supervisor & Scheduling Liaison
Will joined SLR as an ASL - English Interpreter in September 2017. Will has been interpreting professionally since 2010 when he received his Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language Interpreting from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. While he has worked in a variety of settings, he has predominantly worked in educational interpreting after realizing a deep connection with K-12 environments during his on-site practicum before graduating college.
While living in Boston, Will worked as an Interpreter for the EDCO Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (now CAPS Program), in the Newton School District. He grew up in Rockland County, NY. After eight years in Boston, he decided to move back to the NYC region to be closer to his roots. He has been working as a K-12 Educational Interpreter in NYC Public Schools since 2014.
In September 2019, Will became the on-site interpreting coordinator for one of the schools to which SLR provides services, handling day to day scheduling needs. In June 2022, he came on as Staff Interpreter and Scheduling Liaison, handling scheduling for SLR’s Educational Interpreters throughout the NYC Public School System. After a brief tenure as Interim Educational Supervisor, Will officially became an Educational Supervisor effective December 18, 2023, and will continue in his role as Scheduling Liaison.
Will currently resides in Manhattan with his husband and their two Boston Terriers.
Will Stark
Senior Interpreter Coordination Specialist
Erika joined the SLR team in September of 2008. She got her start in the field in Philadelphia, PA at a local agency. Erika has over a decade of Sign Language coordinating experience. Over the years she has learned Sign Language and has many Deaf friends in the New York and Charlotte areas.
Her current work includes coordinating SLR’s American Sign Language interpreting requests in the Greater New York Area, including New Jersey and Connecticut.
Erika grew up in Dutchess County NY where she still has family ties. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband.
Erika Riseling
Interpreter Coordination Specialist
Christine Ariztia joined SLR in March 2018 as an Interpreter Coordinator. Although she is new to the interpreting field, she is very excited to be on staff at SLR. Her background is in customer relations, within the banking industry and retail.
Christine grew up in Denver, Colorado and has lived all over the west coast. She finally settled in Billings, Montana with her husband of 24 years and youngest son, who is a senior in high school. She also has a daughter at OSU and a son in the Air Force. The empty nest is almost upon her and she decided to take a new and very different path.
Christine Ariztia
Administrative Assistant and Accounts Payable Specialist
Sarah Shepps, joined SLR in April of 2009. She began helping out with the paperwork, but quickly become all of the staffs' right hand, always willing to pitch in where needed and has great ideas for working more efficiently.
Sarah, as Billing & Invoicing Specialist, sends invoices to customers, and receives and pays invoices for interpreters. And, if you have a question just ask Sarah, she's always gracious and willing to help!
Outside of work at SLR, Sarah has a Crochet business on ETSY.
Sarah currently lives with her husband, two sons and their dog, in Putnam County, New York.
sarah shepps
Business /Professional Development Specialist & Staff ASL/English Interpreter
Jamie was hired by SLR in 2015 as a freelance interpreter and joined the staff in 2017 as an assistant to the school Liaisons. She has a passion for working in the K-12 setting as well as continuing education. As she dives back into the freelance medical and business fields she is always grateful for the time spent in the classroom. Life is just one big lesson!
Jamie graduated with a BFA from Pace University and went on to graduate from the American Sign Language, English Interpreting Program at LaGuardia Community College in 2014. At the ITP she grew alongside her colleague, Adriana Vasquez, and under the guidance of one of her instructors, Mary Darragh MacLean, which forged a solid working relationship to come.
In 2018, she transitioned into Professional Development Assistant to SLR’s PD coordinator, Debbie Olsen, and this is an endeavor Jamie truly values.
In her downtime, Jamie works as a pro bono interpreter for New York Deaf Theatre and various film projects where she can support DeafTalent. A true passion is to see their stories be shared and their own work come to fruition. Furthermore, she collaborates with the Public Theater, Joe’s Pub, Playwrights Horizons, A.R.T. NY and occasionally works as an assistant to a magician.
jamie hays
Mentorship Program Coordinator
Amy Rubinger graduated from LaGuardia Community College’s Interpreter training program in 2000, and has been working as a professional sign language interpreter since.
She has a BA from SUNY Oneonta in Speech/communications and Theatre and holds two national certifications-CI and CT.
Amy works primarily as an educational interpreter at a college. She also interprets often in the mental health field, vocational rehabilitation, and medical environments.
Amy is also a mentor and has been a workshop leader. She is excited to offer these skills to SLR as mentorship coordinator and is looking forward to supporting the interpreting community through this exciting mentorship program.
amy rubinger
Professional Development Coordinator
Debbie Olsen joined SLR in September 2018 as the Professional Development Coordinator. As an interpreter in private practice for 25 years, she continues to work in a variety of settings with many wonderful people. She taught for 15 years in the Interpreter Education Program at LaGuardia Community College. Working with students and new interpreters has been the highlight of her career. She was excited to take on this position part time and work with SLR because of its commitment to the continued professional development of interpreters in the field, especially K-12 interpreters.
Debbie holds a CI, CT and NIC Advanced from RID. She received a B.S. in Sign Language Interpreting and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics.
