Staff
Executive Director
Kelly Reece graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with an undergraduate degree in Communications and holds a Master of Arts from UNC-Greensboro in Speech-Language Pathology.
Following graduation, she worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as a school based SLP working with regular education students with various speech and language impairments, students with Autism in self-contained classrooms, and developmentally delayed preschoolers. She has presented information on innovative therapy models that integrate music and movement into language therapy to other SLPs at the local, state, and national levels. Kelly published an article in Advance magazine, a magazine for speech pathologists, on a unique therapy technique coined ‘Action Thursday’. She currently works as Director of Operations of the TSGI Sensory and Communication Preschool, teaches after school programs, and provides individual private therapy.
Kelly enjoys shopping, decorating, reading, and spending time with her husband, two sons and extended family.
Director of Programs
Tiffany Seigler is a Speech-Language Pathologist with a M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from UNC-Greensboro. Tiffany received a degree in Early Childhood Education from The University of Dayton and taught first grade for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before obtaining her masters degree. She joined Speech Garden in 2011 where she is able to fulfill her love of working with children. Tiffany currently works as the Director of Operations, transitional kindergarten teacher, and co-director of the summer camp. She also runs after school programs and provides individual private therapy.
Tiffany enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and family, traveling and cheering on the Clemson Tigers.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Ashley Blavatt is a Speech-Language Pathologist with a M.S.P. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Carolina. She joined Speech Garden in 2018 with the desire to help children with speech language impairment in a holistic classroom environment. She loves children and enjoys seeing them reach their communication potential. Ashley currently works as the 4’s teacher at the Sensory and Communication Preschool and as a supervising SLP for Summer Camp. She also runs after school programs and provides individual private therapy.
Ashley enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her husband, Josh, reading books, and having game nights with her friends.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Holly Cameron has served as a speech-language pathologist in the North Carolina public school system for 15 years. This experience has allowed her to work with students who demonstrate a wide variety of special communication needs ranging from the severe/profound population to regular education students. Holly graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997 with a B.A. in Communication Studies and in 2000 with a M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She currently holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is employed with Davidson County Schools at Davis Townsend Elementary. Holly has served as a supervising SLP in TSGI summer camp for 5 summers.
Holly lives on High Rock Lake in Lexington, NC, with her husband, David, and their children, Carson and Caroline. She is active in the ministries of her church, Bethany United Methodist, where she serves as the Youth Director and a Girl Scout troop leader. Holly enjoys planning events, celebrating holidays, and reading with her children each night.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Cortney Murdoch Varzandeh started working with The Speech Garden in 2011, in both the preschool setting and as a provider of private speech-language therapy sessions. She is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing and she holds a Masters of Science from Hunter College, City University of New York, in Speech-Language Pathology.
Cortney began her career in speech pathology in 1998, working with both adults and children, at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Park Terrace Care Center-Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit. She took a hiatus from speech pathology services to raise her two daughters and decided to return to the field in 2011, where she now enjoys working with preschool and early elementary aged children.
Cortney has lived in Atlanta, GA, Washington D.C., New York City and has travelled throughout the world. She now delights in sharing her love of big cities and travel with her husband and daughters.
Margaret Iraggi is a teaching assistant at the TSGI preschool. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, from Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.and a Master of Science in Education- Integrating Technology in The Classroom, from Walden University, Minneapolis, MN.
Margaret has over 20 years teaching experience in grades 3-5 at St. John Neumann and St. Jude Catholic schools, and The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, GA. Additionally, she volunteered at The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in Birmingham, AL.
Margaret enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her husband, three daughters and their families.
Founder
Ellen Holloway founded The Speech Garden in 2003 and has fifteen years of experience as an educator and speech-language pathologist. She is a graduate of UNC-Wilmington with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and holds a Master of Arts from UNC-Greensboro in Speech-Language Pathology.
Ellen has worked a variety of settings, but her favorite remains teaching the self-contained preschool communication class through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Her passion is developing innovative, classroom-based therapy programs to serve our community.
Ellen enjoys learning about other cultures through traveling and has spent time living abroad near London with her husband and two children. She now lives in Atlanta and enjoys seeing the growth of the organization to serve more children in the Charlotte area.