Our Team
The Desert Voices team is passionate about listening and spoken language education, working collaboratively with families and professionals to help every child achieve their full potential. Click below to discover more about each team member.
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Kristen Levi
Since joining the organization in 2009, she has demonstrated unwavering commitment while advancing through various administrative positions. Her career progression began as an assistant to the executive director, followed by roles as office manager and development team leader, ultimately leading to her appointment as Executive Director in June 2022.
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Tracie LeBlanc
Speech Language Pathologist, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVEd
2003 – PresentTracie is a Speech Language Pathologist who works across a l of the programs at Desert Voices, providing both Parent Coaching and individual sessions to the Toddler and Preschool students. She loves helping families and their children embark upon and continue their Listening and Spoken Language journeys. Tracie also truly values being an addition and complement to the exce lent speech and language instruction the students at Desert Voices receive throughout their entire day. Tracie completed her Clinical Fe lowship Year at Desert Voices in 2001-2002. After a brief stint working in the public schools as a school SLP, she returned to Desert Voices in 2004 and has been working here ever since. Tracie has a Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Arizona, and a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Arizona State University. It was during her Master’s program that Tracie discovered her interest in and passion for working with children who are deaf and hard of hearing. She furthered her studies by earning her Listening and Spoken Language certification from the Alexander Graham Be l Association in 2008. Tracie is a proud Phoenix native, born and raised right here in the Va ley! When she is not working, she and her husband Dale are busy raising their two children, son Zachary and daughter Charlotte. The LeBlanc family are sports fans, and always support the home teams. They are especia ly fond of baseba l and softba l- both of the kids play, Dale and Tracie coach, and they a l enjoy going to Diamondbacks games together! They also love taking road trips, going to the movies, and holiday celebrations complete with matching family pajamas. Okay, in fairness Tracie is the only one who likes the matching pajamas… the rest of them are just nice to her!
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Dani Merrill
With a background in Public Relations and Leadership, Dani is excited to join the Desert Voices team as the Community Engagement Manager. Previously, Dani worked as an enro lment counselor for Grand Canyon University and enjoyed helping students embark on their chosen degree path and careers. Now, with a daughter continuing her own listening and spoken language journey at Desert Voices, she is excited to continue building relationships with the Desert Voices families and community. Dani was born and raised in Phoenix, and lives here with her husband, two daughters, and a border co lie mix (Oona). She likes to travel, has a BIG sweet tooth, and would prefer to eat breakfast for every meal.
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Audiologist
Caroline Sabatino
Caroline Sabatino, AuD, CCC-A graduated from Arizona State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She then went on to work as a Speech-Language Pathologist assistant at a developmental preschool in the Washington Elementary School District. Caroline returned to school and in 2016 she graduated from A.T. Still University with her Doctorate in Audiology degree. She completed her clinical training at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island where she worked with children and adults. Upon graduation from her doctoral program, Dr. Sabatino worked at Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, an OPTION school in San Antonio, Texas known for their Listening and Spoken Language program and the CASLLS. In 2018, Dr. Sabatino returned to her hometown of Phoenix Arizona and joined the Audiology team at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. In 2021, Caroline was contracted through her position at Phoenix Children’s Hospital to visit Desert Voices Oral Learning Preschool once a week and assist with any Audiology needs and manage the teacher’s hearing assistive technologies. In 2025, Caroline joined the Desert Voices team full time to help achieve their dream of opening a full time Audiology clinic to serve the Desert Voices family and local pediatric community. She is a member of and certified through the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association.
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Audiologist Service Coordinator
Teri Wright
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Olga Fernandez
Lead Speech Language Pathologist, M.S., CCC-SLP
2022 - Present
Olga is a speech language pathologist who works with the preschool students and provides parent coaching sessions at Desert Voices. Prior to coming to Desert Voices, Olga worked in an outpatient rehabilitation facility where she conducted pre-cochlear implant evaluations and reported candidacy criteria to other professionals. She worked alongside families on their hearing journey from identification of hearing loss to amplification to ongoing treatment. Olga completed her undergraduate degree in Speech & Hearing Sciences from Arizona State University and obtained her teaching certification to become a bilingual teacher in Da las, Texas. While in Da las, Olga obtained her master’s degree in Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University. While teaching, Olga discovered that her passion was truly in speech and language development and went back to school to get her master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Arizona State University. Today, she finds excitement in early childhood language development and bilingualism. When not at Desert Voices, Olga spends time with her husband, Sergio, and their two daughters, Elena and Elisa. They enjoy walking their dog, Lady, eating chocolate sprinkled donuts, and traveling to Mexico and Nicaragua to visit family and friends.
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Ginger Noschka
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Kendall Curry
Teacher of the Deaf
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Lisa Campbell
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Holly Plunkett
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Samantha Gotcher
Samantha graduated from Utah State University in May 2020 with a Master of Science in Listening and Spoken Language. She is dual certified as both a Teacher of the Deaf and an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher. As a published scholar in the Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (JEHDI) with experience in the public and private sector, she believes the best professional development comes from working with families. She specializes in educational advocacy and virtual services. When she is not working, you can find her embracing the outdoors, where she recharges her creativity and passion
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Maggie Bartoli
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Speech Language Pathologist, CFY
Lauren Treat
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Morgan Gatchell
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Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Gabrielle Gunzman
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Leslie Austin
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