Dr. Melissa Saunders,
Executive Director
Dr. Melissa S. Saunders serves as the Executive Director of King’s Speech and Learning Center, bringing decades of experience working with providers across disciplines to serve individuals. Melissa has a doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership and is licensed to practice as a behavior analyst in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Melissa has been delivering direct and consultative services in various settings since 2004. At King's Speech and Learning Center, Melissa leverages her expansive background to provide high-quality, evidence-based services and is committed to maintaining a team of clinicians who prioritize each client's individual strengths and needs with compassion and understanding. Melissa clinical specializations include social skills, language and life skills development as well as severe problem behaviors and caregiver supports and training.
She has held several leadership positions within professional organizations where she has been actively involved in promoting practice standards, establishing consumer protections and licensure, and improving service access and quality for individuals.
Renee Kurposka, Director of Clinical Services/ M.S., CCC-SLP
Renee is a Speech-Language Pathologist with over 20 years of experience in a variety of settings including early intervention, schools, and outpatient therapy centers. She has worked mainly with the pediatric population but also enjoys providing services to teens and adults. Renee has supervised SLPAs and graduate student clinicians and provided school and community-based trainings pertaining to speech and language development. She enjoys collaborating and co-treating with professionals from other disciplines to continue to grow her skillset and provide coordinated care for clients. Renee has a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Nova Southeastern University. She is licensed to practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist in four states. In her spare time, Renee enjoys reading, pilates, hiking, biking, and spending time with her family and dog.
Hannah Bassett M.S. CCC-SLP, Office Manager
Makenna Calabrese, MS CCC-SLP
joined our team during her clinical fellowship. She received her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and her Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders from Southern Connecticut State University. She has experience in providing speech, language, and feeding therapy to children and adolescents. Her passions include early language development, social language skills, and remediation of childhood apraxia of speech. She is level one PROMPT trained, an approach that remediates speech disorders. Makenna services children in the CREC school district and in our Avon office.
Anna Barnes M.S., CCC-SLP
Anna earned her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Trinity College and her Graduate Degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Connecticut. Anna pursued her clinical fellowship at a pediatric clinic and has experience working in a school setting as well. Anna's special interests include AAC, Gestalt Language, and Autism and Apraxia.
Amanda Rodriguez, M.S., CCC-SLP
Amanda Rodriguez joined the King’s Speech and Learning Center team in April 2024. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut and graduate degree at Iona University. Amanda has experience working with both children and adults, as well as experience working within the school system. Amanda’s special interests include Articulation, AAC, and pragmatic language skills.
Molly Schade, M.S., CF-SLP:
Molly first joined King’s Speech during her summer internship in 2025 and is now excited to return as a Clinical Fellow. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Southern Connecticut State University and her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Scranton. Molly has experience working with children and adults in both outpatient and school settings, ranging from preschool to high school. Her professional interests include early language development, receptive and expressive language, and supporting autistic children in developing meaningful communication skills.
Karen Rosen M.S., CCC-SLP
Karen joined King's Speech and Learning Center at the end of August 2023 after retiring from the Farmington Public School System. She earned her undergraduate degree from Southern Connecticut State College (B.A. in Communication Disorders) and her graduate degree from Northeastern University (M.Ed. in Speech and Language Pathology). Over the years, Karen has worked with adults and children- with the most recent experiences having been with children. Her areas of expertise include receptive and expressive language, speech intelligibility, Selective Mutism, fluency, dyslexia, and Autism. Karen is married with three grown children and two grandsons. Her personal interests include reading, pilates, and traveling.
Faye Tine M.S., CCC-SLP
Faye is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist who received her Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences: Speech, Language, and Hearing from the University of Connecticut. She has worked in school and hospital settings in the past and enjoys working with clients of all ages and abilities. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. In her spare time, she volunteers for Girl Scouts of Connecticut and the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind.
Katrina Zaffetti M.S., CCC-SLP
Katrina is a licensed speech-language pathologist passionate about early intervention and communication development. She provides fun, personalized interventions for diverse communicators and empowers families with effective learning strategies. Her experience spans public elementary and intermediate schools, as well as outpatient settings. A Connecticut native, Katrina is deeply connected to her community. She holds a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The College of Saint Rose.
Alicia Rodriguez, M.S., CCC-SLP
Alicia joined the King’s Speech and Learning Center team shortly after completing her Clinical Fellowship Year in September 2024. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Iona University. Alicia has experience working with children in school settings. Her special interests include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), expressive/receptive language, and articulation.
Haley Conrad, MS., CCC-SLP
earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from the University of Connecticut and her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Sacred Heart University. Haley has worked with people across the lifespan from early intervention to adulthood, in the clinic as well as in private and public educational settings. She has experience providing speech, language and feeding therapy. Haley loves working with individuals who have social language impairments, speech sound disorders, and those who utilize Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC). She has completed training in Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cueing (DDTC) and is Level 1 PROMPT trained to support those with motor speech disorders. Outside of work, Haley enjoys spending time with her fiancée, playing with her cat and two dogs, as well as listening to music.
Lena Tran, CF-SLP:
Lena Tran, CF-SLP:
Lena joined the King's Speech and Learning center team in August 2025 for her Clinical Fellowship year. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Lena has experience working with both children and adults in settings such as outpatient rehabilitation and school settings (elementary to high school). Her special interests include expressive/receptive language, voice disorders, executive functioning/memory, and articulation.
Brianna Durkin, M.S.,CCC-SLP
Brianna joined the King's Speech and Learning Center team soon after completing her Clinical Fellowship in September 2025. She earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA, and her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Worcester State University. Brianna pursued her Clinical Fellowship in birth to three by working in early intervention. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Brianna has experience working with birth to three, and with school-aged children. She enjoys working with clients of all ages and abilities.
Nicole Greathouse,CCC-SLP
Nicole Greathouse has over 20 years experience as an SLP in both Florida and Connecticut. She has worked with all age levels in both the clinical and school settings. Nicole has extensive experience working with individuals on the autism spectrum but also specializes in Speech Disorders, AAC, and Pragmatics. She graduated with her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Central Florida. When not working with her speech students, Nicole spends time hiking with her husband and 3 rescue dogs and riding her horse.
