Meet The Owner
Meet Becky Russell, MS, CCC-SLP – Owner of NewCastle Speech Services, PLLC
Becky was born and raised in Wilkes County, where she currently lives with her husband and their two kids. With over 25 years of dedicated experience, Becky Russell brings a wealth of expertise and compassion to her role as the founder and owner of NewCastle Speech Services, PLLC.
As a proud graduate of Western Carolina University, Becky holds both a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and a Master of Science in Communication Disorders, complemented by a Minor in Special Education. She currently holds a North Carolina Examiner's licensure, the Advanced North Carolina Educator's license, as well as the ASHA certification, which includes the Clinical Certificate of Competence.
Her career spans a diverse range of settings — including schools, nursing facilities, clinics, and private practices — giving her a deep understanding of the unique needs across age groups and environments. Becky is passionate about helping individuals find their voice and improve their communication skills, and she’s now ready to serve her hometown community and surrounding areas with personalized, high-quality speech therapy services.
Whether you're seeking support for a child, adult, or senior, Becky’s commitment to excellence and heartfelt care make NewCastle Speech Services, PLLC a trusted resource for speech and language development.
Meet Our Team
Behind every service we provide is a dedicated team of professionals, each bringing their unique expertise and enthusiasm to NewCastle Speech Services.
Steven Russell, AAS
Business Manager
Steven is a graduate of Wilkes Community College and holds an Associates in Criminal Justice, as well as Certification in Basic Law Enforcement Training and has his General Instructor Certification.
He proudly serves as the Captain of night patrol for Wilkes County Sheriff's Office and received a Purple Heart after being shot in the line of duty in 2015.
Steven serves on the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) of Wilkes County and was the first CIT officer at the Sheriff's Office.
He also holds the Advanced Law Enforcement Certification.
He has been a member of the Roaring River Volunteer Fire Department for over 20 years, and also a past Master in the North Wilkesboro Masonic Lodge #407 where he enjoys serving the community.
He has currently taken on the position of our Business Manager where he wears many hats, including Human Resources, Marketing, Payroll, Social Media coordinator, IT tech, and Expenses supervisor.
Donna Harmon, AAS
Office Manager/Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Donna graduated from CCC&TI with an Associates in Applied Science degree for Speech-Language Pathology Assistance in May 2008. She has worked primarily with children ranging from age 18 months and up, in a variety of settings including homes, daycares, and schools.
She has provided direct therapy services for children with disorders and delays including autism, articulation disorders, phonological disorders, fluency disorders, expressive-receptive language delays, and numerous other disorders that impact a person’s ability to communicate with the world around them.
Recently, Donna has found that she really enjoys the business side of speech therapy and works diligently as our Office Manager to tackle many areas including insurance authorizations, billing verifications, and parent/agency liaison tasks.
Cassandra Poole, MS, CCC
Speech Language Pathologist
Cassandra earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Florida.
With over 33 years of experience in speech therapy, she specializes in swallowing, cognition, aphasia, head injuries, and Parkinson's.
She is certified in Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) and VitalStim.
Her experience and expertise is a welcomed facet to our company, and she plays a vital role in supervision of our Speech-Language Pathology Assistants.
Marla Crotts, M. ED, CCC
Speech Language Pathologist
Marla S Crotts, MEd., CCC-SLP graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelors of Education in Communication Disorders and obtained a Masters of Education in Speech-Language Pathology with a Minor in Audiology and a teaching certification from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Marla brings a wide variety of experience working with both children and adults over the last 3 decades across diverse settings.
Marla began her career working for an Audiologist in Wake County, then migrated into the hospital setting in Catawba County and became the Speech and Hearing Clinic Manager at Broughton Hospital in Morganton, before landing in the public school system after the birth of her oldest son where she obtained a certification in English as a Second Language from Lenoir Rhyne University.
While working in the public school system, the vast majority of her work targeted Homebound, Homeschooled, Private School placements, Preschool and Separate Setting students with an emphasis on Assistive Technology as the lead of the County AT team.
Marla is thrilled to take on the role of supervisor for our Speech-Language Pathology Assistants.
Chastity Laws, AAS
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Chastity holds an Associates in Applied Science degree from Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and brings 10 years of experience as a Speech and Language Pathology Assistant.
Currently, she is pursuing certification as a Registered Behavior Technician through the Autism Partnership Foundation.
Her passion is specializing in autism by combining behavioral techniques with speech and language services to provide well-rounded, supportive care.
Amanda Olive, AAS, B.S.
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Amanda was born and raised in Caldwell County. With 20 years of experience spanning from daycares, clinical settings, in-home therapy, and North Carolina's school systems, Amanda embodies a wealth of knowledge in effective therapy techniques.
Her background equips her with the ability to address a wide spectrum of communication needs among children of all ages.
As a proud graduate of Appalachian State University, Amanda earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders, along with an Associate degree in Applied Sciences in Speech and Language Pathology Assistant. Her fluency in American Sign Language (ASL) enhances her ability to connect with children from various backgrounds.
Kristi Burchette, AAS
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Kristi is a graduate of St. Stephen’s High School in Hickory and holds an Associates in Business from Catawba Valley Community College (2014).
Most recently, she completed the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Program at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute (2023).
Her background combines a strong foundation in business with specialized training in speech and language services.
Shannon Withers, AAS
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Shannon has been working as an SLP Assistant since 2008, after earning her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in SLP Assistance from CCC&TI. Over her career, she has supported both children and adults across various counties.
She loves working with kids of all ages, addressing a wide range of speech and language needs. Currently, Shannon is taking a sensory integration course to better support the sensory and communication needs of the families and children she works with.
She is passionate about learning new techniques and finding fun, effective ways to help children reach their full potential. She believes strong communication builds strong families, and she’s dedicated to helping every family feel connected and confident.
Before her career in speech therapy, Shannon served in the Navy. She was on active duty from 1998 to 2001 and spent five additional years in the Reserves. She served on the USS Simon Lake AS-33 in Sardinia, Italy, as part of the Decom Crew, and was later stationed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 in Virginia.