SLA began serving the deaf community of the greater Tampa Bay area in 2001. Ms. Kelly Gagain, Director of SLA Tampa Bay™, is a nationally certified interpreter. She works closely with SLA full-time staff interpreters Ms. Rita Dennis and Ms. Aralyn Petterson, who are both nationally certified with legal specialties.

In November 2004, we moved to our own Tampa Bay area space, also known as the Florida Center. With that move, we added two local Account Representatives, Sherry Daniels and Kristen Tompkins.

The Florida team has helped SLA expand its modest Video Interpreting Program (VIP) from one station in the Maryland office to include four stations in the Florida Center.
As part of SLA's dedication to the development of future interpreters, Rita Dennis, SLA Florida Team Leader, has led the effort to create a strong Internship Program in the Tampa Bay area, which is home to three Interpreter Training Programs (Hillsborough Community College, St. Petersburg College and University of South Florida).

The SLA Tampa Bay™ part-time interpreting team is made up of qualified and experienced interpreters, 90% of who hold national certification.

SLA is a registered vendor with the state of Florida.

SLA Tampa Bay™/Sarasota clients include:

• City, county, state, and federal government agencies
• Non-profit organizations
• Businesses and corporations
• Doctors, dentists, medical centers, and hospitals
• Mental health centers
• Performing arts centers
• Lawyers and law enforcement organizations and
• Schools, colleges, and universities

To obtain a price quote for your next event, or to discuss a specialized contract based on your organization’s unique needs, contact Sherry Daniels 813-413-2270 or 1-800-752-7075.

Questions about how to request services?  Interpreting Services FAQ's