ABOUT US
Our family business embraces communication, connection, and collaboration.
In the early 1980s, founder Joyce Dworsky (Srour) was a health care professional learning sign language and teaching CPR in her spare time. That unique combination led to a training session for Gallaudet University’s students, and two days after her successful CPR class, she got a call from Deaf Pride, the primary organization in DC that worked with the Deaf community and sign language interpreters. A student at Gallaudet, who had been in the recent CPR class, requested that Joyce interpret an up-coming meeting. This opportunity segued into other assignments and Joyce realized there was an opportunity to get more involved in the deaf and interpreting worlds so she began a quest for more formal training.
Joyce was accepted into the Gallaudet Interpreter Consortium and later became certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). In 1987, responding to a growing need, she turned her love for interpreting into Vital Signs. As time went on, Joyce also trained as a C-Print captionist and later, a TypeWell transcriber and voice writer. Speech-To-Text, including CART and TypeWell, were added to interpreting services to accommodate the variety of requests from universities, government agencies, and the private sector.
Now the original mission of Vital Signs to serve the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community has grown to become a multi-generational family business.
Today, Vital Signs is led by both Joyce and her son-in-law, Avi Siegel, a passionate leader and entrepreneur. After joining the family, Avi began studying ASL at Gallaudet. He continues to fuel his lifelong learning personality by taking additional courses in ASL and hanging out with Deaf friends and more.
Avi utilizes an employee-centric approach to business success, emphasizing culture and connection at the heart of everything we do. He is expanding the team’s impact, while remaining wholly committed to maintaining a family atmosphere where the needs of people, both clients and employees, always come first.
Owner of Vital Signs LLC
Joyce Dworsky-Srour
Beyond her roles as owner and Certified Interpreter and Transcriber, Joyce also volunteers at a local food bank. Although she is a home-body at heart, she often travels to visit family abroad, with her husband Nino, and explore other parts of the US. Joyce loves working in a profession that epitomizes the word teamwork, and is proud that Vital Signs makes a difference.
Chief Executive Officer
Avi Siegel
Business has always been Avi's passion. He is a lifelong learner devouring as many business books as possible on Audible. He chases his quest of self-improvement professionally as well as personally. Avi loves playing board games and sports with his wife, Brenah, and their three children. In his spare time, Avi can be found researching nutrition and exercising.
Chief Operations Officer
Ashley Schreiber
Ashley holds a certificate in both ASL (American Sign Language) and ITP (interpreter training program). Ashley is also a trained TypeWell Transcriber, She loves to crochet and knit, read, and garden. She also loves to bake for her family, including husband, Jeremy, her five children (Emily, RJ, Kyle, Preston, and Joey), and her grandson, Linus. She also has two Siberian Forest cats.
.jpg)
Senior Manager of Provider Relations
Brittany Taylor
Brittany holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication & Leadership along with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She loves her family and is a proud mom to her wonderful daughter and German Shepard. Brittany is an avid photographer and reader, vinyl record and houseplant collector, and enjoys cooking and baking. She can often be found at the beach or on hiking trails.
Client Relations Manager
Cate Flynn
Cate holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, as well as a Certificate in ASL and Deaf Studies from Northeastern University. She is a mother to her two children, Daniel and Holly, and her fur baby, Tilly. After a few years of operating her own daycare in order to stay home with her children, Cate is excited to join the Vital Signs team in their passion of serving the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community!
Accountant
Yuko Essebaggers
Yuko has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and is English-Japanese bilingual. She also has an associate degree in accounting and 18 years of accounting experience. Yuko holds a teaching license for Japanese Calligraphy and when not working, she can be found goofing around with her husband, 2 children, and cat. She also enjoys cooking, baking, and crafting.
Senior Human Resources Generalist
Casaundra Anthony
Casaundra has 15+ years in HR, with a focus on employment law and company culture. She has earned multiple degrees and certifications throughout her career, culminating in her passion for HR management. She is a dedicated wife & mother of three children and loves her fur babies; she enjoys being outdoors, crafting, and family time.
Staff ASL Interpreter
Kelly Forsgren
Kelly is a Nationally Certified interpreter with a Bachelor’s degree in ASL and English Interpreting. When she’s not busy interpreting, you can find her exploring new places around the globe, diving into her latest crafting project, or soaking up the sun outdoors. Through her work and hobbies, Kelly strives to be a relatable and positive presence in the interpreting community.