December 19, 2019
Mariana Newton, Ph.D., was instrumental in creating the licensure statute for audiologists and speech-language pathologists, which was enacted by the N.C. General Assembly in 1975. She was the first chairperson for the N.C. Board of Examiners for Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists and for the first few years after licensing began, she and Karen maintained the records and conducted the business of the Board in their home. Dr. Newton hired me to be in charge of the Board office where I continued to be employed for over 34 years. She was my mentor during my beginning years of employment and I was blessed to also count her as a friend. She was devoted to her profession and even after she retired from UNC-Greensboro, she continued to contribute to the Greensboro community. I remember her telling me about rearranging the furniture in a sitting room in a nursing home so that the patients and visitors could more easily converse with one another. She worked tirelessly with the Vietnamese community helping them to acclimate themselves to life in the United States. She referred to them as her children and was very proud of them and their accomplishments. I will always remember her wonderful smile and laughter. The world, and particularly North Carolina, is a better place because of her.
-Sandy Capps, Retired Board Administrator