Communication Plus+ Interpreter Services, Inc. was established in the third quarter of 1986, almost four years prior to President George H. W. Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990. CPlus+ is the oldest and most comprehensive interpreter service agency in the state of Arkansas. We are proud to be locally owned and operated since the very beginning.
Myra Taff-Watson and her husband Dr. Douglas Watson led the company for 31 years from its founding until their retirement at the end of 2017. The Watsons were a hearing/Deaf wife/husband team with strong roots in the Deaf, Deafblind, and interpreting communities. When the Watsons retired, Will Gorum and Dwayne McFarlan assumed leadership of company as President/CEO and CFO respectively. Prior to his tenure as President/CEO of the company, Will worked with Communication Plus+ as an independent contract service provider for 17 years beginning in 2001. Like the Watsons, Will has familial ties to the Deaf community.
Communication Plus+ Interpreter Services, Inc. provides on-site, video remote, and over-the-phone (OPI) interpreting and transcribing services across the entire state of Arkansas and surrounding states including Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. We provide video remote and over-the-phone interpreting and transcribing/captioning services nationwide and are willing to travel to provide on-site services. We have experience in a wide variety of settings such as:
● Medical ● Mental Health ● Educational (K-12 and Post-secondary)
● Legal/Court ● Government ● Business/Industry
● Weddings/Funerals ● Religious ● Theater/Concerts/Artistic
● Social Services ● Conference/Platform ● And Many More
Communication Plus+ is here when you need us. We provide services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year, including holidays. We can accommodate emergency requests with less than 24 hours’ notice. Our main office number, 501-224-2521 (voice/text) is monitored and answered 24/7/365 by one of the key members of our professional and courteous staff.
Meet the CPlus+ Team
Communication Plus+ is fortunate to have the following individuals as key personnel in our organization. Learn more about each of our team members below!
Will Gorum, CI and CT, OTC, NIC Master, Ed: K-12, BEI CIC
President/CEO and Interpreter/Transcriber
Will began his interpreting career in his home state of Louisiana and moved to Arkansas in 2001 to continue his education. He has over 25 years of experience as an interpreter and over 20 years of experience as a transcriber. Will graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ASL/English interpreting with a minor in K-12 educational interpreting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Will is a nationally certified interpreter and holds multiple certifications as a sign language interpreter, certification as an oral transliterator, certification as a K-12 educational interpreter from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) and Court Interpreter certification from the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters. Prior to working at Communication Plus+, Will worked as a freelance interpreter and transcriber, a Staff Interpreter/Transcriber at the University of Arkansas Little Rock and as a call center Manager/Trainer for a video relay service (VRS) company.
Will is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company including scheduling service providers, interfacing with customers, clients, and service providers. He also provides remote and on-site interpreting and transcribing services.
When he’s not working, Will’s free time activities include growing carnivorous plants, maintaining his aquariums, and spending time with his two miniature dachshunds, Crash and Rhody. Will is also a big-time Star Wars fan and can usually be found most Friday evenings at his favorite Mexican restaurant.
Dwayne McFarlan
CFO
Dwayne is a native Arkansan hailing from north-central Arkansas. His primary responsibility is handling both accounts receivable and accounts payable. He also works as a backup to Will and our Scheduling Team.
Dwayne graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Dwayne spends his free time as a beekeeper, gardener, maintaining his koi pond, and spending time with his cats, Radner, Guilda, and Oreo. Two of his favorite things are Star Trek and sushi!
Sydney Morriss, QAST 4/4
Director of Operations
Sydney has over 5 years of experience as an interpreter. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ASL/English Interpreting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Sydney holds a QA level 4/4.
She is a Support Service Provider (SSP) and an active member in the Arkansas DeafBlind Community (ADBC). Sydney assists the CEO and CFO with day-to-day operations, scheduling service providers, and is usually the first point of contact for customers, clients, and service providers. She is often out in the field providing interpreting services to both the Deaf and the DeafBlind communities.
Sydney typically spends her free time with her husband, Matthew, and their two dogs, Sadie and Chandler. She enjoys games, spending time in her garden, and hiking with her husband and pups.
Matt Morriss
Senior Administrative Assistant
Matt earned his bachelor’s degree from Central Baptist College, graduating with honors from their PACE program. He has worked in several fields throughout his career spending time in IT, retail sales, corporate administration, and in the production world utilizing audio, video, and lighting equipment at the highest levels. He now comes to our team to do whatever his Jedi Master, Will Gorum, tells him to do and do it with integrity and excellence.
He spends most of his free time with his family, Sydney Morriss, and their two dogs, Sadie and Chandler. Whatever time that is left in the day is usually spent roaring down the street on his motorcycle, cleaning it, tucking her in for the night, and reading it a bedtime story.
Jonathan Smith, NIC, EIPA 4.2
Senior Staff Interpreter
Jonathan Smith worked as an independent contractor for a number of years before joining the Communication Plus+ team full-time. He became involved with the Deaf community at an early age. He learned to sign at Kirby Woods Baptist Deaf Church in Memphis and has been involved with the Deaf community ever since.
Jonathan has two bachelor’s degrees, one from the University of Alabama in journalism and the second one from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock in interpreting. He earned his RID certification just two years after graduating from IEP. He has worked in a wide variety of settings, including educational, medical, mental health, and video relay service (VRS).
Jonathan is also currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Bible Translation and a second Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics. When he isn’t working, Jonathan enjoys reading, traveling, all things Alabama football, and spending time with friends. Jonathan is also the proud owner of a rambunctious Blue Heeler named Bear.
Abigaile Miller
Administrative Assistant
Abigaile, most commonly seen as “-AM.”, is the newest member of CPlus+ team and works along side Matthew. She is currently learning some basic ASL, so feel free to start a conversation with her if you stop by the office.
Before C+, Abigaile worked in coffee shops for ten years, followed by Trader Joe’s for a couple years. She has four cats, or fur children, that she loves very much. During her time off of work, she enjoys practicing Yoga and spending time with friends. Abigaile enjoys travelling, and Japan has been her favorite place to travel so far!
Jamie Watts
Staff Interpreter
Jamie Watts is originally from West Virginia. She started learning American Sign Language when she was in high school. Falling in love with the language, she wanted to learn more. She graduated high school in 2015 and immediately went into a local community college to get her Associates Degree in American Sign Language. She graduated from here in 2016. From 2019-2022, she worked at a behavior facility as a staff, and became the ASL Interpreter & Manager there. After this, she worked as a Community Interpreter with Sorenson Communications. She went on to get her Bachelors Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Purdue University Global.
She moved to Donaldson, Arkansas the summer of 2023 and currently holds a QAST Level 1/1. She started her interpreting apprenticeship with Communications Plus+ in October 2023! In her free time she enjoys watching TV, listening to music, and being creative in some way. Her interests include in mental health, photography, and self-improvement. Her goals include becoming a Nationally Certified Interpreter and possibly going back to school to get a Masters Degree in Counseling.
Rhody
Head of Security
Rhody comes from a long line of security experts originating in Germany. He takes his job very seriously and is always on the lookout for the smallest sign of trouble. Rhody meets anyone who visits the CPlus+ office at the door to screen them thoroughly in case they pose a potential threat.
Rhody’s favorite leisure activities are digging holes, chasing balls, and pulling the stuffing out of toys. When he’s not on the lookout for troublemakers or enjoying his hobbies, he can usually be found napping in a comfortable spot.
Otto
Will's Bodyguard
Otto became a part of CPlus+ in 2023 when he moved from Kansas to Little Rock in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon joining the team, he wrote his own job description and appointed himself as Will’s bodyguard and shadow. He’s also quick to tell everyone about his strongly held opinions.
Otto enjoys car rides, snacks, and sunbathing when he’s not working. One of his favorite past times is complaining loudly when he sees something he doesn’t like. He’s a little on the grumpy side, but he’s a real sweetheart deep down on the inside.
