MaLesa Reese, Ed.D., CCC/SLP

MaLesa has almost four decades of experience treating and caring for children with speech-language and learning challenges. She is an innovator and strategic leader in both speech pathology and education. She has served as a speech-language pathologist with numerous school districts in Texas, as well as leading professional development workshops for educators around the state. As a professor and academic leader, she trained, supervised, mentored, and inspired hundreds of young speech pathologists.

MaLesa served as the Vice President for Professional Services for the Texas Speech and Hearing Association (TSHA) and received a TSHA Award of Honor for her leadership in the association. She has provided alternative service delivery programs to speech pathologists, administrators, and classroom teachers in numerous school districts and to Regional Education Service Centers in Texas. MaLesa founded and directed a support program for families of children with autism. She is coauthor of Let All the Children Come to Me, a book that guides faith-based organizations toward the inclusion of families of children with disabilities.

MaLesa received her training in speech-language pathology at Abilene Christian University and her Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from Texas Tech University. She was appointed Director of the Graduate Program in Communication Disorders at Abilene Christian, then the Chair of the Department of Communication Disorders and ultimately the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services. With wisdom and humor, MaLesa has maintained her commitment to children with speech-language or learning challenges, bringing to others a sense of calm and a lifetime desire to learn.

MaLesa and her husband Jack enjoy cooking together, traveling to new places, writing, teaching, reading geeky social science books, hosting friends in their home, and spending time with six adorable grandchildren.