President-Elect
Stacey Mathis, MS, CCC-SLP
Hi! I’m Stacey Mathis, MS, CCC-SLP. I currently serve as Vice President of Schools Issues for MSHA, and I am the Lead SLP for DeSoto County Schools. I just completed my 24th year as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Those 24 years have been spent serving students ages 0-21. I graduated high school from DeSoto County Schools in 1994. I then went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Delta State University (1997) and a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi (1999) both in Communication Disorders. The first 9 years of my career as an SLP, I worked in clinical settings mostly with the birth-to-three population. That is when I developed my love for those with complex communication needs. After 9 years in a clinical setting, I decided to transition to a school setting. I spent 8 years working with complex communicators at Pleasant Hill Elementary school. My caseload consisted mostly of special education preschool students and Adaptive Resource/Community-Based students. This is where I learned the most about Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). In 2016, I became the Lead SLP and Special Education Assistive Technology Support person for DCS. I enjoy this more specialized role where I can mentor other SLPs and help special education teams better understand and serve our most complex communicators. Other roles outside of DCS include: SLP Advisory Board for Pearson Clinical (former member), MSHA Membership committee (2017-2018), MSHA Schools Committee (2018-Present). I was also MSHA Outstanding School Clinician in 2022.
I’ve been married for 22 years to my husband, Steven. We have 2 boys ages 18 and 11. My oldest is headed to college this fall and my youngest is headed to middle school. LOTS of big changes for our family! When I’m not with my family you can find me at my local gym teaching group exercise classes. They are just the therapy I need to keep going as a wife, mother, and SLP.
Vice President – Audiology
Mary Frances Johnson, AuD, CCC-A
Dr. Mary Frances Johnson is an Associate Professor and clinical audiologist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Southern Mississippi and earned her Doctor of Audiology degree at the University of Memphis. At UMMC, Dr. Johnson has served as Director of Clinic Operations and Director of the Audiology Externship Program for the Division of Audiology. She has served as a Clinical Director of Healthy Hearing for Special Olympics Mississippi since 2014. She currently serves on the Resume Review Subcommittee for the American Academy of Audiology and as a Topic Co-Chair for the 2024 ASHA Convention.
Vice President – Healthcare
Marie Josey, SLP
Marie Josey (formerly Marie Nasekos) has been working in healthcare for the past 4 years. She has worked in a variety of settings including acute care, outpatient, and skilled nursing. She is currently a faculty member at the UMMC School of Medicine and works at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Adult Acute Care.
In her role as a speech pathologist at UMMC Marie evaluates, diagnoses, and treats a wide variety of patient disorders including dysphagia, dysarthria, aphasia, and cognitive impairments. She evaluates tracheostomy patients for speaking valves and treats voice disorders. Marie is qualified to perform both modified barium swallow studies (MBSS) and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluations of Swallowing (FEES). She is a co-team lead for the adult acute care team and is the point person for SLP Adult Acute Care Head and Neck Cancer. Her responsibilities include teaching fellow speech-language pathologists how to provide post-total laryngectomy education and training to patients and families. In addition to her role in acute care, she works one day a week at the UMMC Voice and Swallowing Center where she implements videostroboscopy procedures and provides voice and swallowing interventions to patients in the clinic.
Marie is deeply invested in the role of speech-language pathology in healthcare, enjoys working with others, and is eager to participate in a vison to grow resources and opportunities for medical speech-language pathologists Mississippi. She would be honored if you choose her to be the newest MSHA Vice President for Healthcare.
Delisha Speech, SLP
Delisha D. Speech, a native of Mississippi, is an honored communicative Disorders graduate of THEE Jackson State University, with unique qualifications and significant contributions in the field of speech-language pathology. With a remarkable twenty-two years of experience, she has been a certified speech-language pathologist and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) member since 2002.
In 2011, Delisha formally established Say It Again… a minority-owned, woman-owned private practice pediatric clinic specializing in speech, language, hearing, and dyslexia services. In May 2024, Delisha earned her Educational Specialist Degree with a concentration in Dyslexia Therapy from William Carey University.
Delisha’s leadership is a testament to her commitment to ensuring equitable access to speech and hearing services in Mississippi. In 2019, she took on a significant Executive Board leadership role as MSHA’s State Advocate for Reimbursement (STAR). Her work in this role involves close collaboration with other STARS nationwide and Mississippi Medicaid, demonstrating her ability to lead and effect change.
Delisha is not just a speech-language pathologist, but a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in her field. Her active membership in various committees within MSHA, including the healthcare and legislative committees, underscores her unwavering commitment to promoting these values in the field of speech-language pathology in Mississippi.
Delisha’s unwavering commitment to ‘Being the Spark’ is not just a motto, but a way of life that showcases her dedication and passion in the field of speech-language pathology.
Vice President – Schools Issues
Stacey Garcia, M.S., CCC-SLP
Stacey Garcia is the Lead Speech-Language Pathologist for Biloxi Public Schools. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing in 1999 and her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2001, both from Southeastern Louisiana University.
Stacey began her career at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond, LA, where she worked with pediatric and adult populations. A subsequent move to Washington provided her with the opportunity to transition into a public school setting, where she developed a passion for working with school-age children and expanding her knowledge in the many realms of school-based services. She immediately began to immerse herself in committee work in the areas of professional development, caseload/workload models, and serving diverse learners in the Kent School District.
Family relocations back to Louisiana, as well as Georgia, presented Stacey with continued opportunities to provide services in public school districts over the next ten years. Her enthusiasm to continue to grow as a professional to meet her varied caseload needs in multiple school settings inspired her to not only expand her own knowledge but to also mentor fellow SLPs.
In 2019, she moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and began working for Biloxi Public Schools. In 2022, she was appointed Lead SLP for the district, a role she continues to fulfill while also providing direct services at Gorenflo Elementary.
Stacey’s experience working in four different states and in districts of varying sizes has given her valuable insight into the diversity of school-based services. She is passionate about recruiting and retaining SLPs in schools, serving diverse student populations, and mentoring new SLPs. She is also dedicated to providing ongoing support and professional development for all SLPs in her district.
In addition to her roles in the Biloxi School District, Stacey has been an active member of the MSHA Schools Committee since 2022. She also contributed to revising the Handbook for SLPs in Mississippi Schools in 2023 and is currently mentoring a graduate student through MSHA’s Mentorship program.
Stacey is married and has one son, who is a high school senior. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, living on the Gulf Coast, and making frequent visits to New Orleans to connect with her extended family. She also has a passion for traveling and cooking.
Vice President – PR & Marketing
Krissy Beattie, M.S., CCC-SLP
Krissy Beattie, M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed and certified speech-language with over 15 years of experience serving the pediatric population in MS. She has been a lecturer for MSHA for past conferences, as well as presenter at Jackson State University and University of Mississippi Medical Center. She currently is an instructor in the Department of Otolaryngology at University of Mississippi Medical Center.
She received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Mississippi University for Women in 2007 and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2009. She has received two ASHA ACE Awards and was also named UMMC’s Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist of the year for 2023.
Krissy specializes in AAC, Oral-Placement therapy, feeding and oromyofunctional disorders in the pediatric population. She is trained in Vital Stim, Beckman Oral Motor Protocol and Sensory-Motor Approach to feeding. She also has extensive training in Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) for AAC users. Her clinical practice focuses on AAC evaluations and acquisition, OPT, oral motor, oromyofunctional therapy and language development in children.
Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association 