L. Rachelle April, M.S., CCC-SLP

Rachelle received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the #3 ranked the University of Arizona, in Speech-Language Pathology. She graduated Magna Cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Master of Speech-Language Pathology Valedictorian, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society Philanthropic Chairperson, and President of the Arizona Dancers' Consort. Her favorite part of her job is seeing the life-changing functional improvements in people's mobility and ability to perform their activities of daily living (dressing, bathing, grooming, self-feeding, etc.) as a direct result of her sub-acute and long term care therapy program development. She also loves living her passion for inter/intradisciplinary team building, inclusion, equality, and employee education/mentoring/professional development on a daily basis. She has over 28 years of experience in healthcare as a Speech-Language Pathologist with over 17 years of experience as a rehabilitation director. Rachelle was led to speech-language pathology when she realized she wouldn't pursue neuroscience exclusively. Being a speech pathologist encapsulated not only her love for neuroscience but her other passions of voice and swallowing disorders. She chose to move into management as it allowed for her own continued professional growth, to be challenged and stimulated daily, as well as the opportunity it presented to effect the positive functional quality of life changes in patients' and residents' lives. Women of Distinction Recipient: Florida's Best & Brightest Director of Rehabilitation. She spends her spare time enjoying live music, going to the gym, bicycling along the A1A, kayaking on the intercoastal, and relaxing on the beach with my family and friends.