Meet the Team
The owners of Empower Speech, LLC are all certified Speech-Language Pathologists with extensive experience working with children and adults in areas such as cognition, swallowing, voice, articulation, language, and social skills. We participate in ongoing continuing education courses to ensure that we are using the most current and evidence-based methods.
-
Maureen Weckerly, M.S., CCC-SLP, ASDCS, ECDCS
Owner/Co-founder
Therapist Bio: Maureen Weckerly M.S., CCC-SLP, ASDCS, ECDCS is the owner/co-founder of Empower Speech, LLC. Maureen brings 20 years of clinical experience and knowledge from the healthcare and rehabilitation industry. Throughout her career journey, she has worked in the following settings: outpatient, skilled nursing, acute care, home health, inpatient rehabilitation, and school settings. Maureen’s focus has been swallowing and cognitive/communication rehabilitation of the adult through geriatric population. Maureen has also gained experience in clinical instruction as an adjunct professor at PennWest University of Clarion PA for 9 years. Maureen taught the Speech Disorders and Dysphagia courses as well as provided clinical supervision to graduate clinicians throughout their on-site/off-site clinical practice courses. Currently, Maureen’s passion is to specialize in cognitive treatment and maintenance of individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment through advanced Dementia. She has developed a cognitive program that includes caregiver training to not only improve the life of her clients, but to also assist the caregiver in management strategies throughout each stage of the progressive neurodegenerative disease.
Maureen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders in 2002 from Clarion University of PA and a Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology in 2003 from Clarion University of PA. She continues to expand her knowledge and has earned her 3rd ASHA ACE award by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Continuing Education Board in recognition of exceptional commitment to lifelong learning in the field of Speech Language Pathology. Maureen is an Evergreen Certified Dementia Care Specialist and a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist. She is currently enrolled in a Medical Speech Language Pathologist certification program to further specialize in the medical role of the SLP.
Maureen was born and raised in western PA and enjoys spending time with her family. She has personal experience as a caregiver to her son with Autism, which has sparked her passion to include caregivers of family members caring for their loved ones experiencing cognitive decline/Dementia into her cognitive program. Maureen’s goals are to improve the lives of her clients and their families through education, training, and development of a client centered maintenance program that will enable the highest potential for living their best life.
-
Leslie Vlcek, MA CCC-SLP, ASDCS
Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist
-
Maura Walker, MS CCC-SLP
Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist
