STAFF

Lee Rech, Executive Director, interim

Lee was hired by the All Ears! BOD to serve as interim Executive Director in February, 2019. Prior to taking on this position, she was a founding member of the All Ears! Board of Directors in 2014 and served as Board Chair for the organization for nearly 5 years.

Lee received her B.A., with Distinction, from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her J.D. from South Texas College of Law in Houston, where she participated on Law Review. After graduation, Lee practiced in the field of medical malpractice defense with the boutique firm of Hanen, Alexander, Johnson & Spalding in Houston. Following ten years as a stay at home mom after the birth of her daughter, Lee returned to the practice of law in 2008 as a Special Prosecutor. In 2009, she was elevated to Chief of the Civil Division, Special Prosecution Unit of Texas, managing the busy office of 8 attorneys, paralegals, investigators and clerical staff, until 2013, when she chose to once again leave the work force to stay at home through her daughter’s high school years.

Lee has been personally committed to the mission of teaching deaf children how to listen and talk, and of creating awareness of the listening and spoken language option, since her daughter was born profoundly deaf in 1997. With early diagnosis, appropriate amplification and aggressive AVT, Anna was mainstreamed into a hearing pre-school before she turned 3 years old, was an honor student throughout her large public high school years, and is now a confident and independent college student at University of Houston, who never misses an opportunity to talk. About anything! As Executive Director, Lee and the highly qualified staff of All Ears! are dedicated to duplicating the model that worked for Anna to ensure All Ears! children have the best chances for spoken language, literacy and independence.

Since Anna’s birth, Lee and her husband, Steve have been active advocates for educational and social issues impacting children who are deaf and hard of hearing. She served on the board of directors of the Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, 2014-2018. Together, she and her husband, Steve, were named 2014 Honorees of Houston’s Center for Hearing and Speech and served as Gala Chairs in 2008. Lee is also a past member of the board of directors of the Houston Ear Research Foundation.

…………………………………………….

Rosie Hirschfeld, Lead Teacher

rosie.hirschfeld@allearscenter.org

Rosie Hirschfeld, MS was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education she went back to her alma mater, Fontbonne University, for a master’s degree in Early Intervention in Deaf Education. Upon graduation, Rosie moved to Wyoming where she worked in the public school as an itinerant teacher of the deaf for grades K-12. In 2013, Rosie moved to Houston to be near family and began working at the Center for Hearing and Speech as a preschool teacher for the Melinda Webb School. She is actively pursuing her LSLS AvED certification under mentorship from the University of North Carolina and is excited to share her love of learning as well as listening and spoken language expertise with the families of All Ears!

…………………………………………….

Laura Beattie, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Mentee

laura.beattie@allearscenter.org

Laura received a bachelor’s degree in Communicative Disorders with a minor in Early Childhood Development from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She then received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University, where she completed a specialty track in Pediatric Hearing Loss.

Laura has received training in early language intervention and parent coaching through the Hanen Centre’s It Takes Two to Talk program, and she is a member and certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is currently pursuing LSLS Auditory Verbal Therapy certification and is excited to be working with the children and families at All Ears!

…………………………………………….

Danielle Orrock, SLP, AVT Mentee

danielle.orrock@allearscenter.org

Danielle Orrock joined All Ears! in July 2020 as a Speech-Language Pathologist, LSL Auditory-Verbal Mentee. Danielle received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Brigham Young University and completed her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at Utah State University with an emphasis in Listening and Spoken Language in May 2019. She’s a credentialed early interventionist, coming to All Ears! after gaining valuable experience at Kids Who Count Early Intervention Program while working with children 0-3 Years old. Danielle loves working with children and their families, watching them progress and grow. She is proud to be a part of a program and a mission that empowers families by helping them achieve their Listening and Spoken language goals. When she’s not teaching children how to listen and speak, Danielle loves to be active and outside. She has competed in several triathlons, half-marathons, and Ragnar races with friends and family. She comes from a family of six in Utah and adores a smaller member of her family, her Shih Tzu/Maltese mix.

…………………………………………….

Kittie Sorrells, Teaching Assistant

kittie.sorrells@allearscenter.org

Kittie received a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in Communications and another degree from Texas A&M in Curriculum and Instruction. She is certified in Special Education, Speech, Reading, Gifted and Talented, as well as English as a Second Language. She is retired from the public school system where she taught for 30 years. Her teaching experience included teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. She is excited about working with students at All Ears! Listening and Language Center because she knows firsthand what early intervention can do to create a successful student. One of her sons experienced hearing loss at a young age and has since thrived in both high school and college.

…………………………………………….

Jannie Tomz, Teaching Assistant

jannie.tomz@allearscenter.org

Jannie received an Associate of Applied Science in Human Service with LCDC and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, emphasis in Psychology, from University of Houston Downtown. She is currently working towards her Master’s degree in Education at the University of Houston Downtown.

Jannie has experience in creating curriculum, implementation and teaching preschool programs. Previously, she worked as a social worker for people with disabilities. She possesses a passion to teach, encourage and support her students and their parents. She enjoys working with children and their families to develop listening and language skills through the art of loose parts, music, and science projects.

…………………………………………….

Kim Erbele, Office Administrator

kim.erbele@allearscenter.org

Kim got her BS in Early Childhood Education from Texas A&M University. She married her high school sweetheart, Garrett, in 2004, and taught first grade for five years before becoming a mom. Kim has twin boys, Blake and Jack, and daughter Kate. She spends much of her time volunteering at their school. Kim is very involved in PTO and has run the school’s Santa’s Secret Shop for 3 years. She was the chair of Christmas Dessert and Worship at TWUMC for multiple years. Kim was a member of the talented volunteer team that created our signature Toast & Taste Gala, and has been a loyal and valuable volunteer with the annual event every year since. Kim has a unique understanding of All Ears!’ mission seeing firsthand the impact of hearing loss on the family of her dear friend. She’s very excited to join the All Ears! Team.