Maureen Reese was born in Norfolk, Nebraska, but spent most of her childhood in Prairie Village, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb. Upon graduation from Shawnee Mission East, Maureen attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where she earned her undergraduate degree with teaching certifications in Spanish and earth science.

After two years of teaching 8th-grade earth science, Maureen returned to Trinity and earned her M.Ed. in the areas of educational diagnostics and special education. She worked as a teaching assistant for the head of the Special Education department during her time at Trinity.

After about five years with the San Antonio Independent School District, working in a private children’s psychiatric hospital, and serving as the educational diagnostician at the San Antonio State Hospital adolescent unit, Maureen started a private practice with a local speech pathologist. The clinic provided testing services and tutoring to private institutions and families. After seven years of successful practice, Maureen moved to Telluride in 1989 with her husband. She worked as a special education teacher in the Telluride School District for 19 years, serving students from preschool to 12th grade until her retirement in 2009. Maureen has worked as a consultant, occupational therapist, and psychometrician since her retirement.