Academy of Inclusive Practice

Maria A. Centeno-Vazquez, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, ASHA Fellow, is currently an Associate Professor and Program Director and Chair in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology Program at A. T. Still University in Arizona. She is also a Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing Disorders. She was inducted as a 2023 ASHA Fellow Awardee for her contributions to teaching, leadership, and service. Her research areas of interests focus on investigating swallowing disorders of patients with Huntington and Parkinson disease, SDOH and health literacy of hispanic clients. Clinically, she serves bilingual patients with dysphagia across the age span.

Leslie Crusco Grubler, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is Director of Clinical Education and Clinical Services at Lehman College, City University of New York, a Hispanic- and minority-serving institution in the Bronx. A speech-language pathologist, consultant, and advocate with 28 years of clinical and administrative experience, Dr. Grubler has advanced disability rights and inclusive practices through clinical service, scholarship, teaching, and policy engagement at city, state, and national levels.

Dr. Grubler currently serves as CAPCSD’s VP of Organizational Advancement, President-Elect of the New York State Speech Language Hearing Association (NYSSLHA), member of its Governmental Affairs Committee, has chaired multiple NYSSLHA Conference tracks, and represented New York on ASHA’s Advisory Council. In 2022, she earned an Ed.D. in Executive Leadership in Social Justice. Her dissertation, The Lived Educational Experiences of Student Clinicians with Non-Apparent Disabilities, is the first study of its kind in the field.
Dr. Grubler’s clinical and research interests include autism spectrum disorders, early childhood intervention, the study of student clinicians and clinicians with disabilities, preparing justice-centered clinicians, and the early weave of interprofessional education in clinical training.

Teasha McKinley currently serves as the Director of Centralized Admissions (CSDCAS), supporting the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders in managing their central application program activities. With over 20 years of cross-sector experience, Teasha brings a broad depth of experience in program coordination, operations management, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining CAPCSD, Teasha held roles in higher education administration and retail leadership, overseeing complex budgets, academic scheduling, personnel management, and strategic event planning.

Teasha lives in Indiana with her husband and two teenage boys. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, kayaking, and attending live concerts (especially Muse shows). A big fan of Chicago’s vibrant culture, Teasha also loves spending weekends in the city and cheering on the Cubs at Wrigley Field whenever possible.

Mandie began as Director of Professional Development for CAPCSD in June 2023. Her professional background includes managing meetings, events and conferences in a destination management company, nonprofit organization, city government agency, and two professional associations, in both professional and volunteer capacities.

She is a member of the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) North Florida Chapter and served on the Board of Directors for multiple years. Mandie served with other Florida chapter leaders on a statewide committee for the state's regional conference. She earned her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) professional designation through the Events Industry Council in 2014 (recertified in 2019, 2024). She is also a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

Outside work, Mandie enjoys spending time with her husband and their two teenagers. The McKenzies live in Jacksonville, FL. She loves reading, watching true crime shows, creating table settings, and cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.