So he returned to the Dallas area and began working as an assistant to the Dean of Northlake College. After about a year and a half he had an offer to be the Manager of Mortgage Servicing at Habitat for Humanity, and now services 1,400 home loans in Texas. His goal is to see that every Habitat for Humanity homeowner can keep their home, even if their income changes. “Our goal is to break the cycle of poverty, and to avoid foreclosure on any homeowner.”

His company asked him to get involved with Leadership Southwest, a year-long program for the southern Dallas area, which trains local businessmen and women how to work to make their city a better place to live. One Wednesday each month for the past year Reese took off from work for a full day of training, and in between these days he attended City Council meetings and different events to get a wide perspective on what it takes to make a city run smoothly.

Graduates of the program consist of a Who’s Who in local government: Senator Royce West graduated from the program in 2003. Cedar Hill’s Mayor, Rob Frank, DeSoto Mayor, Bobby Waddle, Marcus Knight, Mayor of Lancaster, and Dr. John Price, President of the University of North Texas at Dallas are all graduates of the program.

Reese has been elected as Leadership Southwest’s president for 2015, the youngest in its history.

Leadership Southwest is a cooperative effort sponsored by the Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Lancaster, and Oak Cliff Chambers of Commerce and started in 1985 with 23 participants. In its twenty-three years of existence, over 800 community residents and business leaders have graduated through the program and a vast majority of those alumni serve on city councils, and sit on boards of local chambers, schools, hospitals, economic development, and planning and zoning committees as well as having sought service through elected offices.

Participants can expect to receive in-depth exposure to critical issues facing the community in which they live and work as well as instruction from high-profile community and business leaders on topics such as communication, education, law enforcement, the Arts, health and human services, government, economic development, transportation and quality of life. Participants are given the opportunity to meet leaders from the city, state and regional levels through guest speakers, discussion groups, and on-site visits. “Emphasis Days” stress the following: Communication, Education, Justice/Law Enforcement, Government, Health and Human Services, the Arts, Economic Development, Transportation, and Quality of Life.

Participants are concerned about community issues, interested in committing time and energy to community involvement, seeking personal growth opportunities, and the balanced and steady development of Southwest Dallas. All participants must live or work in Southwest Dallas.

Reese grew up in Oak Cliff and now lives in DeSoto with his wife, Madelyn, a chef who teaches culinary arts at Skyline High School. It seems fitting that the two met at a family dinner hosted by Reese’s Aunt Theda Redwine. “She had been trying to get us to meet for years, and when it finally happened, we hit it right off.”

Madelyn agrees, saying: “We had three dates the first week we met, and a year and a half later were engaged.” A graduate of the University of Tennessee, she is also very committed to making southern Dallas a better place to live. She’s a member of the Junior League, where she volunteers many hours. “I love the mission of the league,” she explains.

“I think she’s busier than I am,” Reese said proudly.

The two made time to stop by Bishop Dunne last week and attended the 2014 Graduation at SMU on Friday evening.

For more information on Leadership Southwest, go here.