A Career of Service and Leadership

For more than two decades, Dr. Reese served students, educators, families, and communities throughout Alabama. Her career began in the classroom and gradually expanded into instructional coaching, educational technology, school administration, graduate-level instruction, and statewide educator leadership.

Her professional journey allowed her to work across elementary, middle, high school, and postsecondary settings. She taught children, supported English language learners, coached teachers, guided instructional improvement, coordinated school technology and testing programs, and served as an assistant principal. She later prepared aspiring school leaders as an adjunct professor of instructional leadership at Troy University. These experiences gave her a broad understanding of how teaching, leadership, family engagement, professional development, school culture, and public policy work together to influence student success.

Throughout her career, Dr. Reese remained focused on building stronger relationships, improving communication, supporting educators, and creating opportunities for students to thrive. She used research, assessment data, professional learning, and collaborative planning to strengthen instruction and organizational practices. Whether working with a student, mentoring an educator, supporting a family, or guiding a leadership team, she approached the work with accountability, integrity, compassion, and a commitment to equity.

Before entering public education, Dr. Reese gained experience in youth prevention services, research, writing, and consumer advocacy. Those early professional opportunities strengthened her ability to examine complex issues, communicate clearly, and develop practical solutions, skills that continued to shape her leadership throughout her career.

Her preparation for leadership also included advanced study in education, administration, public policy, political strategy, advocacy, and law. She earned degrees from Tennessee State University, Alabama State University, and The George Washington University, including a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Law and a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management.

Beyond her work in schools, Dr. Reese served educators through professional associations, leadership programs, statewide committees, and advocacy efforts. Her experience as State Secretary-Treasurer of the Alabama Education Association strengthened her commitment to educator voice, professional respect, and fair systems of support. She also completed the University of Alabama Superintendents’ Academy and pursued additional preparation in leadership coaching, behavioral analysis, communication, and organizational development.

After retiring from Birmingham City Schools in June 2026, Dr. Reese began a new chapter that allows her to combine her professional experience, personal testimony, faith, and commitment to service.

A New Chapter of Purpose

Through EMPOWER Growth, LLC, Dr. Reese works with individuals and organizations seeking stronger leadership, clearer communication, professional growth, and meaningful change. Her work includes speaking, coaching, consulting, leadership development, professional learning, youth empowerment, and strategic support.

Rather than separating her work into individual programs, Dr. Reese views each service as part of one larger mission: helping people understand their strengths, lead with greater confidence, build healthier relationships, and create environments where others feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Her work reflects the message that has guided her throughout her career—empowering leaders, inspiring growth, and transforming communities one relationship, one opportunity, and one vision at a time.

Dr. Reese is also the author of UNBROKEN: How God Turned My Pain Into Purpose, a faith-centered memoir that shares her journey through childhood adversity, family challenges, emotional pain, marriage struggles, motherhood, forgiveness, healing, restoration, and spiritual growth. The book invites readers to consider how painful experiences may shape their lives without being allowed to define their identities.

The message of UNBROKEN continues through an 8-Week Small Group Study Guide created to support deeper reflection and meaningful conversations about adversity, faith, healing, identity, forgiveness, surrender, freedom, and purpose. The guide allows readers to move through the message of the book in community through Scripture, discussion, prayer, and personal application.

Dr. Reese is currently working on Little Vee, a children’s book project inspired by her childhood experiences and her desire to encourage children while they are still learning to understand their emotions, identities, relationships, and personal worth. Through this work, she hopes to help children recognize that they are loved, valued, capable, and never without hope.

Her writing, speaking, coaching, and advocacy are connected by one central purpose: to help people transform what they have experienced into wisdom, strength, service, and meaningful action.

Dr. Reese remains committed to her faith, family, and community. She and her husband, Reginald Reese, a Chief in the United States Navy, are the proud parents of two sons and grandparents of two grandsons. Their family reflects a continuing legacy of education, military service, leadership, faith, and perseverance.

Above all, Dr. Victoria Kemp Reese is a servant leader who believes that adversity can become advocacy, experience can become wisdom, and pain can become purpose. Her story continues through every person she encourages, every leader she develops, every community she serves, and every opportunity she creates for others to grow.

A Life Shaped by Resilience

Dr. Victoria Kemp Reese, Ed.D., M.P.S., is a retired educator, author, speaker, leadership consultant, executive coach, advocate, and founder of EMPOWER Growth, LLC. Her life reflects a journey of faith, resilience, service, and the determination to turn difficult experiences into opportunities to help others.

Adopted and raised by her maternal grandparents, Dr. Reese learned early that a person’s beginning does not have to determine the course of their life. Her childhood experiences shaped her understanding of identity, belonging, family, and the importance of having supportive adults who recognize a child’s potential. Those lessons became the foundation of her commitment to education, leadership, advocacy, and community service.

Education became both her profession and her calling. She viewed each opportunity to teach, lead, mentor, and advocate as a way to help others recognize their value, find their voices, and move forward with greater confidence and purpose.