OUR TEAM

Melanie Johnston, SLP

In college, at Texas Christian University, Melanie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology. After graduating she went on to earn an MA in Early Childhood Intervention and Special Education from the University of Texas. Melanie now has over 30 years of experience not only as an SLP but as an Autism/Behavior Specialist in public schools, private practice and collaborations with other agencies and service providers. In 1983 she co-founded The Bynum School (originally known as Developmental Disabilities Center) in Midland, Texas. In the 1980’s Melanie was given the opportunity to work directly under Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas providing what is now known as ABA Therapy.

Laura Rhodes

Business Manager

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Haley Devore Smith, M.S., CF-SLP

Haley started at Brite Success as a student clinician during a clinical rotation and found her passion working with children and adults with developmental disabilities. She is passionate about giving every individual the voice they deserve and getting clients to their fullest potential. She graduated with a BA in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Oklahoma and a MS in speech language pathology from ACU Dallas.

Laurie Wright, SLP

Laurie has more than 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in clinical, school, and in-home settings.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of North Texas in 2001 and then went on to earn a Master’s of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University in 2008. Laurie loves working with her clients and their families and believes in working collaboratively with other professionals to address each person’s unique needs comprehensively. When she isn’t working, Laurie loves being with her family and friends, reading, live music and going to the beach as much as possible. 

Lisa Milliken, MA, CCC-SLP, FNAP, CDP, RAC-CT, CADDCT

Lisa has served as a practitioner, regional manager, vice president, consultant, compliance director and education specialist. She has lectured at the state and national levels with over 400 professional continued education courses on topics of importance to healthcare professionals. She is also a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer and has mentored team members across the country in senior retirement communities on clinical programming for the past 30 years.

She is a senior SLP supervisor at Brite Success and is the owner of Milliken Healthcare Consulting, where she teaches conferences across the country. She also serves as Director of Research and Program Development for Regency Integrated Health Therapy Consulting. Lisa is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, where she serves as a state advocate for Medicare Policy for Texas, is president-elect of the Texas Speech-Language and Hearing Association (TSHA) and is a distinguished fellow of public policy for the National Academies of Practice. She is also a board member of the Kingwood-Humble Aggie Mom club and lives in Houston, Texas. 


Nicole Marquez, SLPA

Meet Nicole P. Marquez, a proficient speech and language therapist from the vibrant island of Puerto Rico. For the past 13 years, Nicole has dedicated herself to the field, initially specializing in pediatric care and subsequently shifting her focus to enriching the lives of adults. 

Her bilingual proficiency amplifies her ability to connect with diverse individuals, allowing her to bridge language barriers and facilitate effective communication. 

Rooted in Texas since 2011, Nicole’s unwavering commitment to her profession and the betterment of her clients’ lives is truly inspiring.


Merrie Rodriguez, SLPA

Merrie earned her BA In Communication Sciences and Disorders from Baylor University in 2015. She has since been working as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant in the Houston area. Merrie has experience working with all ages from preschool to adults in school, clinical and home settings.

As a Kingwood native, Merrie was thrilled to join the Brite Success team in 2020. She quickly found a passion for working with clients using AAC devices. She loves giving clients the opportunity to ‘find their voice’. 

Kyna Savage, BCBA

Kyna comes to us with over 24-years of experience working with individuals with special needs. She taught school in self-contained classrooms for 10 years before returning to the University of Houston to take additional courses to qualify as a candidate to become a BCBA. Kyna became a BCBA in 2011. Since becoming a BCBA she has spent her career working with school districts, Home and Community Service agencies, and clinics to provide support, assessments, and trainings to individuals with special needs, families, and staff.

Nanette Davis, MA, BCBA, LBA

Nanette is Board Certified Behavioral Analyst with over 25 years ABA experience including home, school, clinic, and research environments.

She earned her BCBA certification in 2022 after achieving a Masters of Special Education in the Low Incidence Disabilities and Autism program at Sam Houston University. She was a supervisor at the inception the University of Houston’s Young Autism Project in 1998 after earning a Bachelors of Science from UH in 1995.She has designed individualized programs for children, adolescents, and adults.

Her continuing goal is to teach the acquisition of new skills as well as the reduction of behaviors for clients, families, and staff in a supportive, team environment.