Lisa Velella's Biography

Lisa Velella is a Bronx native, who has lived in Morris Park her entire life. Born into an Italian-Irish family, she was taught by her parents to always work hard and be a good person.

She obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees from St. Johns University and has been a speech-language pathologist since 1995, working with many populations in various settings. In the 1990s, for example, she worked at Blythedale Children’s Hospital for almost ten years, treating infants and children with complex medical diagnoses. This experience is where Lisa found her love for pediatric feeding therapy.

As a faculty member of the New York Medical College for 17 years, Lisa taught and mentored graduate students in the classroom and in the College’s speech and feeding clinic. During her time at NYMC, she participated in various research studies on autism and feeding disorders.

In 2023, she opted for a change and began working as a speech teacher in New York City Public School District 75.

Since 2022, Lisa has become more involved in community work, attending many CB11 meetings before her appointment to the Board in 2024 as a Council Member Marmorato nominee. She is a member of the Morris Park Community Association and is married with three children, who are currently in college.