Leslie Maier

Leslie Maier was named President of the National Meningitis Association (NMA) in September 2018 after serving on the NMA board for 12 years. She became involved with the NMA after her son Chris, a high school senior and a star soccer player, died from meningococcal disease at age 17. Chris died the day after his first symptoms appeared. Leslie was not aware that a vaccine had just been approved that might have prevented her son’s death. Since then, Leslie has been a fierce advocate for meningitis awareness and prevention. Her accomplishments include working with the Arizona Department of Health to make Arizona the first state to mandate vaccination for 11-12-year-olds. In 2012, Leslie was selected by the CDC as Arizona’s first Immunization Champion. She has also spoken to the Arizona Board of Regents and worked with The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) – as well as the University of Arizona Health Department – to promote strong recommendations for meningitis vaccination prior to college entry. She has made numerous presentations to various health care providers and other groups, giving a face to this rare but devastating disease. As President of the NMA, Leslie is committed to carrying out its mission of increasing awareness of meningococcal disease and is proud to work with survivors and parents to spread the word about meningitis and its prevention. She resides in Tucson, Arizona.

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