Mighty Manager- San Antonio Native Overcame Obstacles to Pursue Career

Leslie Moreno, Office Manager of the 7 to 7 Dental & Orthodontics Stone Oak location at the crossroads of Stone Oak Parkway and Evans Road, personifies perseverance. Just a year after joining the locally owned and operated practice, the determined professional began leading at Stone Oak. 

A native of San Antonio, Leslie graduated from Brackenridge High School and married. She followed her husband’s military career for 10 years while raising their children. Shortly after delivering her son, Leslie discovered early-stage ovarian cancer. Despite health challenges, Leslie agreed to raise the son of a distant family member who had been placed in foster care. Before a family can adopt a child — even a relative — they must be licensed by the state in which they reside. Her husband was re-stationed three times, requiring Leslie to start the certification anew in each state. Xavier finally was allowed to join the family. Now 13, Xavier and her biological son are only eight months apart in age. 

Eventually her husband’s continual deployments became overwhelming, and Leslie and the kids moved back home. Her grandmother who raised her also was ill, and Leslie wanted to be close to support her in her last years. 

"I was given away at birth to my grandmother (as my birth mother didn't want kids); part of the reason why I adopted my son; I knew what it was like to be given away. My grandmother was both my mom and grandmother. She sadly lost her battle to both dementia and Alzheimer’s three years ago. She is honestly the reason why I am the mom I am today, why I went to school, heck, the reason why I can cook a darn meal.” 

As a single mom, Leslie remembered the professional classes in which she had excelled in high school. She bought a house and attended college at night, earning a degree in Psychology from Incarnate Word University. “I’m a strong survivor,” she said. “I want to show my kids anybody can do anything.” 

Leslie joined the 7 to 7 Dental family in June of 2019 as a treatment coordinator at the Braun location, where she enjoyed relating to patients. “I’m a people person, and making that personal connection has always been my thing,” she said. “The elderly patients especially remind me of my ‘mom’.” 

She’ll never forget the day Co-Owner Justin Coke asked her to consider becoming a manager at Stone Oak. “My daughter was in getting braces that day,” she said. “I was surprised!” 7to7 Dental remains committed to promoting from within. Senior management had noticed Leslie’s customer-service focus and work ethic, and they knew she’d be a fit for the Stone Oak team. 

“I love a challenge and a new opportunity,” she said. “We don’t want to be just an average office. We care about every single patient who comes in. We want people to want to come back.” 

To celebrate 7 to 7 Dental’s 13th birthday, the office used its social medial platforms to provide patients with electronic toothbrushes, tumblers, Ring doorbells and Ray Ban glasses. “We wanted to thank patients for being part of our family for 13 years,” Leslie said. “We have an amazing team, an amazing company. Justin and Co-Owner Tiffany Winburn, D.M.D., treat us like we are family.” 

Leslie was grateful for the support of her 7 to 7 Dental family when she lost her “mom.” She stays busy with her children during time off. Leslies birth mother is alive. 

7 to 7 Dental is a local business, grown in 13 years from the practice of one dentist and 6 staff members, which now employees 220 San Antonio families. Dr. Winburn and Justin Coke live in Stone Oak with their families and are very involved in community activities.