She moved to Nelson in about 1997, her family having connections in the area, with her parents owning property on Arapaoa Island in the Marlborough Sounds.

[13] [14] In 2018 Reese was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Club of Nelson for her contribution as a community leader.

[16] October 2019 Reese won her third term as Mayor against a crowded field of contenders including former Nelson MP Mel Courtney and current councillors Bill Dahlberg and Tim Skinner.

[19] In 2019 she was the first New Zealander to be awarded a Vital Voices international fellowship, a programme supporting outstanding women political leaders.

Founded by former US Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright, Vital Voices is part of a United States-based programme to increase the capacity, decision-making power and effectiveness of women leaders in public life.