Advocate

Theresa is a national board member of the NAACP, where she has served for 14 years. She has served on and led several committees including Personnel, Veterans Affairs, Economic Development, Housing, Religious Affairs, Youth and College and Labor. She also chaired the national search committee for the President and CEO, where Cornell William Brooks was selected. Theresa also served as Vice President for the NAACP’s Illinois state conference. She served as President of the DuPage County NAACP for 8 years. During her tenure as president, she grew the unit to be the largest in the state of Illinois.  In September 2005, one month after hurricane Katrina, Theresa led a community-wide initiative with business, clergy and political leaders to collect, fill and send a 18 wheeler truck of food an supplies to the devastated area.  Theresa and a colleague from the DuPage NAACP branch spent a week in New Orleans volunteering in the clean up effort.   For the 50 year anniversary of the DuPage County NAACP, Theresa hosted a celebration near O’hare airport, with 1,800 in attendance and where songwriter and singer Oleta Adams performed. In 2007, Theresa hosted the DuPage County NAACP’s Freedom Fund dinner, where the dias was comprised of some of Illinois’ most notable leaders to include Senate Emil Jones Sr., Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, DuPage County Board Chairman, Bob Schillerstrom and the keynote speaker was Barack Hussein Obama.

She helped influence one of the largest voter turnouts in the 2008 presidential election.

As a current national board member of the NAACP, Theresa’s responsibilities and accomplishment’s include:

  • Chair of the Personnel Committee
  • Vice Chair of Religious Affairs
  • Member of the Policy and Advocacy and Labor Relations Committees
  • Liaison of the NAACP and The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints
  • Relentless Advocate of Youth.  She sponsors 20-25 youth to the NAACP’s National Convention each year.

Theresa is the former President of the West Towns IL Chapter of The Links Incorporated (www.westtownslinks.org).  She delights in partnering with some of the most talented women in the country to deliver transformational programs and services to the community.

Theresa is the immediate past Chairman of the Board at One Hope United, one of the largest children and families services agencies in Illinois. Theresa is the first African American chairman in the 123year history of this esteemed organization. Some of her accomplishments at One Hope United include increasing female diversity on the board by 50% and increasing racial diversity on the board by 35%, leading a naming initiative, implementing an annual scholarship, leading a national president and CEO search and hiring a new CEO.

Development, Housing, Religious Affairs, Youth and College and Labor. She also chaired the national search committee for the President and CEO, where Cornell William Brooks was selected. Theresa also served as Vice President for the NAACP’s Illinois state conference. She served as President of the DuPage County NAACP for 8 years. During her tenure as president, she grew the unit to be the largest in the state of Illinois.  In September 2005, one month after hurricane Katrina, Theresa led a community-wide initiative with business, clergy and political leaders to collect, fill and send a 18 wheeler truck of food an supplies to the devastated area.  Theresa and a colleague from the DuPage NAACP branch spent a week in New Orleans volunteering in the clean up effort.   For the 50 year anniversary of the DuPage County NAACP, Theresa hosted a celebration near O’hare airport, with 1,800 in attendance and where songwriter and singer Oleta Adams performed. In 2007, Theresa hosted the DuPage County NAACP’s Freedom Fund dinner, where the dias was comprised of some of Illinois’ most notable leaders to include Senate Emil Jones Sr., Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, DuPage County Board Chairman, Bob Schillerstrom and the keynote speaker was Barack Hussein Obama.

She helped influence one of the largest voter turnouts in the 2008 presidential election.

As a current national board member of the NAACP, Theresa’s responsibilities and accomplishment’s include:

  • Chair of the Personnel Committee
  • Vice Chair of Religious Affairs
  • Member of the Policy and Advocacy and Labor Relations Committees
  • Liaison of the NAACP and The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints
  • Relentless Advocate of Youth.  She sponsors 20-25 youth to the NAACP’s National Convention each year.

Theresa is the President of the West Towns IL Chapter of The Links Incorporated (www.westtownslinks.org).  She delights in partnering with some of the most talented women in the country to deliver transformational programs and services to the community.

Theresa is the immediate past Chairman of the Board at One Hope United, one of the largest children and families services agencies in Illinois. Theresa is the first African American chairman in the 123year history of this esteemed organization. Some of her accomplishments at One Hope United include increasing female diversity on the board by 50% and increasing racial diversity on the board by 35%, leading a naming initiative, implementing an annual scholarship, leading a national president and CEO search and hiring a new CEO.

Theresa has a consistent record of advocating for the disenfranchised, forgotten and left out.  She has worked to build relationships, coalitions, policy, funding streams and awareness for various groups, organizations, communities and families including Michael Brown (Ferguson) and LaQuan McDonald (Chicago).  She was personally impacted with the death of Sandra Bland.

Connect with Theresa