MEET TERESA
HELPING GROW TOMORROW'S LEADERS TODAY
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. - (John Quincy Adams) This has been Teresa's desire for as long as she can remember.
As a young child Teresa fell in love with math and science. Teresa had dreams of becoming many different things, and though she wasn't sure of the path she would follow, she knew that math and science would play an integral role in her future. Additionally, as a teenager she had a strong desire to help others, which led her to a local children's home where she tutored students who struggled with the studies she loved the most.
Teresa went on to pursue a Biology degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, with a minor in Chemistry and Psychology. As a student looking for ways to pay her way through college, she taught chemistry labs for extra money.
After graduation, Teresa followed her military husband to Wichita Falls, TX, where she landed a job as a Chemistry Lab Coordinator at Midwestern State University. Here she was responsible for teaching the theories behind lab experiments and supervising the lab assistants, as well as giving and grading exams. Teresa would often stay after class and meet with her students to ensure they had a good grasp of the concepts, in order to help them succeed.
When Teresa's husband was transferred to Little Rock AFB, they decided to begin their family. Teresa took a three year break from working to stay home with their daughter, who is now 34 years old.
Teresa's love for math and science eventually pulled her back into the laboratory. After the first of her eleven years at an environmental testing laboratory in Montgomery, AL, she was promoted to a supervisory role, where she mentored young chemists and biologists, trained them on equipment and led them to meet high volume testing demands. Working in this chemistry laboratory ignited her desire to learn more about the field of chemistry. While continuing to work full time, Teresa attended Huntingdon College for two years, and received her degree in Chemistry. Organizational skills and problem solving abilities were key in balancing work and school, so she could fulfill her dream, while continuing to meet the company and customer expectations.
Teresa was later pursued by an environmental laboratory in RTP, where she worked for eleven years. Not wanting to live in the Raleigh area, she moved to Smithfield, NC and later the Cleveland area of Johnston County. As a supervisor, Teresa continued to mold young chemists and meet the high volume testing demands, requiring her to work very long hours. Her hard work paid off and she was eventually promoted to Lab Director, where she coordinated work from all sections, communicated with management and customers, and had numerous fiscal responsibilities.
Not long after the birth of her first grandchild , Teresa decided she was ready for a career change. She went to work, and continues to work, as a Chemistry Supervisor with the NC Department of Agriculture. Wanting to further expand her knowledge, Teresa later took on the additional responsibilities of safety officer and was certified through NC State-IES and NCDOL as a Manager of Environmental Safety and Health.
While working there, Teresa has been blessed with two more grandchildren. Having two at West View Elementary school, Teresa has seen first hand the difference that Johnston County schools can make, especially in the areas of reading. Her oldest granddaughter struggled with reading prior to attending West View, but while there she advanced three reading levels within a very short period of time. Teresa knows that these community schools with their caring and competent teachers are what is needed to grow today's children into tomorrow's leaders.
Teresa has served for eight years in leadership roles within the county political communities. In these roles, she built relationships with many School Board members, County Commissioners, and Legislators. Teresa believes these relationships will help her make a difference on the school board, as she continues to build on the collaborative spirit that the current board spent years developing. She believes this spirit will continue to play a key role in trying to meet the needs of our students, teachers and schools.