Name: Theresa Williams Bethea
Leadership Charlotte (LC) Class: Class 11
Title/Company: Young Women of Promise, Inc., Founder and Executive Director; ENC Nonprofit Partners, Inc., Founder and Executive Director; Grants4Success, LLC, President/CEO
Hometown: Kinston, North Carolina
Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Current personal or leadership goals: The majority of my personal and professional goals center around youth development and mentoring initiatives for African American youth. I have made it my lifelong mission to support both female and male youth as they maneuver the maze of adolescence and adulthood. I have had the privilege of supporting numerous youths through mentoring, tutoring, enrichment and afterschool programming.
In 2001, I founded Young Women of Promise, Inc. (YWOP) with a mission to inspire and empower our young African American girls with a passion for learning. We strive for a society where young African American women and other youth are respected as powerful leaders and active community members. YWOP programs have served more than 1,500 students and provides social, academic and community service-learning activities designed to help young women find their voices and acquire skills and knowledge that will help them become productive citizens. We plan to re-launch Charlotte Young Women of Promise in 2025.
Most recently, I have become involved in capacity building for nonprofit organizations making a meaningful difference in their community. I started Grants4Success, LLC in February 2024, providing nonprofit coaching and mentoring to nonprofit leaders with a focus on new start-up nonprofit organizations. Working with my mentor, Dr. Nay M. Howell and ENC Nonprofit Partners in 2023 we created Strengthening the Foundation, a leadership development and capacity building initiative for African American nonprofit leaders in Lenoir, Greene, Pitt, and Duplin counties. This program has allowed me to draw from both my Leadership Charlotte and Focus on Leadership training experiences.
What advice would you give to current Leadership Charlotte participants? Learning is a life-long process. Try to learn all that you can; in any way that you can, so that you can make a meaningful difference in the Charlotte community. As a grant writer and nonprofit consultant, I attend at least 5 webinars or meetings each month to keep abreast of changes and trends in youth development and the nonprofit sector.
Embrace your life, service and leadership as a warrior and not a worrier. Aspire to be a leader who can not only identify the problems and needs of the community but one who is willing to help find solutions.
Seek out opportunities that foster collaboration and avoid working in silos. You can accomplish so much more while working with others towards a common goal.
What’s a lesson that you learned through LC that has stuck with you and why? I feel that Leadership Charlotte strengthened my resolve to serve others in the community. All of my leadership style surveys have identified me as a Servant Leader or Advocate.
I was very intimidated by my Leadership Charlotte experience. I worked as a secretary at Duke Power Company and remember reading a memo that was sent to my manager with information about the leadership program. I thought it would be a good experience for me, but I knew that the program was designed for management level individuals.
I applied to Leadership Charlotte as a self-employed administrative assistant and Certified Professional Secretary a couple of years later. I experienced Leadership Charlotte as an introvert and the only Black female in my class. I graduated knowing that I was expected to get involved in the Charlotte community. It took a while for me to really see myself as a leader. I was most comfortable working behind the scenes.
My leadership journey has included serving and supporting others and learning from my mentors which included Ella Butler Scarborough, Dr. Nay Howell, Dee Dee Murphy, Dr. Paula Newsome, and Shirley Johnson.
What would you like to see Leadership Charlotte alumni get involved in and why? Our Leadership Charlotte alumni can provide outstanding leadership and support to our youth because every child is a bundle of potentiality.
My professional experiences have shown me the stark differences in supporting youth in a well-funded community like Charlotte versus mentoring and supporting youth and families in rural eastern North Carolina. I believe that there will always be a need for mentors and adult allies for our youth and young professionals and that our youth can help us identify the needs in our community. Even more importantly, they can come up with creative solutions for issues that have an impact on their lives.
Favorite way to spend a weekend in Charlotte: When I visit Charlotte, I like to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. I have had the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the arts and great restaurants. I love the Charlotte Symphony concerts and have also attended theater performances including the Lion King, Rent, and Hamilton.
I am a 14-year Multiple Myeloma warrior. This past year, I attended a patient conference sponsored by the International Multiple Myeloma Foundation and the Women Thrive Conference sponsored by QCity Metro, giving me the chance to continue exploring Charlotte since relocating.
Favorite nonprofit or community organization in Charlotte and why: One of my favorite nonprofits is 100 Black Men of Greater Charlotte, Inc., where I had the privilege of serving as their first Program Director. I assisted with the design of their male mentoring program for middle school boys at Cochrane Middle School. Mentoring is the core service delivery of The 100, the largest network of African American male mentors in the nation.
I also like Million Youth March of Charlotte and Salisbury, Inc. Their mission is taking a stand against senseless violence, joining hands in peace, love, and prosperity, and uniting our youth as one. The organization was started by Mario Black, a former mentee who gives me credit for being part of the village that supported him.
I am a big fan and member of QCity Metro, an online publication that covers topics that impact Black communities in Charlotte. QCity Metro has kept me informed about programs and activities in the Charlotte metro region for over 16 years.