Tharesa Lee

Pastor Tharesa has a love and passion for leadership, community and people. Her philosophy is one of servant leadership that she models and is manifested through living, instruction, volunteerism, community building and engagement, facilitation and leadership. Pastor Tharesa’s desire is to help facilitate a new generation of servant leadership. She pastors at The Living Word Worship Center of New Bern with her husband, Jimmie of 35 years, where she is Executive Pastor and Publicist. They have six children and eleven grandchildren, two great grandchildren. She is President and CEO of President of Intentional Excellence Consulting, Tharesa Speaks!!! and mei, where she motivates, inspires, encourages and empowers.  

Tharesa Lee is the Interim Executive Director @ The Filling Station,  the past People Lead Planner/CNI Outreach Manager with the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a New Bern Housing Authority and City of New Bern partnership, where she facilitated several taskforces, built community initiatives, connected needs to community resources; facilitator and creator of CNI Grassroots Leadership Academy in partnership with NC A&T Cooperative Extension Community Voices graduating 33 community members through collaborations, engagement and partnerships; she is a retired City of New Bern employee serving in several roles at the City including, but not limited to Administrator/Executive Director of Neuse River Community Development Corporation, facilitating homeownership in the city; She’s led the city through 21 days of prayer while serving as Greater New Bern National Day of Prayer Coordinator for several years, her featured work include Women & Their Finances; The ABC’s of Collaboration, Living Beyond Time and “A Place at the Table”.   She continually and consistently serves the community in many ways, including, but not limited to 2019 New Bern Redevelopment Commission Chair, United Way of NC Board member, 2019 Chair FEMA Emergency Solutions Grant, African American Signs Committee, Swiss Bear Economic Opportunity Chair, Arts to End Genocide, CARTS board member,  Chamber of Commerce Board member, Coordinator #GivingTuesday global/local initiative etc.   Past 2016 Chamber of Commerce Chair; Chamber Nonprofit Council Chair; Chamber Minority Business Council Chair; Board member, Past United Way of Coastal Carolina President; Past CARTS Chairman; Co-founder Neuse-Trent Housing Alliance; Past Board member, Craven DSS Advisory Board; City of New Bern 300th Anniversary Co-chair Cultural committee; Past Craven Community College Scholarship Committee member; Revive 5 Economic Development Committee;  Past Chair, NBAMPO Citizens Advisory Committee. Past president of the statewide NC Housing Coalition, membership organization; NC Nonprofit Awareness Month Taskforce; Past University of Mount Olive Alumni Board of Directors, etc.  

She is a graduate of Coastal Carolina Community College, AAS; BA, University of Mount Olive College; MA, Liberty University (specialization in Marriage and Family) Duke University Certificate in Nonprofit Management, NC Rural Center Institute of Economic Development, NC Rural Center Entrepreneurship Program, graduate of the Women in Politics Institute and the NC Institute of Political Leadership;  Graduate of Craven Community College Small Business Center Entrepreneur Academy and Leadership Craven. She is also a Certified Housing Counselor and Certified Grassroots Facilitator. She has won many awards for her servant leadership style, namely, National Jefferson Award for Public Service, University of Mount Olive College Hall of Fame Award, Governor's Lifetime Achievement Award, City of New Bern Employee of the Year, MLK Outreach Committee Exemplary Leader, Chamber Nonprofit Council of the Year, to name a few.