Theresa Dear received her Masters of Science in Industrial Relations and Bachelors of Arts in Organizational Development from Loyola University Graduate School of Business. She is a recognized thought leader in human resources. She has been a speaker and presenter at Northwestern University's Kellogg Center for Non-Profit Management. She is also an adjunct instructor at Devry University's Graduate School of Management, where she teaches training, organizational development, and human resources. Theresa continues her education at Harvard University. Theresa is the conceptual author and weekly radio host of Let's Get to Work (www.letusget2work.com) on Saturday mornings at WVON 1690 AM (www.wvon.com). The radio show is dedicated to equipping, enabling, and encouraging people to get back to work.

Adroit in the design, implementation, and launch of human resource programs, Theresa is a recognized pioneer and champion for employee-based innovations. While Vice President of Worldwide Human Resources at SPSS Inc., she received national recognition by Working Woman's Magazine for positioning the business as one of the best "100 Companies to Work for in America." She served as Vice President of Human Resources at Verizon. She also served as Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Metropolitan Family Services, a renowned non-profit organization.

Theresa is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She serves at DuPage AME Church where she leads community expansion initiatives and serves on the board of REACH, a non-profit empowerment organization.

Theresa has a heart for helping others and giving back. She is a member of the West Towns Illinois Chapter of The Links Incorporated, where she spearheaded a project to reduce the digital divide and assisted in sending vitamins to South Africa for AIDS victims. She donates her time to Bridge Communities as a workshop facilitator for mentors. Theresa was a mentor with Big Brothers/Big Sisters for seven years. She is the Chairperson of Global Projects Help, a non-profit organization that provides counseling, resources, and support to women and children in impoverished areas around the world.

She is on the Board of Trustees at Paul Quinn College, an HBCU in Dallas, Texas. Theresa serves on several community boards including Central DuPage Hospital's Institutional Review Board. She is also active in the rebuilding and restoration of the Gulf Coast, since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Theresa Dear is a consistently visible leader in the NAACP. She was confirmed and sworn into office as a member of the National Board of Directors, in February 2005. She was unanimously re-elected in 2008 and 2010. As a national board member, she serves on several national committees and in 2006 was appointed to lead the national training initiatives for over 2,000 units in the Association. She was appointed to the search committee to select the national President and CEO, Benjamin Todd Jealous.

For her outstanding contributions and leadership, Theresa Dear has been recognized by several organizations including the Fourth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Omega Psi Phi fraternity, DuPage County Bar Association, Prevent Blindness America, and the YWCA. Theresa was also recognized by the Daily Herald and honored by the Top Ladies of Distinction. She also received the National NAACP's Benjamin L. Hooks' Keeper of the Flame award.

Theresa founded HR4NON-PROFITS after working in non-profit organizations, serving in the community and on non-profit boards, and seeing the need for innovative leadership and operational support. She wedded her professional talent with her philanthropic philosophy to create and add value to non-profit organizations.