Theresa M. Pizzuto, M.S. is a collaborative leader who brings over 30 years of experience in higher education, non-profit leadership and personal and professional coaching. In addition to her work with Chrysalis Consulting, Theresa is a senior trainer with the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) Carolina Coalition leadership team, and currently supports NCBI campus team leaders at Presbyterian College and Wofford College. She also provides professional coaching and consulting services related to social justice, conflict resolution and inclusive leadership, utilizing the lens of privilege.

With degrees in biology, ecology, and ethology, as well as human psychology from University of Illinois-Urbana, Theresa first served at Clemson University as a research associate in entomology before serving as the Director of Diversity Education Programs for the Gantt Intercultural Center.  She led several major diversity education teams and initiatives (Safe Zone, NCBI, and One World Project) and served as the diversity partner on the CUPD diversity ad hoc committee.  She also co-created and directed the “One Clemson: Yours, Mine and Ours” program that provided all incoming freshmen and transfer students with a common first-year experience related to respect and diversity.

Theresa served as a member of the Executive Team for the NCBI Clemson University affiliate for 11 years and served as the Team Leader for 4 years. She has served on the NCBI Carolina Coalition leadership team since 2007 and as a co-facilitator for the annual Train-the-Trainer since 2017. She also serves on the NCBI National campus leaders support team and Diversity Leadership Institute leadership support team. She has co-led NCBI Leadership training for the Carolina Coalition, Appalachian State, Furman University, Presbyterian College, and Charleston YWCA.

She has also conducted intercultural communication training for various university and non-university classes and organizations. After retiring from CU in 2010, she co-founded It’s Our Privilege!, a diversity consulting firm utilizing the lens of privilege and focused on inspiring inclusive leadership through workshops, training sessions, coaching and strategic planning. She also worked 6 years as the Director of Religious Exploration at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clemson. She is a 2004 graduate of the Co-Active Leadership Program offered through The Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) in CA and received conflict resolution and meditation training through The Mediation Center in Asheville, NC.

Theresa currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Clemson Pledge to End Racism, an interfaith initiative in the Clemson, SC area that began in February 2019 and also serves on the planning team for Let’s Talk Race Clemson, a volunteer group dedicated to providing opportunities for community members to come together to discuss racism and its impact.

In addition, she teaches international folk dance and line dance, and enjoys most forms of social dance. She has led play workshops, creative conflict resolution workshops, vision board sessions, and women’s spirituality and creativity gatherings. She has a love for volunteer service and is the General Manager of a local, all-volunteer health food co-op, and serves as the planning committee co-chair for the annual Moondance contra dance weekend held in the upstate of SC.