Inspirational Women April 2012: Tanesha Pittman

"I believe we all have a call and when we answer the call with a willing heart and act of faith in obedience to God we come face to face with our purpose. It is then we are given powerful direction to our destiny.”

Tanesha Pittman, Executive Director, Women's Institute for Global Leadership Benedictine University Moser College of Adult and Professional Studies

This April, as we welcome a new season of spring, The Skinless Project wanted a powerful inspirational woman that would push you to embrace your personal power and help you follow your purpose. We could not have been luckier to strike gold when we came across the powerful and driven innovator, wife and mother of four, Tanesha Pittman.

Ms. Tanesha D. H. Pittman is an educator, international inspirational speaker, spiritual life coach and budding author. She has had diverse career experiences in the fields of academia, government and corporate America for more than 15 years. Ms. Pittman is presently the Executive Director for Benedictine University’s Moser College of Adult and Professional Studies where she developed the unprecedented graduate degree program, a Master of Science in Leadership for women.  Her resume, as diverse as any is filled with accolades and awards including Who’s Who Global Leaders, Presidential Who’s Who among Business and Professional Achievers, and Who’s Who among Colleges and Universities. Her latest project, creating a Women’s Institute for Global Leadership for Benedictine University sparked our interest immensely and we were eager to bring her words of ambition and vision to you. Ms. Pittman is devoted to her family and faith. She encourages all women to use their faith and strive to move with purpose.

Ms. Pittman, you are a remarkably confident woman. Tell us the source of your confidence.

The source of my confidence is my faith in God, my savior Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit that dwells deep within in every part of my being gives me the strength that I need daily to endure life's circumstances.  I am filled with holy boldness, yet humbly growing and developing in every area of my life.

Did you have strong inspiring women throughout your childhood?

I did have strong inspiring women in my life, particularly my mother, who was a single parent for several years because my parents were separated when I was very young. I marvel at how she cared for me the best way that she knew how, mentally, physically and spiritually. Although she never finished college, she instilled faith in God and the importance of education as part of my values.  She always told me that I could do anything that I set my mind to do.  This statement speaks volume in my thoughts even today.  As a result, when naysayers don't have confidence in my abilities, I am eager to demonstrate the power within me and usually achieve the desired outcomes every time.

Tell us about your academic path.

My academic path has been quite interesting.  I began my early academic years attending a Catholic elementary school, St. Catherine St. Lucy of Sienna in Oak Park, IL.  I progressed to Oak Park River Forest High School, where I experienced a little culture shock because the elementary school population was comprised of predominantly African American students.  However, most of the teachers were Caucasian females and only a few of them were nuns.  After mastering the demographically diverse high school environment and academic studies, I was elevated to college.  I decided to attend U of I Chicago because I wanted to be close to home and preferred commuting.  I successfully completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and minor in African American Studies.  Later, I attended Keller Graduate School of Management and obtained a Master of Business Administration degree with a focus in Human Resources.  The most recent academic achievement has been completion of my doctoral studies in Higher Education and Organizational Change at Benedictine University.  As a first generation college graduate, I have intentionally created an educational legacy for my family.  My children are already being prepared for college in a Saturday College program at U of I Chicago.

What experiences in high school and undergrad helped shape who you are today?

In high school I was involved in track and field and consistently competed in high jump and shot put.  Having to jump higher and higher over a bar backward each time required a great deal of confidence.  Honestly, at that time I had confidence in my own abilities and strength, which limited my capacity to do achieve exploits in this sport.

During my first year of college, at the age of 18, I became an unwed mother.  Despite my family's embarrassment and challenging circumstances, I decided that I would complete my studies and raise for my daughter while working in a candy factory a few days a week from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. or from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  My daughter spent a grab deal of time with me on the college campus.

Additionally, I became actively involved in campus programs and leadership organizations as chairpersons etc., as well, being elected for assembly member of student government as an independent.  This was a very rewarding and exciting campaign period because I was not on a slate like all of the other opponents.

Tell us about your current Project: The Global Women Leaders Program

The mission of the Women’s Institute for Global Leadership is to provide women around the world access to unparalleled educational and professional leadership opportunities to grow, advance, and lead globally. Raise consciousness of the significant contributions women have made in society on an international level and future global efforts

In a nutshell, the Purpose of the Institute :

How and why did you conceive of such an idea?

I began pioneering the Women's Institute for Global Leadership at Benedictine University because of the immediate success of the Master of Science degree in Leadership program that I developed with a team of noted educators and business professionals.  Most importantly, after having international experiences I recognized the need to do so.

Please elaborate, you have traveled recently abroad - what did you learn about other women globally?

I traveled abroad to Kenya, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Oxford in 2009 and 2010.  During these travels and my interactions with the women in these respective areas I learned that there are unique cultural differences.  However, many of the social ills are the same, like oppression of women.  One of the most moving experiences while traveling was when a women from Kenya tugged on me, while holding beautiful baby on her back, and said she wanted to get an education.  She had no idea that I worked in higher education.

What have your travels taught you about yourself?

My travels have taught me that I have a genuine heart to serve people, especially those who are oppressed and mistreated/misrepresented.  It has caused me to recognize and devise strategy on how to tackle the social injustices against the poor, women and children, as well as people of color.  Furthermore, it has taught me that traveling and experiencing others parts of the world is a must, that includes embracing, developing and including people of other cultures.

You are a strong person of faith. What role does faith play in your work?

As a woman rooted in faith I have an increased capacity to innovate, develop and impact the lives of others in my work.  God is basically in everything I do, including the way I communicate.  Some people might call me a Jesus freak and I am ok with that because I have an amazing relationship with God! It is beautiful to experience how people recognize my life lived out for God.

You are also a mom to four daughters. How do you balance your daily life?

As a mother of four daughters I am constantly weighing where I am with my family, career etc.  There are many times that I needed to make improvements so to better meet the need of my children.  I have begun to realize more than ever that I need to cut out those things that I have allowed in my life that are not meaningful and capitalize too much on my time.  In many occasions, it has helped to decline invitations to events and meetings as needed.

What advice would you give to other women who are challenged in striking a balance?

I would encourage other women to evaluate how their time is spent.  A strategy that I use is being more intentional about my commitments or even limited involvement in activities/organizations etc.  Also it is imperative that we assess the value of various organizations, activities and events to determine how they fit into God's plans and purpose for our lives.  This should be done regularly to remove any spiritual and organizational clutter.

What do you wish for your daughters and their future?

I pray that my daughters have increased wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment as leaders of our global society.  I expect my daughters to value their God given gifts and use their gifts and talents to glorify God while serving the people God has called them to serve and lead.  I declare victory in their lives.

What key values do you wish to instill in your daughters?

I have instilled the importance of living their life as a devout Christian, as well as valuing, embracing, developing, serving and encouraging others.  I expect them to  embody Tenacity, Humility, Resilience, Innovation, Vision, and Expansion - I call this a recipe comprised of some of the key ingredients needed to T.H.R.I.V.E. and lead by example.

What advice would you give women looking for purpose and direction in their life?

The advice that I would give women looking for purpose and direction in their lives would be to genuinely surrender to God's plans and purpose.  This means give God all of you with a sincere heart and no personal agenda. In this place of surrender one must realize that their purpose in this earth is not just about them being here to accomplishment things; there is a much more fulfilling purpose.  I believe we all have a call and when we answer the call with a willing heart and act of faith in obedience to God we come face to face with our purpose. It is then we are given powerful direction to our destiny.   Since I surrendered my life to God in 2008 my life has been supernaturally full of purpose and direction, while still facing many obstacles.  Yet, I don't know the full plan but I always have a glimpse of what's to come.  Glory to God!

To learn more about Ms. Pittman’s work and are interested in her Womens Global Leadership Program including its history and purpose,  please visit the following links