Candidate for
Trustee; Ohlone Community College District; Area 2

Meet Teresa

Teresa grew up in a family that deeply valued education. Her mother was a music teacher and her father taught the building trades in public school. Her dad died when she was just nine years old. Raised by her mother on a teacher's salary, Teresa learned that education, hard work, and personal responsibility were the keys to success.

Teresa excelled in school. In 1985, she graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago as the first African-American female to earn a degree in Nuclear Engineering in the United States. In 1988, she completed her MBA Degree from the University of Rochester's Simon Graduate School of Business Administration.

As a result of her upbringing, Teresa has spent her career focused on education, community service, and economic development.

Teresa worked at the White House during the Clinton administration, where she coordinated White House events strengthening community relations with constituent groups, facilitated public policy briefings for Presidential business forums and organized Presidential delegations and appointments.

In 2010, Teresa was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and the United States Ambassador and Trade Representative Ron Kirk to serve during the 2010-14 charter term on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business (ITAC 11) as a representative of the U.S. computer industry sector. Teresa works with the other members of ITAC 11 to provide trade policy, technical advice, and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding trade barriers, negotiation of trade agreements, and implementation of existing trade agreements affecting small and minority business. She has represented the United States at the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

In 2012, Teresa was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson to serve as one of the California members of the U.S. District Export Council (DEC) during the 2012-2015 charter term. Ms. Cox supports numerous trade promotion activities with the U.S. Department of Commerce and foreign government officials. She assists small and medium sized businesses that are interested in exporting and helps to address international trade issues.

Teresa serves as a Trustee on the Ohlone Community College Board. Ohlone College is ranked in the Top 5 of all California Community Colleges. Teresa's top priority as a board member is ensuring that students are trained for the high tech and green jobs of the new economy. Teresa has also served on the board of the San Francisco chapter of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Stanford's Lucille Packard Children's Hospital Neonatal Advisory Board. She was the first African American Commissioner on the Economic Development Advisory Commission for the City of Fremont, and chaired this commission from 2008-2009. She has served as a member of the Fremont Delegation to China and visited the new Ohlone College in Suzhou, China.

Teresa is the proud mother of two children, a daughter and a son.