Prominent Northern California Executive to Oversee Leadership Assembly
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO—The board of trustees of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has appointed Terry Pearce as chairman. Pearce will serve in the leadership post of the organization’s 16-member board for one year, effective January 2008.
“Financial literacy is one of the most relevant issues of this century. NEFE has a long history of understanding and investigating behavior change with regard to money. It is an honor to be part of this continuing work,” said Pearce following his appointment.
Pearce joined the NEFE Board of Trustees in 2003. He is founder and president of Leadership Communication, a San Francisco Bay Area-based company that offers coaching and leadership programs to corporate, political and community leaders. Pearce, who has more than 20 years of international experience as a communication consultant and business executive, is a respected author and thought pioneer on leadership and communication, and is frequently called upon as an authority by television, radio and print media all across the country.
"Mr. Pearce is very well-respected, and his experience proves he is an innovator. When it comes to leadership and coaching, I cannot think of a better individual to oversee the function and role that the trustees of our board serve,” said Ted Beck, president and CEO of the Colorado-based National Endowment for Financial Education. “His contribution on the board over the years has been remarkable, and he has the passion, drive and deep understanding of the opportunities that exist for NEFE. His leadership is a fantastic asset for this organization.”
From 1995-2003, Pearce served as fellow and senior vice president of executive communication for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., where his work set a new standard of leadership communication. In 1996, he led a team in a year-long project that renewed and restated the company’s vision, values and strategic priorities. That work won both the Golden Quill Award from the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Compass Award from the American Association of Public Relations.
In addition to his role as chairman on the NEFE Board of Trustees, Pearce serves on the boards of the Pottruck Family Foundation, A Network for Grateful Living and Up With People. He is also the founding director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free California and former director of the Healthy Cities Project and the Institute for the Study of Social Change.
Pearce said, “We need only look to our volunteer activities to discover that we are committed to what we believe in, to the causes that create meaning in our lives.
"The next few years are going to be pivotal in all Americans’ willingness and ability to plan and execute a healthy financial future. NEFE’s emphasis on understanding and instigating behavior change is inspiring progress in ordinary people, not just those with substantial resources. It’s an honor to be part of that effort,” Pearce added.
In 1995, Pearce released his first book, “Leading Out Loud, Inspiring Change Through Authentic Communication,” which was honored by Executive Summaries as one of the best 30 business books of the year. The book was later broadened and revised in a second edition in 2003. His second book was co-authored with David Pottruck, former co-CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation, in 2000. “Clicks and Mortar: Passion-Driven Growth in an Internet-Driven World” was on the best-seller lists of The New York Times, Business Week and The Wall Street Journal. Additionally as an author, Pearce has published articles in several leadership and management industry journals. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Linfield College in Oregon and a master’s degree in Mythology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute in California, where he is currently a doctoral candidate. He has served as an adjunct professor and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, and the London Business School.
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