Cordelia Tullous is the executive director of community engagement for Step Up. In her role, she is responsible for identifying and developing local, regional and national community partnerships that will advance Step Up's ability to equip girls and connect women in more communities.
Before leading community engagement for Step Up, Cordelia served as the organization's executive director for its Chicago and Dallas chapters. She joined Step Up in 2016 to open the nonprofit's first new market in 10 years with the creation of Step Up's presence in Dallas.
Prior to Step Up, Cordelia was the executive director, Southeast Region, and former VP, human capital for Leading Educators. In these roles, she managed operations in New Orleans, Memphis and the expansion to Baton Rouge.
She began her career in education and nonprofit as a 2013 cohort member of the Broad Residency in Urban Education, a program that places professionals into management roles in carefully selected education organizations. During her residency, she served as the director of human resources for KIPP New Orleans Schools. She has spent a significant portion of career in the human capital arena, clerking for an employment law firm and working as a human capital consulting manager with Accenture.
Cordelia is very involved in her local community, holding membership in The Links Incorporated, Junior League, and Village Giving Circle. She also serves on the City of Irving Museum Advisory Board and is an alumna member of Leadership North Texas, Class 9.
Cordelia holds a B.A. in political science with a minor in management and organization from Spelman College and is an active member of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College. In addition, she holds a doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Houston Law Center and a masters of education in Educational Leadership from the Broad Center for the Management of School Systems.
Get to Know Cordelia
What has your mentor taught you?
Each of my mentors have played important roles throughout my personal and professional career and they continue to advise me. I appreciate having long-term relationships with my mentors. Below I will share key life lessons I've learned from each mentor:
Kathy: Kathy was my first professional mentor and helped me make pivotal post- college decisions regarding grad school or work. She helped me to see I did not have to have my full life planned out at 22 and should instead focus on each year and make decisions accordingly. She is now a Step Up mentor, and I continue to value her insight and perspective.
Deborah was my first manager at Accenture and became my career coach/sponsor. As a first year analyst, Deborah pushed me to take ownership of my pieces of the project and to not be afraid to make mistakes. She has been a tireless advocate for women throughout her career and coached and sponsored me at each promotion point during my career at Accenture.
Chastity: I first met Chastity through a shared best friend and she became an invaluable mentor as I transitioned from corporate work to education. It can be challenging coming in as a mid-career professional and sometimes unsure of the transferable skills. Chastity pushed me to pursue my goals and "make them tell me no.".
Janiece: I first met Janiece as a prospective funder and she quickly became a friend and trusted mentor. She has established a successful career in corporate philanthropy and has shared so much in a relatively short time. She is a role model in many ways and her advice is always "to show up in your own way and work to make a positive difference by inspiring others, changing systems and doing work that matters. "
What Step Up value resonates with you the most?
Stepping Up resonates with me most, as I see that the greatest value we can add as individuals is to use ourthe voice, resources and leadership we have to support and empower others. If we have a seat at the table, we need to ensure we make room for additional seats or build our own tables to ensure inclusion.
What do you enjoy most about working at Step Up?
I enjoy the opportunity to do meaningful work that aligns with my passion and interest to build a better world for the next generation. I am constantly inspired and motivated by our teens, mentors and staff to push and fighter harder for equity.
