Lesley Scearce
Panelist
Biography
Lesley Scearce is the current CEO of United Way of Greater Chattanooga. With over two decades of experience leading nonprofits, Lesley focuses on leading with the values of wellbeing, humility, vision and steadiness. Since becoming the CEO of United Way in 2015, Lesley has spearheaded several organizational changes including expanding community and business partnerships and a focus on children in financial hardship and working families to usher in an era of boldness and empathy, internally and in the region.
Lesley has served the East Tennessee community in a variety of roles, including as an adjunct professor of nonprofit management at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a featured speaker at TEDx Chattanooga, and a participant in Harvard’s Young American Leaders Program. Lesley currently serves in local leadership with Chattanooga 2.0, The Howard Fund, and the Hamilton County Mayor’s Children’s Cabinet. At the state level, she serves on the boards of Tennesseans for Quality Early Education and United Ways of Tennessee, and at the national level, she serves on the United Worldwide Network Advisory Council.
When she isn’t with her two boys or watching games on the ballfield, you’ll probably find Lesley on her front porch with her husband Daniel and their friends. True to her East Tennessee roots, she loves fly fishing and folk music.
