Neese began her career as a secretary and office manager. In 1975, she launched her own business, Terry Neese Personnel Service, which has helped over 34,000 people in Oklahoma get jobs.[5][6] In 2000, she then passed the company to her daughter, Kim Neese-Brown.[6][7]
The impact of Neese's career then took off as she created and led multiple organizations around the world. She co-founded GrassRoots Impact, Inc.[8] with Democratic National Committee member Barbara Kasoff.[9][10] GrassRoots Impact provides a communications strategy for corporations and government agencies to effectively reach out to women and minorities in business.[11] In 1986, she founded a charity called Oklahomans Helping Oklahomans.[12] The next year, she was named a co-chair for Business Partners Inc. in Oklahoma.[13]
Neese is a co-founder of WIPP — Women Impacting Public Policy — which was created in 2001.[14] WIPP currently has over 600,000 members and works to advocate for women in business.[5]
Neese currently serves as the founder and CEO of IEEW.org, the Institute for Educating and Empowering Women All Around the World,[15] which is a business education training and mentorship program for women around the world, most notably in Afghanistan & Rwanda.[16]
In 2001, she created the Terry Neese Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, which is an SBA Women's Business Center. She served as chairwoman of the board.
Neese had claimed "Native American (Cherokee) Heritage" membership in the Cherokee Nation. This led to her being appointed by President George H. W. Bush in the 1990s to be a Commissioner to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, whose members must be Native American. She was reappointed to this Council in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. Similarly, President George W. Bush nominated Neese to lead the U.S. Mint in 2005 at least partly because of her claim to have roots in the Cherokee Indian Community. In an article published at the time (of President George W. Bush), Neese stated that "her roots to the Cherokee Indian Community run deep". A 2020 investigation by KFOR later found Neese to have no membership in the Cherokee tribe.[22]
In 2005, Neese was requested to decline a government appointment from President Bush after training tapes had been uncovered in which she instructed her employees to lie and use unethical behavior. At the time, Neese — who had been a large Bush fundraiser — claimed she was declining her appointment as Director of the U.S. Mint for family reasons; the allegation of impropriety was not made until 2019.[23] Neese said the tapes were doctored.[24][25]
Awards and nominations
Neese was inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame, sponsored by Enterprising Women, in 2004.[26] In 2013, she earned their Enterprising Women Legacy Award.[27]
In 2006, Neese was named an Outstanding Business Leader by the Northwood University Board of Trustees and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the university in 2008.
In 2017, Neese was among 24 leaders from the United States and around the globe who were recognized at the 21st annual Global Goddess Artemis Award ceremony (given annually by the Euro-American Women's Council) at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. Neese was recognized and honored as a leader, innovator and visionary for impacting and supporting women.[28]
In 2018, Neese was honored as one of 100 Oklahoma Women Trailblazers,[29] by the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Oklahoma women winning the right to vote.
Other notable accolades include NAWBO's Lifetime Achievement Award.[30]
^ abcdNykolaiszyn, Juliana (August 23, 2007). "Oral History Interview with Terry Neese". Inductees of the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oral History Project. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
^Mock, Jennifer (July 30, 2005). "President Nominates City Businesswoman to Direct Mint". The Daily Oklahoman. Retrieved August 8, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. and "Neese". The Daily Oklahoman. July 30, 2005. Retrieved August 8, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Business People". The Daily Oklahoman. May 9, 2004. Retrieved August 8, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.