Terri James
Dr. Terri James is an experienced educator, human resources professional, and leadership scholar based in the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. She currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Regent University, where she supports doctoral students in their academic and professional development. With advanced doctoral training in organizational management and human resource management, she brings a strong foundation in leadership, workforce development, and higher education to her teaching and consulting work.
Dr. James spent more than two decades building a distinguished career in human resources, including over ten years as an HR Manager at Lowe’s Home Improvement. In that role, she led recruitment, training and development, employee relations, compliance, and organizational change initiatives within a large-scale retail environment. Her career also reflects a lifelong commitment to continuous education, having pursued multiple doctoral programs and professional certifications focused on leadership, diversity, equity, and organizational effectiveness.
Beyond her academic and corporate experience, Dr. James is deeply engaged in mentorship, community service, and faith-based leadership. She supports doctoral candidates through dissertation coaching, facilitates support groups for military spouses and caregivers, and contributes to professional HR organizations such as SHRM. Grounded in resilience and service, she is currently developing Divine HR Consulting, a venture aimed at helping organizations and ministries build strong systems, leadership structures, and people-centered workplace cultures.
• John Maxwell Certified Trainer
• Licensed Chaplain
• Diversity & Inclusion Professional Program Certifying Understanding of ISO-30415:2021
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate
• Walden University- Ph.D.
• Capella University- Ph.D.
• Troy University- M.S.
• Sullivan College of Technology and Design- B.S.
• Vice President of Triangle Society for Human Resources (T-SHRM) local chapter
• Military Wives Caregiver Support Group facilitator
• Monthly facilitator for military wives caregiver support group
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith in God and His plan for my life. I came from the cotton fields and tobacco fields - raised by a single mom - and God saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. I can tell people that God took me from the cotton field to a PhD, and who would have thought that? This wasn't even my dream - I just needed a job. But He had bigger plans. My journey had hiccups, failures, discouragement, and disbelief along the way. I even failed one PhD program and had to start another. But my faith in God never withered. He always told me I could do it, that He would guide me, and He stayed with me even when I failed. I didn't believe in myself, but I believed Him, because I know He doesn't lie. What I love most about my work is that God has allowed me to have some sort of impact or influence on others. I can stand in front of people and tell them not to look at their circumstances now, but to think about where God is going to take you, because nobody defines your destiny but Him. I had no idea what my destiny was going to be or how I was going to get from there to here. Everybody has a story, everybody has a journey, and my journey included failures and discouragement. But He helped me through it all.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would first tell them to believe in themselves. You may not start out at the top when you come out of school, but get your foot in the door in any position you can. I did internships and volunteered even when I didn't get paid - a lot of people won't do that these days, but I did. You can set yourself high, but at the same time, whatever position you get, learn from that and go in with an open mind to learn everything you can learn. Don't go in saying 'well, that's not my job.' No, go in and learn everything that you can learn. When you're on your job and they're asking for volunteers for specific projects, do it! Because that's experience. You never know where it's going to lead you - it could lead you to your next job, your next position, or the next promotion you're looking for. Have an open mind to learn.