Michele Lawrence

For over three decades, distinguished community and business leader Michele Lawrence has demonstrated leadership, professionalism, and temperament. Her life’s achievements are a testament to her purpose.

Michele currently serves as the Head of Community and Business Development for twenty-five states at Chase Bank. driving change and delivering on the commitment of bridging the financial gap in underserved and underbanked communities. She is also. The Senior Pastor of Grace and Mercy Temple helping people unlock their gift, walk in their calling and speak with authority. 

Michele’s extensive experience comes from a twenty-eight years’ retirement from Wells Fargo. She retired in 2017 as the Area President and the Senior Vice President for the Philadelphia Retail market. The Philadelphia market includes leading a team of over 500 employees, $2.5 billion in deposits, and $1 billion in loans. Through this position, she has served Philadelphia and its surrounding counties by educating, mentoring individuals and neglected communities on financial literacy and economic empowerment. 

January 2017 marked a new journey for Michele, which charted a path of confidence and courage. A step out into the deep, some may say, where she decided to take her background expertise in financial literacy, economic empowerment and counseling to new heights. MicheleSpeaks LLC., is a newly formed business that uniquely tailors a plan designed to showcase a persons’ gifts and promotes their services. Through MicheleSpeaks LLC., workshops, boot camps, conferences and empowerment seminars are created to allow individuals to seek their true calling or master their gift.

In early 2011, Michele launched the Saving Our Boys Leadership Development Institute – the mission of which is to prepare young men in grades 5 through 12 for success beyond high school by building character, developing leadership skills and instilling a sense of social responsibility. This is a continuous program with each new cohort of young men being actively mentored by the former, which creates a ‘my brother’s keeper’ relationship.

Michele leads by example and serves on the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation board. She has also served on the board for  BigBrothersBigSisters, and the Urban League of Philadelphia. Lawrence also served on the board of ACHIEVEability, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by helping low-income, single parent and homeless families to achieve self-sufficiency; and Impact Charities, a public non-profit agency working to provide youth and families with programs of a diverse nature to enhance the growth and development of a stable community. In addition, she served on the School District of Philadelphia’s Renaissance Advisory Board, whose primary responsibility was to create the strategic planning process that ultimately transformed non-performing schools to performing schools. Lawrence was also a member of the Urban Financial Services Coalition (USFC), which works to foster interest and expansion of the numbers of minorities in financial services, increase the understanding and use of financial services in low-income communities, enhance scholarship programs for minority youth in pursuit of financial service careers, and cultivate a premiere job bank of experienced minority professionals in the financial services industry.

Michele has been recognized by The Philadelphia Tribune Most influential leaders in Philadelphia  Banking Financial Leader 2019, Philadelphia Business Journal Most 100 Influential Leaders 2018, SmartCeo Money Manager of the Year 2015, Operation Understanding Community Leader of the Year 2014, The Network Journal as one of ’25 Most Influential Women in Business’ for 2012; received a Community Service Citation from Philadelphia Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. in 2011; and recognized as a Woman on the Move by the Philadelphia Tribune and as one of the 25 Women of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2010.