Chiquitta Williams Lesene, MS, I/O Psy, NCRT
Chiquitta Williams Lesene, MS, I/O Psy, NCRT
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Chiquitta W. Lesene is the visionary Founder and CEO of Shackle Free Community Outreach Agency, Inc., President of Free University (FreeU), and owner of The Shackle Free Buzz, LLC. The Chinquapin, NC native is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with a graduate degree from Grand Canyon University, where she specialized in what she calls “the psychology of people working together.” She also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in human services from Fayetteville State University.
A trauma‑informed strategist and community builder, she leads with a rare blend of operational rigor, deep empathy, and lived experience. Her work spans digital equity, civic engagement, health and wellness, and family stabilization across rural Eastern North Carolina.
A champion for marginalized communities, Chiquitta has built scalable programs that remove barriers, expand access, and empower families to thrive. She is also a licensed real estate agent, helping first‑time buyers—especially those who never believed homeownership was possible—achieve generational dreams.
Grounded in faith, purpose, and service, Chiquitta is known for transforming systems, nurturing leaders, and creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and capable of shaping their future. Her leadership continues to inspire communities to rise, rebuild, and live shackle‑free.
A respected subject matter expert and professional trainer in the area of poverty, Ms. Lesene brings both personal experience and professional expertise to her lifelong commitment to service. Her approach is deeply shaped by her faith and her modest, spiritual upbringing—foundations she credits for her unwavering dedication to community, equity, and empowerment.
Ms. Lesene has a more than twenty-year tenure as a grant writer, developer, and administrator acquiring more that 30 million dollars in federal projects funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control, and other federal and state organizations to address the foundations of poverty. She most recently added the title of grant reviewer to her professional portfolio. As the Founder/CEO/Visionary of Camp Unity Summer Enrichment Programs; she partnered with the Warsaw Police Athletic League and Duplin County Schools (Warsaw Middle) to provide tutorial, recreational, and social support to more than 100 campers (at-risk youth and their families) per day. Children flocked to the camp where seniors monitored their activity and behaviors and licensed teachers provided tutorial support. High School seniors utilized this opportunity as Camp Counselors, giving peer to peer support; all contributing to a 50 to 1 decrease in juvenile crime throughout its tenure. There is no doubt that Ms. Lesene has the rapport and ability to address the current conditions we face in the area of juvenile restoration. The reason why she fights so hard is to eliminate the bloodshed, having lost more than 30 youth under the age of 30 in the past few years due to gun violence, health, and social disparities. She is disappointed that there are very few resources provided to "the people, especially the children", the foundation for healthier communities.
She is the former Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG) Director, in service to low income, historically marginalized populations residing in Duplin, Onslow, and New Hanover Counties. She is commended for being one of the tops in her position in the State of North Carolina, serving as a mentor and trainer for new directors. She is also a National Certified ROMA (Results Oriented Management and Accountability) Trainer, focused on the psychological means to holistically rise from crisis to thriving. A staunch believer in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, she believes that our foundation must be repaired or everything that we build will be on shaky ground.
She is the former Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG) Director, in service to low income, historically marginalized populations residing in Duplin, Onslow, and New Hanover Counties. She is commended for being one of the tops in her position in the State of North Carolina, serving as a mentor and trainer for new directors. She is also a National Certified ROMA (Results Oriented Management and Accountability) Trainer, focused on the psychological means to holistically rise from crisis to thriving. A staunch believer in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, she believes that our foundation must be repaired or everything that we build will be on shaky ground.
After nine months as Case Manager, she was promoted to CSBG Director. In her role as CSBG Director, Ms. Lesene and her qualified team assisted thousands of individuals to break the shackles - to rise above poverty to self-sufficiency. Over the span of her four-year tenure, thousands of individuals were able to tell their stories once and receive counseling and mentorship to break generational curses holistically; through education, employment, better employment, employment with medical benefits, obtain/maintain standard housing/utilities, budgeting/savings/credit scores, transportation, childcare assistance, family unification, increasing their income from below to above the federal poverty guidelines.
After nine months as Case Manager, she was promoted to CSBG Director. In her role as CSBG Director, Ms. Lesene and her qualified team assisted thousands of individuals to break the shackles - to rise above poverty to self-sufficiency. Over the span of her four-year tenure, thousands of individuals were able to tell their stories once and receive counseling and mentorship to break generational curses holistically; through education, employment, better employment, employment with medical benefits, obtain/maintain standard housing/utilities, budgeting/savings/credit scores, transportation, childcare assistance, family unification, increasing their income from below to above the federal poverty guidelines.
She also used her own story to secure 1.4 million dollars for disaster funding for Duplin, Onslow, and New Hanover Counties as a result of Hurricane Florence. She is continuing to fight to ensure that those allocated funds are utilized to the extent to which she requested them; considering that her own mother and several family members residing on Hwy 41 between Wallace and Chinquapin lost EVERYTHING but their Bibles to this hurricane. She will not be pleased until the administrator of those funds is held accountable for withholding them from the communities that so desperately need them.
She also used her own story to secure 1.4 million dollars for disaster funding for Duplin, Onslow, and New Hanover Counties as a result of Hurricane Florence. She is continuing to fight to ensure that those allocated funds are utilized to the extent to which she requested them; considering that her own mother and several family members residing on Hwy 41 between Wallace and Chinquapin lost EVERYTHING but their Bibles to this hurricane. She will not be pleased until the administrator of those funds is held accountable for withholding them from the communities that so desperately need them.
Ms. Lesene is responsible for developing the grant that brought the NCCare360 platform to Eastern North Carolina. NCCARE360 is the first statewide network that unites health care and human services organizations with a shared technology that enables a coordinated, community-oriented, person-centered approach for delivering care in North Carolina. NCCARE360 helps providers electronically connect those with identified needs to community resources and allow for feedback and follow up. This solution ensures accountability for services delivered, provides a “no wrong door” approach, closes the loop on every referral made, and reports outcomes of that connection. NCCARE360 is now being utilized by local, state, and federal agencies in all 100 counties across North Carolina.
Ms. Lesene is responsible for developing the grant that brought the NCCare360 platform to Eastern North Carolina. NCCARE360 is the first statewide network that unites health care and human services organizations with a shared technology that enables a coordinated, community-oriented, person-centered approach for delivering care in North Carolina. NCCARE360 helps providers electronically connect those with identified needs to community resources and allow for feedback and follow up. This solution ensures accountability for services delivered, provides a “no wrong door” approach, closes the loop on every referral made, and reports outcomes of that connection. NCCARE360 is now being utilized by local, state, and federal agencies in all 100 counties across North Carolina.
With an initial personal investment of $50,000, Ms. Lesene co-founded and serves as Chief Executive (Experience) Officer of Shackle Free Community Outreach Agency, Inc., Ms. Lesene continues to break the shackles of poverty by providing awareness, resources, and services to residents across the state of North Carolina, primarily those residing in Duplin, Onslow, Sampson, Jones, and Pender Counties. Her unorthodox approach as a "trusted messenger" has spread throughout the community by way of The Shackle Free Buzz, the agency's primary communication tool. The Buzz highlights other "trusted messengers" such as barber and beauty shops, faith-based organizations, civic groups, and other human service providers to transmit holistic information in hard to reach, Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. The Shackle Free Buzz has more than 85 Community Health Ambassadors, the highest number in the state certified by Duke Cancer Institute - equipping them with information to help communities by educating them on cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Ms. Lesene has the ability to take little and make it make sense and cents resulting in favorable outcomes, hope, while helping others by giving them the hope she needed to fuel their dreams to reality.
With an initial personal investment of $50,000, Ms. Lesene co-founded and serves as Chief Executive (Experience) Officer of Shackle Free Community Outreach Agency, Inc., Ms. Lesene continues to break the shackles of poverty by providing awareness, resources, and services to residents across the state of North Carolina, primarily those residing in Duplin, Onslow, Sampson, Jones, and Pender Counties. Her unorthodox approach as a "trusted messenger" has spread throughout the community by way of The Shackle Free Buzz, the agency's primary communication tool. The Buzz highlights other "trusted messengers" such as barber and beauty shops, faith-based organizations, civic groups, and other human service providers to transmit holistic information in hard to reach, Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. The Shackle Free Buzz has more than 85 Community Health Ambassadors, the highest number in the state certified by Duke Cancer Institute - equipping them with information to help communities by educating them on cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Ms. Lesene has the ability to take little and make it make sense and cents resulting in favorable outcomes, hope, while helping others by giving them the hope she needed to fuel their dreams to reality.
Ms. Lesene previously served as Pilot Director for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot Program (HOP) for Medicaid expansion legislated to be in effect on December 1, 2023. The HOP is the nation's first comprehensive program to test and evaluate the impact of providing select evidenced-based, non-medical interventions related to housing, food, transportation, and interpersonal safety and toxic stress to high-needs Medicaid enrollees. Ms. Lesene's URWell(NC) Initiative at Destiny Total Healthcare was the first in the nation to place a human services organization within a medical facility to provide whole-person services in a "one stop shop" to those in need.
She believes in turning shackles into armor. At the age of 17 and on the morning after her high school graduation, Ms. Lesene became the mother of Raheim J. Phillips. Raheim is a graduate of NC A&T State University, veteran of the US Army, and Life Coach with Shackle Free's GoodDaddies Program Initiative. She is also the proud mother of Ms. Dezarae' T. Phillips, a graduate of Fayetteville State University and James Sprunt Barber College and a recent inductee in James Kenan's Hall of Fame in Girls Basketball. Dezarae' is also the Projects Coordinator for Shackle Free's Camp Unity Program and a barber. Both are Duke Certified Community Health Ambassadors. As a teen mom, Ms. Lesene has lived the experiences of many other African American women who grew up in chronically poor, historically marginalized communities. She understands, she speaks the language of poverty well; but also has the spirit and know how to holistically turn it around.
Ms. Lesene is a minority, female multiple business owner. Her strengths-based approached has helped thousands of low-income and otherwise underprivileged individuals and families to rise above the federal poverty guidelines by providing emotional, educational, employment, and access to resources. Ms. Lesene doesn't stop there. As a licensed North Carolina real estate agent, she goes above and beyond post self-sufficiency to ensure their stability by way of homeownership and property acquisition.
She is a lifelong member of St. Lewis Missionary Baptist Church, Chinquapin where District Elder Dan Smith serves as her spiritual leader. She is the daughter of the late Phil and Tishie Williams, a powerful woman of God who modeled service to God and others to inspire Chiquitta to break the shackles of poverty and live life to her fullest potential. Tishie currently manages Momma Kine's Pantry at Shackle Free's Warsaw headquarters where food, clothing, and access to services and a spirit of "hope" are provided to anyone that comes into the door.
aAShe is far from an enabler and is coined as one of the toughest - but most understanding individuals - on the front line in this War on Poverty towards population health. Ms. Lesene believes in turning shackles into armor.
Professional Licenses & Memberships:
-Licensed NC Real Estate Agent/Broker (2020 - present)
-Executive Member, Duke African American COVID Task Force (AACT+) 2021
-Board Member, Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center (2019 - 2021)
-Board Member, Duplin County Partnership for Children (2022)
-Co-Chair of the Chronic Disease & Prevention Subcommittee, Duplin County Coalition for Health (2023)
-Executive Board Member/Civic Engagement Chair - Duplin County NAACP (2023)
-Board Member, Community Leadership Board (CLB) on Pandemic Preparedness and Response - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2025)
-Member, Wisdom Council - WE In the World Institute (2026)
Education:
-Associate in applied science, Office Systems Technology, James Sprunt Community College
-Bachelor of Science, Psychology (Human Services), Fayetteville State University
-Master of Science, Psychology (Industrial/Organizational), Grand Canyon University
-National Results Oriented Management & Accountability Trainer, National Association of ROMA Trainers
-Certified Strengths-based Family Worker Coach - Temple University (Harrisburg)
-Certified Lifestyle Coach - TP2 Diabetes Prevention Program - Temple University
-Certified Community Health Ambassador - Duke Cancer Institute
-SAVE (Sprint to Accelerate Vaccines Equitably) Project Participant - Harvard Medical School
Awards
2023 Community Service/Civic Engagement Award Recipient - Duplin County NAACP Freedom Banquet Honoree
Contact:
Email: contact@shacklefree.org
Web: www.shacklefree.org
Locations:
Warsaw: 910-226-8138 or 1-833-278-3733 (2RU-FREE)
Now serving all counties across coastal and southeastern North Carolina
"Wear your tragedies as armor, not shackles"-
"Wear your tragedies as armor, not shackles"-
Chiquitta W. Lesene, Founder/CEO
Chiquitta W. Lesene, Founder/CEO
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