Although B. Consuela Stephens didn’t always intend to pursue religion or law professionally, she is so glad she did. She strongly believes that a motivated spirit can do just about anything, so she set off to make the world a better place. On the religious end of the spectrum, Dr. Stephens served as a pastor at Chenaniah Missionary Church from 1986 to 2004 and as a consultant from 2004 to the present. On the legal end of the spectrum, she worked with DLA Piper under a prominent insurance and reinsurance attorney. She started with the firm as a secretary, and was fortunate to have a boss who saw her potential. He took her everywhere he went, allowing her to learn the ins and outs of the trade. Dr. Stephens eventually became tasked with taking new attorneys and teaching them how to behave in the office setting. She was also responsible for the team structure the firm now employs.
Dr. Stephens considers her greatest accomplishment to be bringing children from foreign countries to the U.S. for surgeries they couldn’t get in their own countries. She is also proud of her work as the chief executive officer of CASE Group Inc. She founded the nonprofit in 2008 and eventually developed it into a federation. It currently offers a “dress for success” program for young people, programs for older adults, and opportunities for introducing culture to children who had never been to an opera or ballet before.
To prepare for her endeavors, Dr. Stephens earned a PhD in religion from the Clayton Theological Institute in 1983 and a PhD in business administration from Rockford University. She also became a certified minister.
When Dr. Stephens isn’t working, she enjoys gardening and reading.