Dr. Walrond is an educator, visionary leader, sought-after speaker, and consummate change agent. In June of 2019, she became the first woman president of the New York Theological Seminary (NYTS). During her tenure, she assisted in preserving the NYTS’s mission and legacy by developing a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and leading the school to become embedded at Union Theological Seminary. Mayor Bill DeBlasio named October 26, 2019 “Rev. LaKeesha Walrond Day” in the city of New York. Dr. Walrond has served as the Executive Pastor, Chief of Staff, and Preaching Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church (FCBC) in Harlem for the past eighteen years. Dr. Walrond also has a passion for children and education, and worked in North Carolina’s public school system for eleven years as a teacher, coordinator for special education programs, assistant principal, and principal.

In 2013, Dr. Walrond launched Getting to Greater Global (G2G), a women’s organization to promote leadership development and spiritual, mental, and psychological wellness. She is the author of My Body is Special (2017) and its accompanying workbook, the first of her six-part Let’s Talk About It (LTAI) children’s book series written to help end sexual violence against children.

A native Texan, Dr. Walrond earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College; a Master of Education (MEd), Master in School Administration (MSA), and Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education (PhD) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Union Theological Seminary in New York, NY, where she later served for three years as a trustee. She has addressed national and international audiences and received numerous recognitions, including honors from the New York Liberty WNBA Basketball Association, the National Action Network, the McDonald’s GospelFest, NCNW, NAACP, and her alma maters, Spelman College and Union Theological Seminary.