Teresa earned a BA from Pace University, an MA from The CUNY Graduate Center, and a JD from Benjamin Cardozo Law School. She taught Law and Political Science at Manhattan College and Pace University for 20 years. A practicing attorney specializing in wills, estates, and estate planning, she has been extensively involved in a number of not-for-profit organizations and initiatives over the past three decades. She has served on the Board of the STAR Senior Center for 20 years and The Friends of Van Cortland Park for 10 years; she has been a member of Inwood Community Services, Inc. Board for the past 20 years, and has been its Chair for 4 years.