Episode Notes

Sheneisha sits down and chats with Dr. Jacquelyn Malcolm, the CIO and VP of Enrollment, Marketing & Communications at Buffalo State College, about the non-traditional route she took to get to where she is and a whole lot more. Remember, you don’t have to take the cookie-cutter format or strategy that is laid out before you. You can navigate and go into different realms!

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TRANSCRIPT

Sheneisha: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou. What’s up, Living Corporate? It’s Sheneisha, and today we’ll be discussing the rise of success for black and brown women. Our guest today, with nearly 20 years of distinctive higher education experience to Buffalo State, including her previous role as associate vice president and chief marketing officer at Catholic University in DC. Our guest has held leadership roles in marketing and communications, as well as extensive experience supporting enrollment management and technology efforts at multiple institutions. Our guest was the executive director of marketing and communications at Delaware State University, where she also worked as the executive director of integrated marketing. Before returning to Delaware State in 2015, she worked at the University of the District of Columbia for seven years, where she served as an executive director of interactive media and Portal administrator, executive director of alumni relations, and assistant vice president for marketing and communications and alumni relations. Prior to joining the University of the District of Columbia, our guest worked at the University of Delaware as an assistant director of alumni relations and at The George Washington University as associate director of law school alumni relations. She earned her B.S. in business administration from Drexel University and an M.S. in project management from The George Washington University and completed her doctorate of education and educational leadership from Delaware State University. Let’s welcome our guest chief information officer and vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communications at Buffalo State, Dr. Jacquelyn Malcolm.

Jackie: Hello, everyone.

Sheneisha: Yes, yes. Dr. [laughs] Dr. Malcolm, welcome to the show. How are you?

Jackie: I am well. I’m well, thank you. How about yourself?

Sheneisha: I am well. It’s so great to have you here with us today. So we gave this elaborate and most beautiful intro. You have accomplished so much. What else would you like the Living Corporate family to know about you?

Jackie: Wow. You know, I pride myself in being an African-American female from a relatively small town in Delaware and I sort of grew myself into this career and took a non-traditional path, and just certainly want to let your viewers know that it’s okay to take non-traditional paths. Quite frankly that is one of the reasons that I’m able to do so many things is because I did take a non-traditional path.

Sheneisha: Yes, yes. I definitely saw that and read that within your bio, and it was quite intriguing. Quite intruiging. I’m so glad you’re here to share that with us today, and I’m sure our listeners are going to be elated to hear your non-traditional role and your path. So let’s get into that. So what was your path to becoming the chief information officer at Buffalo State? And what does that role consist of?

Jackie: Sure. I actually started out as a fashion design major at Drexel, and Drexel is an institution that affords their students cooperative education. So you get to get yourself a job and experience prior to even graduating from college, and through that process I found that I wasn’t getting the jobs that I wanted to get and wound up actually working for a company now called GlaxoSmithKline, but which was SmithKline Beecham at the time, and I worked in their convention planning department. So I was the person who helped them get prepared to go to their conferences and things like that, and I absolutely fell in love with the field of marketing. So I came back after that experience at Drexel and changed my major and went on to–I actually started out as a work study student in the financial aid office at Drexel as well, and that’s sort of where my career in higher ed started. And then after I left Drexel and made the decision to go straight into my graduate degree, and that was at George Washington, and I was so incredibly glad that I was able to do that and was afforded the opportunity. So that’s where I really worked hard. I got my master’s in project management and after that moved on to a company in Wisconsin to be a marketing coordinator. So that was really where I got the start of my marketing experience. And I didn’t sort of like corporate America too much. You know, it didn’t sit as well as higher ed did with me, and so I moved back to Washington, D.C., which is where I gained some more experience at GW working in the alumni relations office in the law school. And I really enjoyed that experience. I loved higher ed. I loved being around students. I really loved just having the opportunity to be around education all of the time and loved that experience, and I went on to do other things in higher ed, as you stated, and, you know, several positions within marketing. And then when I was at the University of the District of Columbia, I went on to–I was marketing a new Portal product, and it was sort of that centralized place where all of our students would register, they’d get their news, their announcements, all of that good stuff. So I was mainly the marketing person, but as a marketing person I tend to really immerse myself in the technology, in the solution, and so I did all of the training and I did all of that, and I had a conversation with the project manager at the time, and I said, “I know part of the work of implementing this solution is hiring a Portal administrator. Can I have a conversation with that person?” And he said, “Well, actually we don’t have that person yet.” And I said, “Oh, you don’t?” And I said, “Well, how can I be helpful?” And he said, “Well, you know, you’re a marketing person. You can take on managing the functional side.” So I went back to my supervisor, and–you know, I’m a long-term marketing professional at that point, and I said, “Technological solution? Me? I don’t know if I can do that. I don’t know if that’s my strength,” and I really pushed myself, and I trained, and I worked really, really hard, and it was a case of having really, really good people around me who were willing to help me learn. And so did that for a few years and marketing, you know, for the Portal. I did technological communications as well. So I had such great experience and really pushed myself out of my comfort zone. And went on–the institution where I was went through a lot of layoffs, and there wasn’t a lot of staff, and I was having some trouble getting some of the things that I needed to manage the product, and so I sat down with somebody, and he said, “I’m gonna show you how to do the technical side of this,” and I said, “Wait a minute.” You know, I took on the functional side. I don’t know if I can take on the technical side. And I’m saying “This is a lot,” you know? But I said why not? What do I have to lose? I can either not get the experience and continue on my path or I can get some really great technological experience, and that’s what I did. I wound up being both the functional and technical administrator for this Portal product. So I would up being a system administrator, right? So here I go, this sort of, you know, self-made marketing person in higher ed, and I’m now doing this technical stuff, which I found I absolutely loved. And so taking that chance and really pushing myself out of my comfort zone and really wanting to grow my professional skill set really helped me get the position where I am now as chief information officer and vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communications at Buffalo State. And I never forget the day I saw the job on Inside Higher Ed. I called up a friend and I said, “There’s this job, and it’s just so eclectic, and it matches my eclectic background,” and she said to me, “So what do you have to lose? Go apply for the job,” and I said “What do you mean?” And she said “Well, just go apply for it.” And so I did, went through the interview process, and got the job, and I never in a million years ever thought that I would have a leadership role in all of these areas. And speaking to my president about sort of this level of innovation that she had to even fashion this role, and she said “All of it intersects,” right? Enrollment, marketing, communications, and the systems that support everything that we do day to day, it all intersects, and so it makes so much sense. And as I do my work now and I help my staff understand why we were all put together in the way which we are, it makes so much sense, and they’re learning things about processes and things that they would have never had the opportunity to have that much insight into without this role being fashioned the way it was. And so, you know, my career has been set upon sort of taking chances on myself and educating myself. I consider myself to be a life-long learner, and that’s really important to me. I don’t ever want to consider myself to be the complete expert in anything, because, you know, the fields that I oversee are ever-changing anyway, and so I can never be in a position just to say “Well, I got this degree,” or “I got this job and now I’m all set.” And I will continue to push myself. Even though I do have my doctorate, I continue to do leadership academies and to hone my skills, and I just completed a CIO leadership academy. And so there I think it’s really, really important to ensure that you understand that there never really is an endpoint to learning and educating yourself.

Sheneisha: There isn’t, there isn’t. A life-long student. I really like that. A life-long learner. That is great. So what does your role consist of, being the chief information officer? Like, what is it? What do you do for those who may not know?

Jackie: So as chief information officer–so sort of that third, if you will, of my position encompasses overseeing the institution’s entirety as it relates to information technology. So my spam includes areas in instructional design, technology support services. So that’s our help desk. It is our computer help, who goes around campus and supports our constituents, and it’s also managing all of the network infrastructure and architecture that all of our systems sit within, as well as enterprise data and analytics, which is all of our sort of major systems, and institutional research as well. So I really can flux between “Hey, we’re thinking about some sort of security measure for the network,” to “We need to pull this data,” to “We’re implementing a new CRM system.” And so it really runs the gamut. The beauty of my job, because I sort of have these buckets that I oversee, is that they all intersect, so I could spend one or two days a week really focused on IT and, you know, another day on enrollment, and two more days on marketing and communication. So it really just runs the gamut, you know? That’s another reason why I love my job and the way it’s fashioned. No two days are alike truly, and it really allows me to stay on top of my game, because I am literally hopping from initiative to initiative, and my team, including students, is about 275 people, so I’m [in] one of the largest areas within the institution. So one thing I will say that through–as I’ve grown through my career, the leadership component is so incredibly important, and to learn how to, you know, talk with IT folks and give them the leadership and the professional development that they need, but then turning and switching gears to really supporting my marketing and communications folks or my enrollment folks. And so it’s really an interesting dynamic when, you know, each of those groups speak differently from a leadership perspective, and so I have to be able to maneuver myself to be in this position to support them as they need as well.

Sheneisha: Wow. This role is, like you said, multi-faceted. There’s so many different things that you can do, and like you said, no day is alike. That’s–I mean, you’re always staying interested and definitely loving what you’re doing.

Jackie: Right, absolutely. I absolutely love what I do, and I will say that having strong–reporting to strong leadership is really important too, you know? I know a lot of the folks listening to this also know how important it is to have a really great boss that supports you. I have run the gamut. I’ve had some doozies, but I’ve also had some really great leaders, you know? Where I first truly learned leadership was from a supervisor that I had at GW law school, and he was a retired Navy judge [?] general. We really clicked ’cause I’m a military brat, and, you know, he came–I was literally 22. I didn’t know anything from anything, and he put so much trust in me, and every day he came to my office and he said, “Is there anything I can do to support you?” And that really stuck with me about how you truly treat people when you’re leading teams, and it’s so important to know that people are coming with multiple things. They’re coming with their life issues, and they’re coming with stressors and pressures from work, and how do you work alongside that to create success, not only for them, but for the organization or institution that you’re working for? And so that’s sort of where I really understood the importance of good leadership and sort of, for me, the innate desire to truly ensure that I’m consistently learning how to be a good leader. And I look at it – how would I want someone to lead myself, right? And I would want transparency and compassion and communication and support and professional development. I would want all of those things. So I try to really truly lead by example and not just talk the talk but really walk the walk.

Sheneisha: That is some very good information. I think is extremely important to have great leadership. The fact that the gentleman trusted you and supported you, those are some great key elements in helping you and your development as well. And I know that you mentioned that you continuously take part in leadership academies. So with you taking part in those leadership academies, is that something you search–clearly you must search for it on a regular. Are you leading any of those academies? Do you like to actively participate? How frequently?

Jackie: So I actively participate in leadership academies. I also do a lot of panel discussions. As a minority, as a female, especially in the world of tech, we are few, far and in-between, and so I feel sort of it is my life’s work to really allow other minorities, black or brown, right, to be able to see themselves in these roles. And then, you know, I do a lot of work alongside really talking to women specifically and helping them understand that while we want to advocate for ourselves in this field, we can’t do it alone, without our male counterparts and supporters. Because a lot of times I think sometimes, you know, women-led initiatives are like “Oh, we’re females, and that’s just the way this goes, and we don’t want any males around us. We’re doing this on our own.” And I’m all for women’s empowerment, but I think you also have to see the value in understanding and making sure that you get the support from others around you. And so for me it really is sort of that, my own professional development and growth from a leadership perspective but also showing others what it means to be a female in tech, and I have frequently been the only African-American in the room, frequently the only African-American female in the room, and so some folks say “How does that make you feel?” And it sort of empowers me, right? And I think it allows me to show others that, you know, we can be at the table, and we can be just as qualified and educated as the next person around that table, and so I always say use that to your advantage. You know, people say, “Well, you know, they’re just picking me because I’m African-American.” If that gives you a unique experience to learn, take that experience. That’s not a bad thing. But then how do you then advocate for other minorities to be in the room with you, right? So that way you’re not the only one, but then you can give that experience to others, and that’s also really important as well. I’ve been, you know, a benefactor of other minority leaders saying “We want her to be at the table. We want her to be a part of the discussion because she creates a level of diversity in the discussion,” and so I think it’s always important to remember that it’s not only about you elevating yourself, but it’s making sure that when you’re able you’re elevating others as well.

Sheneisha: That is so powerful in itself. I think it’s super important, especially as not only women but people of color, that we are able to get to a place where we can reach back and pull one up, or pull several up. Definitely we’re always in a place, like you said, where we may be the only one in the room. We may be hired for that reason. But like you said, use that to your advantage, and clearly you possess something unique, so why not leverage it? Why not level up on it and make sure that when you do get there you’re not just there? [laughs] If you’re gonna be there, be there and make sure that they know that you’re there. [laughs]

Jackie: That’s a thing. That’s why it’s so important for me too, you know, when I’m asked to speak at different events and really be a representative, you know? Both because of the fact that I’m female and the fact that I’m African-American, you know, I use that to the advantage of saying “Yes, I want others that look like me in the room,” and “You can be there, and you deserve to be there, and you’ve earned the right to be in that room,” and, you know, when working with students that’s really important for me, you know, as we have our female students who, you know, need our knowledge and our support and our network and, you know, I always–at the events that I speak, especially the ones that are free, I send them out to our students. Come, whether you’re male or female. Come. You know, participate, network. Let me introduce you to some folks that I know so you can build your network. And I [?] that in my example they would know to be able to do the same as well, right? And it’s really important for our students to be able to see that now. And I also hope that I can show how you come to the table ready to go and to be taken seriously, you know? There’s a time and a place to be, you know, individualistic and be who you are, and I’m certainly not saying to cover up who you are, but you gotta know there’s a time and a place for everything, you know? I also am–you know, I’m an African-American female, you know, and I wear a mohawk. You know, my head is shaved, and so I’ve had my angst and anxiety about walking into a conservative environment, and I say “You know what? This is who I am,” and it makes me no less worthy of partaking in the conversation, and it certainly doesn’t make my work any worse for wear, right? And if anything, it allows me to stretch my limits and be creative and to show people that my creativity doesn’t then diminish my professionalism, and I like to be able to show the students that as well, that you can have an air of individualism, but just know your environment, right? Know what’s gonna be receptive. And it’s unfortunate that we still live in that space where we just kind of have to be a little bit more concerned about who we are as individuals regardless of race, you know? But I think it’s really important to know the time and the place and the space, you know? And it’s that just our reality, you know? It’s not, you know, neither a good or a bad thing. It is just a thing, right, that we just have to respond to, so.

Sheneisha: Absolutely. Being unapologetically black. Unapologetically you. [laughs]

Jackie: Right? You know, I walk in a room and, yes, I’m African-American, yes, I shave my head, and I’m ready to go. Let’s have this conversation.

Sheneisha: I love it. [laughs] I love it.

Jackie: Yeah. It’s interesting too that there are times when I’ve–like I said, I’ve been really concerned, like, “Oh, they’re gonna think I’m a rebel, a renegade,” you know? ‘Cause I shave my head, and I said “You know what? Then that’s your loss,” right? That’s your loss for not wanting to have me at the table because of something that you’re not okay with, Because I’m okay with it, right? And so to, like you said, really be unapologetically black, female, I also tell my students too when, you know, you’re in a position of interviewing for a job and getting a job offer, negotiate. Know your value. Know your worth, right? Don’t just take whatever somebody gives you. If you feel that that person’s offering you $50,000 and you’re bringing $75,000, tell ’em why, you know? The only thing they’re gonna do is tell you no or “We don’t have that level of budget.” You have to understand if you’re willing to take that intentional risk, right? Because it’s that too. And that’s something that–those are two words that, you know, my current president said. She said “We are in times now where you have to understand when you take intentional risk,” right? You can’t always be the one to say “Well, I’m not gonna take that risk,” or “I’m not gonna put myself out there.” My whole career and professional journey has been really predicated on taking intentional risk. I’d never be in IT if I didn’t, and also understanding and knowing when you take that risk, and sometimes you take that risk without compensation for future gain. That’s also important too. Because I think we’re all focused on “Well, you’re not gonna get that out of me if you don’t give me money for that.” And I’m not saying give up everything for free. I’m saying, again, be intentional about where you want to take that risk for future gain.

Sheneisha: Speaking about taking that risk and being intentional, I notice–okay, so in higher education there’s often a level of classism, right? So how did you navigate having a non-traditional background and getting into this space as a black woman? Of course taking that risk, but how were you able to navigate that to get here?

Jackie: Yes. You know, I will definitely say, you know, higher ed is an interesting environment because we’re based on credentials.

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