Working Women Wednesday
Women Working Wednesday is a trend that you will find on many social media platforms where women are highlighting themselves or others as working women. It is a day dedicated to acknowledging women for making it happen in their respective industries. By Design Consulting will support this trend by featuring a different woman each Wednesday on our blog site.
I am fortunate to know some amazing women who are making moves in their respective industries. In our first issue of the Working Women Wednesday blog series I am featuring Dr. Almaz Getachew. I chose her because not only is she a working woman doing her thing in her industry, she is also a strong woman who has faced life challenges and made a life for herself on her own terms. Dr. Getachew known to her friends as Mimi, currently resides in the DMV area. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, NC A&T State University and the University of Iowa. Dr. Getachew has spent the majority of her career in higher education in various roles with a significant amount of that time being in leadership roles. Mimi has faced obstacles that would have made some want to give up but she has preserved through it all. Much as she described her mother in this interview she is a woman of strength, resilience, and courage. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Dr. “Mimi” Almaz Getachew.
BDC: Hello Mimi! First I would like to thank you for agreeing to do this interview.
MG: You are welcome, I am happy to participate
BDC: So Mimi, tell the BDC readers a little about you
MG: I am an Ethiopian Immigrant who lived in the midwest. I moved to the south for my master’s program in Greensboro, NC and I believe that is where I became an adult. I built great relationships that turned in to the family I didn’t have upon arriving in Greensboro. After accomplishing my goals in NC, I traveled back to the midwest (Iowa) to complete my doctoral program. My focus and post-doc work was physical medicine and rehabilitation. I studied traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and the disparities of people of color who have TBI. This was an area I wanted to teach and eventually became a faculty member at Rutgers University for some time but later moved to Richmond, VA where I was an ADA Compliance Officer. I have maintained leadership roles in higher education for majority of my career with my last role being an Academic Dean at a for-profit institution.
BDC: I can remember our many fun time in NC. I am glad that we were able to build that framily relationship while at NC A&T!
BDC: Mimi you have done some amazing things and are such an accomplished woman, tell us what woman has inspired you and why.
MG: The older I have gotten, the more I have an appreciation for my mother who is no longer living. While she was living, I did not know how to appreciate her strength and resilience as an Ehtophian woman, alone in a new country, and a single mother trying to make the best life for her child. She worked hard to provide a life for me and as I look back I am more and more appreciative of the woman she was.
BDC: Now that we have heard a little about who you are tell me where we can find you on a Saturday morning?
MG: Making an espresso and listening to Miles Davis. Coffee and jazz rule my life
BDC: Ok, outside of coffee and jazz, what do you do to relax?
MG: I love to paint and do yoga. I am beginning to enjoy the outdoors so you may find me taking a long walk to clear my mind or a short hike.
BDC: Let’s transition, COVID19 has impacted people in different ways. How has it impacted you personally?
MG: COVID impacted me a lot. In the beginning, I was working from home which was consistent in the beginning but it became sporadic. I worked early mornings and late nights to provide adequate service and coverage for the staff and students I served. My company laid individuals off due to COVID and I ended being one of those individuals. It seemed that the individuals who were laid off were either people of color or individuals in high salary positions
BDC: I really hate to hear that, but you seem to be in good spirits about it.
BDC: If you don’t mind, tell me about the position you were in
MG: I did not originally want to go but ended up being laid off but I am making the best of it. While I was there I was an Academic Dean at a for-profit institution. My role provided leadership primarily to academic affairs. I also worked with the library, trained students, assisted students with orientation, resolved academic issues for students such as a repeat of classes or reinstatement after being suspended for academic performance, hiring faculty, determined what classes needed to be offered, and partnered with the campus director. I provided supervision to one full-time staff person.
BDC: As leaders we have to consider so many things and the job never stops when we walk in the door of our home. Considering that, when you think about your role, what are the things that kept you up at night, and why?
MG: When I think about what kept me up at night is the fact that I have to pull back the curtains on working for a for-profit institution. I struggle with the recruiting methods of these types of institutions. Generally, low income and minority students are our top enrollees and these are the populations of students who really can’t afford to attend our college but they are the very students we actively recruit. It is the thought of how does my personal values align with the mission of the institution in which I work.
BDC: As someone who has always worked for state institutions we definitely don’t always disagree with the methods of some for-profit institutions.
BDC: I can imagine that even though we work in different types of institutions of education the challenges we face are similar. What are some of the challenges you faced in the workplace?
MG: The top challenges I faced in the workplace were: 1) Not being white; qualified blacks get looked over compared to under-qualified white people when new positions come about; 2) I can’t look at students as real students, I have to look at them as data instead of people; 3) Mismatched mission; how do I align my personal mission with my institution and still sleep at night; 4) Struggling with the bottom line of the institution which is the dollar but for me it is success. I follow a teaching model when working with the students but the institution believes in a customer service model. I feel the relationship between the student and I should be more collaborative.
BDC: I think these are challenges that many of us face specifically women of color. When your personal mission and your organization mission don’t align what do you do, this definitely can impact you in the workplace
BDC: So as you think about your challenges in the workplace, what do you think is the most significant barrier you face as a woman in leadership?
MG: The fact that we are females. We live in a society where leadership is synonymous with men; research shows that women are better leaders because of their organization, ability to multi-task, etc. but we are not seen as leaders. We are not seen for our value. I still do not believe that women receive equal pay. Even when we do get the position we are not viewed as being worthy of it and have to go to extra lengths to prove that we are worthy and capable.
BDC: I can understand how you feel from that perspective. It is like we have to work extra hard unnecessarily. I feel like it is even more of a barrier if you are a woman of color in leadership, which leads me into our next question.
BDC: Okay, now that we have addressed barriers for women in leadership from a general perspective, talk to me about how you think these barriers are the same or different for black women in leadership.
MG: Generally, I think for those who report to black women who are also not black, it is very difficult for some to see someone who they may view as inferior to them also lead them. Oftentimes race can overshadow that we are qualified for the roles we take on. I also believe that we have to prove so more as a woman of color. Some of the challenges we face are 1) we are not always valued for our experience and what we bring to the table as a woman of color; 2) we are paid less and given less opportunity; 3) we are stereotypically judged; 4) we have to battle race and gender issues and the intersexuality of that and everything that comes with that. As black women, we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t which oftentimes puts us in a position where we can’t win. My personal challenges have been being viewed as privileged because of my salary request. The response is presented as how dare I know my worth as if I am stepping out of line.
BDC: I can agree with the barriers you have stated. As a woman of color in leadership I feel like I have to chose my words/tone carefully as to not offend anyone or I have to do numerous self-checks before, during, and after work to again sure that I have not offended anyone. It is like having a job on top of a top job. We could talk about this topic all day!
BDC: What are things you believe need to change in your field (higher education) as it relates to women of color in leadership roles?
MG: Institutions of education need to acknowledge that women of color should have equal mobility access as men do. I feel we need to be given the same voice and stop silencing us. We need the ability to grow and make us feel like we are a part of the community and provide a sense of belonging. Microaggressions in the workplace need to stop
BDC: I can feel you on the “silencing us” because it goes back to feeling that some have to cautiously consider what they say and do as to not offend anyone. This is why more diversity, equity, and inclusion needs to occur in our industry and others.
BDC: As previously stated, this is a topic that we can talk about alone but I want to transition into a few other questions before we close, as someone who has been in leadership roles for sometime why do you think people leave jobs?
MG: The main thing I believe that contributes to people leaving the job are the people. Other things are 1) anyone can hire a person but do you see them 2) bad jobs; 3) incongruent values; 4) people don’t see the people you supervise; 5) you have to want to find your place in your staff’s life can’t and understand that you can’t compete with the things in their lives; and lastly 6) see staff for all the roles in their lives
BDC: We are in the final stretch of our interview and considering your responses how do you balance work and personal life?
MG: The older I get the more I want to have a better balance. I think each decade for me has had a theme. My 20s were about surviving. My 30s were about establishing myself as a career woman. My 40s are about establishing a family.
BDC: What advice would you give women trying to get into your field?
MG: The advice I would give women trying to get into higher education is 1) Get a good mentor and listen to them; 2) Be competent; 3) Get the certifications you need; 4) Don’t be discouraged, and 5) Do what you have to do to get to the table then start ordering things off the menu you did not have access to before
BDC: What would you tell a younger you trying to get to where you are today?
MG: I would tell a younger me to relax and silence the fear.
BDC: So what is next for Mimi?
MG: Now that I am not working I am looking into what new things I want to do. Two areas of interest I am looking into are faculty development and instructional design. I have decided to go back to school and get my master’s in Instructional Design.
BDC: Thank you again for taking the time to interview with us. Any other comments you want to add?
MG: You are welcome. I am happy to support you. No additional comments.
I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Dr. Getachew. Next Wednesday we will be highlighting our next woman, Ms. Taj Sudderth a new entrepreneur. Please share with a friend or if you are interested in being featured please contact us.
XOXO
Keisha J.
