Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Stacy Gee Hollins.
Hi Dr. Hollins, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My grandmother and mother raised me and are two of the strongest, most impactful women I know. I started working for my grandmother, the highest administrator at a nursing home, at 13. My first job was in business using new technology. I was the first person to use a typewriter and, eventually, a computer at the nursing home.
I started working as a bank examiner at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) at 21. I used technology to compile their reports when they returned from compliance visits. After five years, I accepted a position at the Federal Reserve Bank as an administrative assistant and was promoted to the purchasing department six months later. I trained all administrative assistants on how to use the purchasing card software. I was eventually moved to the technology department to help support customers of the Federal Reserve Bank with the “Y2K” scare.
I wanted to get a taste of the private industry, and I left the Federal Reserve Bank to work for Workplace Resource as a marketing manager. In this role, I used technology to create proposals for commercial clients purchasing Herman Miller furniture.
I was laid off from Workplace Resource after three years. Fortunately, I started my own business, GEEnius Marketing, which sustained me for three years until I was hired by St. Louis Community College (STLCC) at Meramec in 2005 as Program Coordinator of Information Systems and Professor.
After 11 years at STLCC, I moved to Maryville University as a Management Information Systems (MIS) professor. After year two, I was asked to serve as Assistant Dean of Technology Programs, which included cybersecurity, management information systems, data analytics, and software development.
After four years at Maryville University, I moved to Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) to serve as the Dean of the Anheuser-Busch School of Business. Here, I launched the Minority Entrepreneurship Collaborative Center for Advancement (MECCA), which serves as a hub for minority and under-resourced students and the community at large, fostering the growth of emerging business owners.
Working my way up the educational ladder since my first beginnings, I have been in every academic role in my journey – Program Coordinator, Chair, and Dean. Effective January 3rd, 2023, I will serve as Interim Associate Provost of Academic Affairs at HSSU.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has had its ups and downs, but every road does. I’m very passionate about the scholars and people I serve, so it’s easy for me to move past hurdles because I always have the end goal in mind. As a Black woman in higher education who has served in predominantly white institutions (PWIs), I have often been underestimated. I have been at tables “without a voice” and overlooked positions I know I was qualified for. However, I believe everything is in perfect timing. Every experience, good or bad, has always prepared me for the next level of serving my scholars and the institution I serve.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
As the Interim Associate Provost of Academic Affairs and Dean at Harris-Stowe State University, I have the honor and pleasure of being creative and innovative while creating opportunities for faculty and scholars at the institution. I am known for creating cutting-edge partnerships that bring in revenue to support scholars, faculty, the institution, and the community at large. For example, within two years of working at Harris-Stowe, I have secured over $3M to provide community programming for Black and Brown entrepreneurs through our Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and our Minority Entrepreneurship Collaborative Center for Advancement (MECCA). This funding has already helped us graduate more than 60 entrepreneurs starting or scaling their businesses.
Please talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy.
I’m a solver – I love working my way through problems. I often see problems from a lens that allows me to think about them holistically and solve them systemically. Instead of focusing on the symptoms of a problem, I work to identify the issue’s root. When systems that have been broken are finally restructured, and the situation and organization are improved, everyone involved is much happier. Seeing others happy due to my work and problem-solving brings me joy. Ultimately, I realize that better systems result in a better experience for the scholars I serve. And when they are happy with the education and services provided, so am I. The same goes for the community – When I can serve my community and provide long-needed resources and services, that makes me proud.
Contact Info:
- Website: Harris-Stowe State University Anheuser-Busch School of Business: https://www.hssu.edu/rsp_content.html?wID=36&pID=2437
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarrisStowe/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HSSUBusiness
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HSSUTV
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Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Harris-Stowe State University
