09.08.20 | Ep. 425 Dr. Kimberly Beatty | Chancellor at Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City

Ep. 425 Dr Kimberly Beatty | Rounding the Bases with Joel Goldberg

Dr. Kimberly Beatty is the Chancellor at Metropolitan Community College  in Kansas City.   She was named the school’s eighth chancellor in 2017 and is the first African-American leader in the one hundred plus year history of MCC.   

 

Dr. Beatty came to MCC from Houston Community College where she served as vice chancellor.  She is a champion of access and equity and is committed to workforce and transfer (academic) education.  She serves on numerous boards and was inducted into the Black Achievers Society of Greater Kansas City in 2019.

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Rounding the Bases with Joel Goldberg Podcast was created to share the stories of men and women in business and entrepreneurship that are both well knowing and or hidden gems. Joel believes that everyone has a story and their story matters which is why Joel is eager to connect with individuals that are bringing value to their community through innovation, leadership, entrepreneurial journeys, and developing company culture. If you would like to be a guest on Joel's podcast please email us at joel@joelgoldbergmedia.com.

TRANSCRIPT:

 

  1. KIMBERLY BEATTY TRANSCRIPT



Joel Goldberg: Welcome into rounding the bases, the podcast about culture and leadership with a baseball twist. I want to get right to my guest  with the chancellor.



Joel Goldberg: Of Metropolitan Community College main the eighth chancellor in the school's history back in 2017 the first African American Chancellor and a woman I've had a chance to meet a few times.



Joel Goldberg: Who has amazing energy. She's dynamic. She's a leader and she's very patient with me to dealing with all kinds of technical stuff that I threw her away in this crazy world that we're living in right now. And so I'm so happy to be joined by Dr. Kimberly Beatty.



Joel Goldberg: Dr. Beatty. There's so much going on in this world right now. And so much of it at every level affects the world of education, too. So first and foremost, how are you doing



Kimberly Beatty: Well, I'm better now you reference the new world we live in. And I tell you, I think you're, you're going to ask me, I'm going to put a baseball twist on it. What's my biggest curveball, my biggest curveball is dealing with technology, you have to



Kimberly Beatty: Become so technology.



Kimberly Beatty: technologically savvy.



Kimberly Beatty: So quickly just to do basic things. I went to order.



Kimberly Beatty: Breakfast from first watch and I called. And I said, oh, I want that power bowl with the kale. It's my favorite breakfast and I want my egg over medium.



Kimberly Beatty: And she said, Ma'am. You're going to have to go online to order. And I'm like, I can't call him my order. She said, No, you go online, you do your order and then you get to go online, you get to set up an account, you get to set up a password you get. I mean, it is an ordeal so



Kimberly Beatty: If ever there was a curveball, is technology.



Joel Goldberg: Hitting the curveballs not easy.



Kimberly Beatty: Trust me.



Joel Goldberg: But here's the thing. I wasn't planning on going right here, but I think it is actually really interesting discussion because it applies to everything you're doing at MCC and really any profession in the



Joel Goldberg: World is that we have to adapt and figure it out, whether we like it or not. And so from a standpoint of education right now.



Joel Goldberg: Nothing is today what it was when you and I first met or as a matter of fact, the last event is thinking about this right now. The last kind of public event that I went to, is one that I saw you at downtown. The day that pretty much everything shut down.



Joel Goldberg: That's last March 11 or 12th or whatever that was so



Joel Goldberg: What do you make of all that because this is a different world today and you have to figure out how to adapt.



Joel Goldberg: To do the simplest things like ordering breakfast or, oh, by the way, leading a university.



Kimberly Beatty: Oh my gosh, we have definitely that was the



Kimberly Beatty: I don't want to draw any comparisons to any other tragedies that probably wouldn't be wise but



Kimberly Beatty: That day of March 11 or 12th right in there is probably going to be a day that people will remember in 2020 for a long time because it's the day that we all had to pivot.



Kimberly Beatty: I mean, and pivot in a way that you could have never imagined and adjust in a way that you could have never imagined. The only thing



Kimberly Beatty: That higher education. I believe head going, is that that was the week. Most of us were on spring break. And so we had the break.



Kimberly Beatty: If you want to consider it that to plan and or extend so that we could implement the plans, but I remember being at the



Kimberly Beatty: District Office on Broadway on a Sunday at nine o'clock in the morning passing out computers and probably the most frantic way that we could get it done.



Kimberly Beatty: To get ensure that all employees had a laptop to work from home and that all of the faculty had



Kimberly Beatty: The equipment that they needed to work from home and then took that extra week of spring break to



Kimberly Beatty: Make sure that all of the students had the equipment and technology that they needed. So it was a tremendous pivot. But I tell you what it's made me so proud to be Chancellor at Metropolitan Community College, because they



Kimberly Beatty: Everybody, you know, pulled on their bootstraps and pulled them up and said, let's go. Let's do it. This is what we've got to get done and in



Kimberly Beatty: MCC fashion. We did it.



Joel Goldberg: Yeah, I was thinking about this because



Joel Goldberg: No one enjoys this right i mean this is a challenge, unlike anything we've seen in our lifetime. And that's across the board. I mean, this is a generational



Joel Goldberg: Pandemic obviously and and one that none of us have ever been through and and some are more prepared than others.



Joel Goldberg: But I also think about leadership. I mean you are in the highest of leadership roles with so many people relying on you. And while you don't ever wish for a conflict to happen.



Joel Goldberg: I know that you have a responsibility of rising to the occasion and so how much do you live for that moment of being able to lead everyone else at a time where, again, you're, you're having to hit the ultimate curveball.



Kimberly Beatty: Yeah, it is definitely a test of leadership and



Kimberly Beatty: I am a firm believer of it'll make you stronger and I think it's going to make all of us stronger i wouldn't i you know I'm not gonna lie to you the weight that has been on



Kimberly Beatty: My shoulders and not only my shoulders. But my team shoulders is probably miniscule to what you know when you start moving it up to the mayor to the governor and so forth.



Kimberly Beatty: But you know you're talking about people's lives people's livelihoods.



Kimberly Beatty: And there's so many factors that affect that. And so for example if you are



Kimberly Beatty: You know, the decision of whether or not we are



Kimberly Beatty: Whether or not. We're going to be open in the in the spring or the fall and then



Kimberly Beatty: Us having, you know, with a snow day we make a decision based upon adults, but in this situation you are you adults, being able to get to work in different than a school district when they've got



Kimberly Beatty: Bus stops and so forth to handle. Well, in this case, we really do have to consider.



Kimberly Beatty: What's happening around us and not just what's going on for us. What's happening in the city. What are the school districts decisions because many of our employees have students



Kimberly Beatty: Children that they have to now become facilitators and assist in their learning and so forth, and that all impacts the environment, we've experienced tremendous budget cuts and the weight of trying to make decisions that least impact our employees and



Kimberly Beatty: That has been very hard has kept me up many nights.



Kimberly Beatty: I think that our institution is in a really good place. I think that people have an appreciation for the weight and the decision making and the cautiousness that we're taking but it doesn't make it an easier nonetheless.



Joel Goldberg: It's not easy. And I know that I've said to so many people throughout this pandemic.



Joel Goldberg: You know, I, my back was against the wall right here. I was suddenly ready to start baseball season and I'm out of work and you can have this feel sorry for yourself moment which is okay. Then you start realizing that everybody's going through this



Joel Goldberg: You know, I thought about



Joel Goldberg: The highest level CEO or the wealthiest CEO or the poorest but whatever it is, everybody's life was rocked in some way or another. That doesn't mean that it isn't harder for someone easier for others.



Joel Goldberg: But I'm curious your thoughts on this because I don't think there's been a greater time in our history to be empathetic.



Kimberly Beatty: And I think that's what you're seeing. I think the level of. Well, I think there's



Kimberly Beatty: Two extremes. I think you have a very caring nation community. I mean, the philanthropic community here in Kansas City specifically has really stepped up in terms of



Kimberly Beatty: The help that our students and our community needs. So I think that the empathy, and I certainly have become more empathetic, you know,



Kimberly Beatty: I might be an empty nester but I'm empathetic to those who aren't and have that dynamic at home, but I think COBRA is also going through this pandemic. It has also taken us to the other extreme, where people have so much stress at home that



Kimberly Beatty: They snap much more much easier than the



Kimberly Beatty: You know, then average they if they're quick to, you know, become angry because you have so many pressures that you're dealing with day to day



Joel Goldberg: It's so much and I'll still get back to the fact that and as someone that has two teenagers. And you know what's on our mind what what's on our kids minds and oh, by the way. And I know that this is a little bit different for



Joel Goldberg: Your student pace, which oftentimes is is adults but I've never seen so many students just craving to get back to school.



Joel Goldberg: I mean I got high school kids that want to do nothing but being school



Joel Goldberg: Which is like the world really must be coming to an end, because I didn't think that I would ever hear that before. But there is more than ever. I think



Joel Goldberg: This craving for education, for connectivity for getting out of the house, whatever it is, improvement. How much of that. Are you seeing, not just from your students, but from your faculty of needing something



Kimberly Beatty: Yeah, and I think that's what's pushing people to the limits you don't realize how much you know I was recently thinking



Kimberly Beatty: I saw a little girl and I was smiling at her. And so she can see my smile. You know, I'm getting up putting on makeup and I'm like, what am I doing this for my mask is going to cover it all up anyway.



Kimberly Beatty: And then the, you know, whole new elbow bunch and bump instead of a touch or hug you just don't realize



Kimberly Beatty: How much that human touch is important and that human connection is important. And so I think people are seeing that. But it is changing the dynamic, you know, for a long time. When we started in this zoom world that



Kimberly Beatty: The, you know, people may or may not come on camera. And it's really important minimally to be on camera so that you can see somebody dies and look into their eyes and I find that even having this connection is gratifying, given that you can't have that human connection, all the time.



Joel Goldberg: I was gonna say to you, I'm not pandering here that that it's it's just good to see you.



Joel Goldberg: Yeah, no.



Kimberly Beatty: I mean, I



Joel Goldberg: Just to be able to, I could see your smile right now.



Kimberly Beatty: Right, right.



Joel Goldberg: When you're listening on iTunes. You can't but I



Kimberly Beatty: Find



Joel Goldberg: And, you know, and it's changed the way I've done things and then when I



Joel Goldberg: When I started my audio podcast. It was I wanted to go to every person's office and and now I've come to understand. I don't have to do that. What I like to be able to shake a hand. Sure.



Joel Goldberg: But we can still do this. And we could still have the face to face. I mean, the bottom line is we we have to, you talked about pivot.



Joel Goldberg: We have to move forward. I mean, there's, there's no choice. And I know that in your case at MCC, there are a lot of people that are waiting to move forward and you have no choice. I mean, I guess you do right but i mean the the world doesn't stop know



Kimberly Beatty: The world doesn't stop and you know that's what makes it difficult people you know not everyone I think most people understand the decisions that have to be made, but



Kimberly Beatty: There's so much behind every decision, and I wish I really do wish, especially for my stakeholders that



Kimberly Beatty: I could go through or take their time and my time to go through every single layer of every decision to try and help all people understand, but there's always going to be something, there's always going to be



Kimberly Beatty: You know,



Kimberly Beatty: People come from their worldview and their lens and



Kimberly Beatty: You know, you just, you can't please everybody. You just have to do the best you can do. And I hope and I believe this is true that my folks at at MCC



Kimberly Beatty: Believe that we're making an I'm making the best decisions that are best for our students for our community and for our employees and



Kimberly Beatty: They may not always be popular. They may not always like them.



Kimberly Beatty: But you know there's a there's a lot that goes into these. There's a lot of weight nowadays.



Joel Goldberg: There's so much going on in the world that I want to talk to you about the first of all, I want to, I want to go back a ways. And I know that for many years, you're



Joel Goldberg: You're an educator, I guess once an educator always an educator. But obviously this is such a different role and and that was the case when you came from Houston to but



Joel Goldberg: What were the childhood aspirations of a Kimberly Bailey, did you want to be a teacher. Did you want to be an academia, what, what were the



Joel Goldberg: The gold record and now it's interesting because I was just talking with my son about we were having this texting conversation. He's 26 about a career path. And I'm thinking,



Kimberly Beatty: You know, when I was 26



Kimberly Beatty: I was teaching, but I still didn't see this as a career path for me when I was growing up, I



Kimberly Beatty: First I marveled at barbara walters I marveled at how she could talk and she could really open her mouth, she did a lot with her lips in one place. And I said, oh, I want to be a newscaster. And so I went to school.



Kimberly Beatty: With a Communications major and in the very first semester. My freshman orientation class my counselor Nina Dobson had us do some type of exercise where she said, Kim, you know,



Kimberly Beatty: You would make a great attorney. And I said, Really, why, and she, you know, I guess the way I was able to present an argument and defend my point, and so forth.



Kimberly Beatty: So she connected me with a judge in the courts in the city of Baltimore, who had gone to Morgan was an alum and I sat in his court room and sat and talked with him and it changed my life. And I never changed my major. Again, I



Kimberly Beatty: I kept I remained an English major. Never had anything else in mind, except to be an attorney, and I was going to go into sports and entertainment law.



Kimberly Beatty: And then I took the L set my senior year and blew it. And I was like, what am I going to do and I ended up you know a lot of people and mentors at the school made sure that I was in graduate school. I got a free ride and became a graduate assistant started teaching



Kimberly Beatty: And I don't think it was until



Kimberly Beatty: I was probably in my early 30s, where I said, Okay, this is going to be my path and this is what I'm going to do.



Kimberly Beatty: For the rest of my life. So then I might as well do what's necessary to make sure that I'm successful at it. And, you know, went back to school got the doctorate, and chose positions that would set me up best to be successful in this career.



Joel Goldberg: And then at what point along the way. Were you were you starting to think about the type of role that you have now.



Kimberly Beatty: Probably when I was in



Kimberly Beatty: Well, no, I'm



Kimberly Beatty: So I was a dean at Tidewater from 2006 tab where to community college from 2006 to 2012 and I ended up in not so great of



Kimberly Beatty: I don't want to say great of a place, but just, I thought I wanted to be a campus President and I realized all of the operational.



Kimberly Beatty: Aspects that went along with that did not please me or did it. I didn't get that much enjoyment out of it and I was in graduate school and I realized that I was more of a strategic thinker.



Kimberly Beatty: And I think that's when I had my I know that's when I had my aha moment was back in about 2012 and I had an opportunity to take a job in Fort Worth, Texas that



Kimberly Beatty: Was not in academics. It was on the student services side and I had several people say, Oh, Kim. Don't do it. Don't do it.



Kimberly Beatty: There's, you know, there's not enough African Americans on the academic side, there's a lot on the student services side. And once you go over there, you won't be able to come back.



Kimberly Beatty: And I remember saying to somebody that I want to be as well rounded about all areas of the institution as I can be. And I took the job.



Kimberly Beatty: And it really was an awesome experience and then was very intentional. From that point on, about the positions that I took



Kimberly Beatty: But it's one thing to think about the role and then one thing to actually be in the role because you think oh if I was Chancellor, I would you know if you were to call Cesar Maldonado




Kimberly Beatty: at Houston. He was my Chancellor, he you know if I would sit as. Number two, you know, sitting, say, Well, I think if I was, I could do this or I would do this.



Kimberly Beatty: It's real easy. He would always say it's real easy to sit back and say, oh, you would do XYZ until you get in the seat and I've often called him back and said okay now I see what you were saying, because now once you get into the seat. You have to. You see, and operate and see things differently.



Joel Goldberg: Right. I mean, and you can't really know that until you are the one that is in that seat. So a couple questions now about the world of academia and



Joel Goldberg: I see so many people kids and my kids. I mean, those that are getting out of high school and adults that are going to community college



Joel Goldberg: At you heard me tell the story once because I spoke to the Missouri Community College Association back a year ago or so or I don't even remember. Now that was



Joel Goldberg: 10 years ago. It feels like and I talked about how my mom went back to college. She was a music major went back to community college in New Jersey and ended up having a



Joel Goldberg: incredibly successful career as a computer programmer. Programmer and eventually an executive. I mean, she is like the poster child for the community college experience and now it seems like it is becoming a very, very common option for



Joel Goldberg: All types of kids and people all around the country and the world for that matter what's changed.



Kimberly Beatty: Well, I think what's changed is that



Kimberly Beatty: The value proposition for community colleges is now being recognized and appreciated community colleges really haven't changed. We've always been




Kimberly Beatty: A path for either transfer continuing education, lifelong learning or technical training. And I think in some cases, some community colleges have



Kimberly Beatty: Denied some of those aspects of our mission in, you know, becoming more of a liberal arts type of institution, but we are what we are in. We are the



Kimberly Beatty: Democrat. I mean, the democratization of higher education in terms of we provide access for all



Kimberly Beatty: And so that might mean that you don't have a GED, and you want to go to school. It might mean that you want to take photography classes or motorcycle.



Kimberly Beatty: Classes for lifelong learning, or it might mean that you want to become a welder. And I think that that value proposition.



Kimberly Beatty: Of what you can do, no matter what your end is if your end is to get a job as your end to get more training is your end to transfer, we can provide that for you with a lot of flexibility at a very low cost.



Joel Goldberg: And



Kimberly Beatty: And that's not just



Kimberly Beatty: Me see thats it thats everywhere.



Joel Goldberg: Everywhere. Everywhere.



Joel Goldberg: I mean, I also spoke that they about my brother being



Joel Goldberg: You know, being with a community college and being in the administration and so I hear him all the time. Talk about. There are a few words that I heard him say more than anything workforce development diversion or department diversity and inclusion.



Joel Goldberg: And I know that at MCC and you guys aren't the only ones at MCC that is extremely important.



Joel Goldberg: Yeah, tell me about that, especially at a time right now where we have so much going on in this country and and so much unrest. Tell me about that diversity and inclusion piece.



Kimberly Beatty: Well, we actually have an office of



Kimberly Beatty: Office of equity and inclusion and we are



Kimberly Beatty: It's a part of our strategic plan.



Kimberly Beatty: We are committed to it. But it's harder than



Kimberly Beatty: I thought it actually becomes harder, the higher up you are in my role, you know, people think oh you're black, leader of a college, you should be able to make this happen and make this happen.



Kimberly Beatty: But where I have my greatest impact and our OCI efforts have their greatest impact is how can we look at our processes and our procedures to ensure that



Kimberly Beatty: diversity, equity, and inclusion are actually practiced in terms of our hiring.



Kimberly Beatty: What is our process to ensure that we have a diverse pool everybody's got to do their work, but we need to advertise in ways where we attract and we welcome.



Kimberly Beatty: It at least give the appearance that we welcome diverse applicants and diverse pools. We've got to change the way we have



Kimberly Beatty: Diversity supplier. We always have. But when I looked into it. The diversity supplier was on the back end of the purchasing process and not on the front end of the process, same way



Kimberly Beatty: So those are things that we're changing. And then when you look at, we just surveyed all of the colleges in Missouri. In fact, for the coordinating board and just about all of the colleges have 100% of community colleges have training that's required for all employees.



Kimberly Beatty: The, the real part is putting it into practice and when you actually see it in the curriculum. When you actually see some type of globalization requirement and for graduation.



Kimberly Beatty: You know, or some type of service. That would give them a broader lens of perspective. So those are the things that we will continue to do and are committed to



Joel Goldberg: And then along the lines of inclusion or at least in in that discussion is everything that's going on in the world right now and as a woman of color at a

 

Joel Goldberg: Community College. Big one as a leader. I know a lot of people are looking at you in terms of leadership, regardless of what is going on in this world, but these are such challenging times I saw that that you



Joel Goldberg: Had a statement MCC will continue to combat racism and bigotry of all kinds, and



Joel Goldberg: This is such a tense time right now.



Joel Goldberg: And I thought so much about this. I've had so many discussions on my podcasts.



Joel Goldberg: about race and I I wish more people would just say instead of arguing. If you're arguing. How about listen



Joel Goldberg: That's stand



Joel Goldberg: Because I am a read. Ask for suggestions. I'm a better person today than I was before the murder of George, George Floyd and



Joel Goldberg: I never had it. I always got along with everybody. I always treated everyone equally. But



Joel Goldberg: What I came to find out was that I had to challenge myself to understand greater I had to challenge myself to understand and why we talked about empathy before walk in the shoes.



Joel Goldberg: Of others that perhaps it dealt with discrimination and racism, every day of their life, which I think is most people from what I understand.



Joel Goldberg: Of color. I never had to deal with that. There's white privilege. Obviously there. So how are you processing all this, not just as the leader of Metropolitan Community College.



Joel Goldberg: But also as a mother as some of that I'm sure his head but talked before about leaving the house and cops and all that and take on a little bit



Kimberly Beatty: Well, I am a mother of three men and ranging from 38 down to 26 and



Kimberly Beatty: So these. It's interesting to hear them and the fear, quite honestly, that they have, you know, the murder of George, George Floyd was



Kimberly Beatty: Tragic, but put a spotlight on something that has been happening for a long, long, long time, and I hope that this doesn't



Kimberly Beatty: Or isn't viewed as a fad, and that people will actually it's put a spotlight on things that need to change I'm engaged in a lot of conversations as a leader in the city that



Kimberly Beatty: Where we are trying to make change. And I'm glad to be invited to the table. I'm glad to be able to provide



Kimberly Beatty: The insight, but I hope that people are very serious, you know, for a long time. When I got here, I say a long time and I haven't been here that long. But when I came to Kansas City. The first thing I was able to see was the



Kimberly Beatty: Inequities, you know, between the state line the river and truth and you know everybody then was talking about WORKFORCE. WORKFORCE. WORKFORCE. And I said, Okay, we'll come on



Kimberly Beatty: Let's, let's, um, I want to be about it. If I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to be about it. So we're going to open up our



Kimberly Beatty: Skills manufacturing Institute on truth at 29th and truth, we've purchased the building and we're going to bring workforce to the inner core



Kimberly Beatty: You have to build up communities and make an investment in the communities. And I challenge. Everybody in Kansas City to join us in doing that and not just talking about it and really putting some action behind it, because there are systemic



Kimberly Beatty: Challenges that create these divides that thankfully everybody acknowledges and I think



Kimberly Beatty: People, I believe that people want to make the change.



Kimberly Beatty: I don't believe they know how. And I think the the conversations that we're having. Well, I'm hopeful that the conversations that we're having will help us get there.



Joel Goldberg: couldn't agree with you more and action obviously speaks louder than words. I would just say in terms of the words we and this is something I've learned we have to make sure we keep having the discussions.



Joel Goldberg: Because the news cycle we see it, it just pivots from this to this, to this to this. And so



Joel Goldberg: I believe that any of us that are in leadership roles and I put myself in that role not like you but in the sense that I have a voice here in this town that there's a responsibility to make sure that this doesn't just get brushed away.



Joel Goldberg: That's right, unless it unless we think, and I certainly hope people aren't this naive that we can check this box and everything will be better. This is 400 years worth of it. You don't just make it go away.



Joel Goldberg: Overnight. So, okay, that obviously is a discussion that we can do hours and hours on



Joel Goldberg: Yeah. Do you want to



Joel Goldberg: I do want to pivot, for lack of a better word. That's the word of 2020



Joel Goldberg: And let's talk a little bit in baseball TERMS OF THE THE HOME RUNS by baseball theme questions, the biggest home run that you have hit professionally in your career, whether it's an educator as an administrator, whatever it is, what's the biggest one that you've hit



Kimberly Beatty: I'm



Kimberly Beatty: Like many of our baseball players. I've hit more than one home right



Joel Goldberg: That's good, some some some haven't heard any, you know, but



Kimberly Beatty: Yeah, right, right, right, in my mind that home runs that I've hit




Kimberly Beatty: Just finished a book that is going to be published been working on it for the last two years on equity and transforming institutions so that they have an equity lens and to have written a book is a major home run for me. So I'm, I'm really excited about that. So I'll choose that one.



Joel Goldberg: A little bit. Congratulations on that I'm, I'm a little behind you, but I'm working towards finishing my book for this winter. And I would put then you have Dr. YOU THE TITLE OF DR in front of your name. You're supposed to be writing books. I'm not supposed to be doing that.



Joel Goldberg: You you've proven with with all the work that you've put in that you can do such a thing. Okay. The



Joel Goldberg: Second question is the opposite swing and miss if you're swinging for the fences and you're hitting some of those home runs, you're going to miss every now and then. So what's the biggest swing and miss. You've, you've taken them. What did you learn from it.



Kimberly Beatty: I think my swing and Mrs have been in leadership, you know, you make some you make some decisions. And then you're like,



Kimberly Beatty: Now that might not have been the best decision. But what's important, as you pointed out, is that you learn from it and you approach it differently.



Kimberly Beatty: And I think I've had some real good swings and misses here at MCC, but they've made me a better leader. As a result, and you know it was a lot around



Kimberly Beatty: Adjusting to how things, not just the MCC, but in the Midwest. It's a different you know i'll come in. Ba ba ba ba ba ba ready to go. And it's like, whoa, slow down. Let's talk about it, you know.



Kimberly Beatty: And I had to swing and miss and learn that. And now I don't want to say I've mastered it, but I'm certainly a lot better at it.




Joel Goldberg: And then my last baseball field question is small ball. The little things that add up to the big things. You can always hit the home run.



Joel Goldberg: In baseball terms. And this all happened before you were here with the Royals and I know you're a big supporter of the royals now but



Joel Goldberg: But 2015 they went and not with all the home run hitters they win it with with singles and bonds and all those little things that I know appear in the world of community colleges, all the time. What is small ball to you. What are the little things that add up to the big things.



Kimberly Beatty: Are two things come to mind. I'll extend on the response I just gave in that having those small conversations gathering input and talking with people. Those things have a lot of value and they add up quite a bit.



Kimberly Beatty: I'm entering into my fourth year and I've had some additions and some losses on my end in terms of my team and I think now, we've had enough of those where we're at a point where we're solid, we're really going to do, along with everybody else at MCC really great things.



Joel Goldberg: A little bit. Okay, we're gonna wrap it up with for final questions. They're just random questions. Some light hearted, some not, I'll give you the softball. First, it may not be a softball.



Joel Goldberg: But you came from Houston. So you came from Texas before here to Kansas City. And I know having spent enough time for baseball in a non pandemic. Hear that they love their BBQ down in Texas, and as you know we love our barbecue here in Kansas City. So do you have a favorite



Kimberly Beatty: I know I think that barbecue. Most people don't know that I came out of the barbecue business that's a whole nother show but so I don't have a favorite they're different. They're very, they're just very different Texas more smoked meats and it's just different.



Joel Goldberg: That's fair. It's apples and oranges. So that was a very good political answer to just be



Joel Goldberg: What was your barbecue specialty



Kimberly Beatty: My dad and my dad and our family. We had a barbecue sauce company. It was called Miss Lula's foods after our great grandmother and it was in all of the grocery stores. So I was in the barbecue business for



Kimberly Beatty: For a while, so I make my own sauce and my husband and I argue about this, you know, when he'll cook on the grill. I'll say, wow, these are really good. That's sauces. What did it. And he says, no, it's the cooking, as I know it's the sauce so



Kimberly Beatty: You know, I am pretty good on a grill. I can find my way around a real pretty easily, because we used to, you know, when they used to give



Kimberly Beatty: What they call it when they used to give samples at the grocery store, we would set up five generations out in front of



Kimberly Beatty: You know, I can remember us being in Phoenix in front of fries grocery store with our big grill and passing out bones for people side. I know my way around a grill pretty good but I make great sauce.



Joel Goldberg: GETTING HUNGRY already thinking about this one. Okay, second question. I know that you're involved in a lot of organizations boards and and everything that comes with being a leader and a chancellor and



Joel Goldberg: The opportunity to make an impact. But I know that that you were recently named to the women who mean business group in Kansas City. I know a lot of the women in there. It is a phenomenal group and and a



Joel Goldberg: Unbelievable collection of extremely talented women here. Tell me about the meaning of being in that group.



Kimberly Beatty: You know I'm I'm learning with that meaning is I you know I guess I can still say I'm fairly new to Kansas City. And I had someone say, Oh, you want to get there. I'm going to recommend you for this group. And I said, okay, and then when i got it i mean the the



Kimberly Beatty: Congratulations and the type of remarks that have come in congratulatory remarks that have come in have helped me to see this is a big freakin deal and



Kimberly Beatty: So I'm growing to appreciate it. I already know some of the women in the group. And I'm looking forward to when we can networking with them and growing in that girl power.



Joel Goldberg: I love that third question, and when I when I speak to groups I talk a lot about purpose and I'll be speaking to MCC soon and I will be talking about purpose.



Joel Goldberg: I like to put it simply, this way. What gets you out of bed. What's your why. So what is the why of the chancellor of Metropolitan Community College. What is the why of Dr. Kimberly, baby.



Kimberly Beatty: You know,



Kimberly Beatty: My Why is just simply education.



Kimberly Beatty: Being able to shape minds and I know I'm not in the classroom and so many would say, Well, what do you know about that because you're not in a classroom. Of course I was for many years.



Kimberly Beatty: But I always wanted to my. Why was always wanting to be in a role where I could have broad but sharp and focused impact on what happens



Kimberly Beatty: In a an institution and making sure that the underserved. I mean, I built my career of being an urban communities where I can be sure that my work.




Kimberly Beatty: Is going to help the underserved. That's not just black and brown. But that's associated social so social economic disparities as well. And that's why I'm at a community college. That's my why because community colleges shape lives.



Joel Goldberg: I love it. Last question my walk off the final rounding the bases question this pandemic.



Joel Goldberg: And everybody keeps saying I can't wait to get back to the old normal. We're not going back to the old normal



Joel Goldberg: We're creating a new normal is the way I like to say it, and whether you like it or not, there, there is opportunity here. So what I'm curious about is what, what's your biggest lesson learned in this pandemic.



Kimberly Beatty: I think I'm seeing us



Kimberly Beatty: Well,



Kimberly Beatty: You said lesson learned.



Kimberly Beatty: My biggest lesson learned that as an organization, I can see things that we could have been doing and should have been doing that now. This is forcing us into doing



Kimberly Beatty: And I think we're going to be better as a result of it there's certainly some bad things that have come as a result of this, but I think in the new normal.



Kimberly Beatty: We're going to be better and stronger as a result because of us. The being more creative.



Kimberly Beatty: And more dynamic and thinking about how we can deliver instruction and engage people. And while we absolutely still need the classroom. I think it's going to make our teaching



Kimberly Beatty: And what we provide on the front, you know, whether it's advising teaching, it's going to be more dynamic and in the end the end user, which is a student is going to be better for it.



Joel Goldberg: Well, the times are a changing, of course, they're always changing just forced into a different world right now and and i agree with you. It'll look different will be better for it.



Joel Goldberg: Sometimes it's tough to see that in the moment, certainly as a leader. You have to be able to see and see everything from 30,000 feet so



Joel Goldberg: I don't know if you ever had any baseball skills or playing as a child, but I can officially now say that you are very capable of hitting the curveball.



Kimberly Beatty: That's what it's all about. I hit him every day.



Joel Goldberg: I was just about to say.



Joel Goldberg: That's live TV. By the way, that's that's stepping into the batter's box. That's right.



Meaning



Joel Goldberg: Gotta lean in. That's right.



Joel Goldberg: It's a those if anybody can see Dr. Beatty is leaning in.



Joel Goldberg: Right now, I love it.



Joel Goldberg: So greatly appreciate your time. I know that you're a busy woman. You have a lot on your plate, appreciate your patience and connecting with me. I can't wait to speak to MCC coming up this fall really soon. Actually, and best of luck with everything, best of health to you and your family.



Joel Goldberg: I really, really appreciate the time



Kimberly Beatty: All right, thank you Joel. It's good seeing you as well. It's



Joel Goldberg: Yes, we got to see each other via zoom. So a great to connect with Dr. Kimberly Beatty. You can reach me at Joel Goldberg media.com or on all the social media spots hope that you will share this podcast with everyone. Stay safe, everyone and hope to catch you next time on robbing the basis



Joel Goldberg: I think we did it.



Kimberly Beatty: I think we did it.



Kimberly Beatty: So is that was that live or



Joel Goldberg: Well, we just, I just ended up recording and and what I'll do is I'll just turn that around for my weekly podcast on Monday on iTunes. I'll share everything with you. But then I should be able to pull the video clips to



Joel Goldberg: I just, you know, I wanted to have a little something that I could share with the audience.



Joel Goldberg: That had like you and I connected a little bit. And, you know, not just, hey, here's the Chancellor, but here's Joel on the chair that you know there's some strategy to that so



Kimberly Beatty: And we talk. Oh, you're still recording



Joel Goldberg: On let me let me do. I'm trying to find it.







 

Rounding the Bases with Joel Goldberg Podcast was created to share the stories of men and women in business and entrepreneurship that are both well knowing and or hidden gems. Joel believes that everyone has a story and their story matters which is why Joel is eager to connect with individuals that are bringing value to their community through innovation, leadership, entrepreneurial journeys, and developing company culture. If you would like to be a guest on Joel's podcast please email us at joel@joelgoldbergmedia.com.