Kelley Consulting Firm

Dr. Robin Kelley, President, and Founder of Kelley Consulting Firm is the host.  Dr. Kelley has executive leadership experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, compliance, culture, education, and training.

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K Suite Podcast Episode 8 - Black/African American Female Higher Education Leaders' Experiences, Supports, and Barriers. This podcast discussion focuses on the experiences of three exceptional Black/African American female leaders in higher education. Dr. Robin Kelley has an authentic discussion with Dr. Marcine Pickron Davis, Dr. Kim Bobby, and Dr. Frances Graham. 

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Dr. Marcine Pickron-Davis joined the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in 2017 and serves as the Chief Diversity and Community Relations Officer. She is charged with providing the vision, leadership, and execution of diversity, inclusion, and community partnerships across the Philadelphia, Georgia, and South Georgia campuses. At PCOM, Dr. Pickron-Davis has focused her work on advancing the institution’s goals for embracing diversity and inclusion into the culture of the college. This work includes leading the college’s stakeholders in the creation of the 2025 institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic plan, spearheading initiatives that introduce faculty, staff, and students to LGBT-inclusive healthcare, cultivating a network of strategic partners and collaborators around health equity and community outreach, and providing leadership to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine constituent groups in their efforts to promote/broaden/improve osteopathic medical education and the profession.

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Prior to her arrival at PCOM, Dr. Pickron-Davis served as the inaugural Chief Community Engagement and Diversity Officer at Widener University from 2003-16. In this position, she served as a strategic leader to advance the university’s commitment to access, equity, diversity, and inclusion. During her tenure, she raised Widener’s civic engagement profile among the national higher education community, implemented civic engagement initiatives resulting in sustainable partnerships between the university and the Chester community; and led the development of innovative programs and initiatives to promote a culture of inclusion. Dr. Pickron-Davis’ accomplishments resulted in institutional and cultural change in policies and practices at Widener University. In March 2020, Dr. Pickron-Davis was recognized by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as one of the “Top 35 Women in Higher Education.” She completed her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and her master’s of social work degree from Temple University’s School of Social Administration. She earned her doctor of philosophy degree in educational leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Dr. Kim Bobby currently serves as an executive search consultant for AGB Search. AGB Search is exclusively focused on conducting executive searches in partnership with colleges, universities, systems, boards, and related foundations across the country. Prior to joining AGB Search Dr. Kim Bobby served as the director of the Inclusive Excellence Group (IEG) at the American Council on Education,(ACE). The goals of IEG included advancing women and people of color into senior leadership roles in higher education and ultimately the college presidency. Signature programs included the ACE Women’s Regional Leadership Forums for mid-career women, and the National Women’s Leadership Forums for senior-level administrators both provide career enhancement opportunities for women leaders; the Spectrum Aspiring Leaders Program and the Spectrum Executive Leadership Program, respectively attract men and women of color at the mid-level and senior-level who desire to lead in an increasingly diverse higher education landscape. Dr. Bobby also provided leadership and oversight for the ACE Women’s Network, a consortium of 57 higher education institutions across the United States devoted to advancing women leaders, and the Moving the Needle: Advancing Women Leaders initiative a multi-association collaboration that designed to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions in higher education through programs, research, and partnerships. The IEG programs extended into the college campus by working to advance new analytical frameworks to foster collaboration between internationalization efforts and diversity/multicultural education.

 

Before joining ACE, Dr. Bobby was chief diversity officer and associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Puget Sound (WA). As the first chief diversity officer for Puget Sound, she held the primary responsibility for coordinating and implementing the university’s strategic plan for diversity and directing early college access and achievement programs.

 

During Dr. Bobby’s career, she has served in higher education and K–12 leadership roles prompting access and equity in education. This includes being appointed by the chancellor of the New York City public school system to a senior-level cabinet post to research, advise, and provide support for initiatives aimed toward systemic educational reform for the New York City Public Schools. She has also served as a consultant to the College Board, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the College Success Foundation focusing on leadership development, college access, and organizational transformation.

 

Dr. Bobby has written and spoken on leadership development, creating an inclusive campus climate, appreciative inquiry, and creating effective leadership programs as a pipeline to achieving diverse campus leadership teams.

 

Born in Los Angeles, California, Bobby received her doctorate in educational administration and policy studies from the University of Washington in Seattle; her master’s in educational administration from California State University, Sacramento and her BA in business administration management from California State University, Fresno.

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Frances D. Graham is a lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies and former director of the African American Cultural Center at North Carolina State University. She has served in higher education administrative roles at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the University of Illinois (UIUC). Originally from Champaign, Illinois, she is the first member of her family to attend college, earning both an undergraduate and a doctorate from the UIUC and a master’s degree from Howard University. During her 28-years in higher education, Graham has been appointed to various upper-level administrative posts in large and mid­-size institutions. She has served as an associate vice chancellor for both student affairs and academic affairs, interim vice chancellor for student affairs at NCCU, associate vice provost for gender affairs, and director for the women’s center at (NCSU). At UIUC, she held the position of the specialist in education in its Counseling Center. Her experience also extends to faculty positions where she taught black feminist theory, feminist theory, African American literature, and women’s history at Duke University, NCSU, UIUC, and Parkland Community College. 

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Listen Here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1165037/6543049

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