Women’s History Month Spotlight: Chief Administrative Officer, Tiffany Crowe
You might be sitting beside one. Or about to call one on the phone. Or even texting one as we speak. Extraordinary women are around us every day. For #WomensMonth, we wanted to spotlight one of DCRA’s very own extraordinary women.
We’ve asked Chief Administrative Officer, Tiffany Crowe, about her journey as a woman in the professional space and beyond. She dropped a few gems about the importance of being headstrong and steadfast:
How does your background inform the work you do at DCRA?
Like many young professionals, Crowe’s career did a 180 when she found her passion in government affairs after undergrad. When she discovered her love of policy, she cemented herself in the crossfires of being a data-driven, government and policy operations professional today. Here’s her path:
· Graduated from college and joined Teach for America in Houston
· Came to DC to work for Mayor Adrian Fenty, the District’s sixth mayor
· Worked on special projects, HR, and policy for the Director of the Department of Employment Services (DOES)
· Enrolled at the University of Maryland’s School of Law for night classes
· Project Manager for the Chief Operating Officer at the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
· Graduated from Law School
· Council to Associate Director for the Supervision Enforcement and Fair Lending Division
· Began work at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on detail for performance analysis
· Began at DCRA in March 2019 as the Chief Administrative Officer
When I was talking to Director Chrappah about working at DCRA, he was talking about the fact that his projects were time delineated. He was trying to get things done and Vision 2020 was a large selling point for me. I was looking forward to the fact that I could be a part of building a team.
Now, we’ve filled more than 65 positions. There’s something like 17% of our workforce that’s been filled in the time I’ve been at the agency. When you think about the ability to be transformative, it starts with the people you are able to attract and keep.
If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?
I’ve been blessed to work with leaders like Director Chrappah and a few other managers I’ve had who could see the future in a sense. They could see where things are going. I think that would be really cool, I’ve always wanted that ability.
To see the future. Being psychic.
Throughout your career, are there any challenges you’ve faced as a woman? And if so, how did you handle them?
In operations generally, and in the world where you’re talking about performance data, it’s overall challenging to be a woman. These are very male-centered environments, so when you go and talk to a man who’s been doing this work for 20 years and you suggest something that will beneficially impact your program, it’s hard to get them to hear you.
I sometimes find myself being apologetic when I’m offering suggestions. It’s something that I have to work on.
I think that part of that is being a woman, part of it is being Black, and part of it is being new to a particular space. But I’ve learned that if a little bit of doubt creeps in, 9 out of 10 times when I should’ve pushed back and I didn’t, I ended up regretting it.
Women, in general, feel like they should gather additional information before speaking up, but I’ve learned that doing so costs time and creates more work.
I’ve also learned to not be apologetic for the space that you’re in. Knowing that you’re there because you have the skill and the talent to do that. Just trusting it.
Not letting some resistance to deter you.
What gets you out of bed?
When it comes to work, understanding that in this time and place there is no one who can do this job better than me. Right now I feel like this is my purpose, that’s what gets me up every day.
What keeps me confident? Seeing progress and knowing that we’re making a difference, I’m making a difference in some small way. Hearing my 6-year-old daughter refer to me as “boss mommy” is also pretty cool.
If you could go back in time and give advice to your 13-year-old self, what would it be?
Don’t be so self-conscious. Have more confidence in yourself. My advice to my 13-year old self would be the same as my advice to my 37-year-old self.
You know what you know, you know what you can do. Just have confidence in that and stay the course.
Just being able to tell it to yourself too.
What do you want to be known for?
In my personal life, I just want to be a good mom. Someone who is able to shine in her career, but also prioritize her family. This is a lot easier said than done, but the stronger our team gets, the easier it is for everyone to have work-life balance.
I love seeing the people on my team accomplish things. Not in the way that I would, or because I said so, but because they get it. Saying that, when my time at DCRA ends, I want to be known as someone people can trust. Someone who was focused on the work that we do and leaving the organization better than she found it.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I’m an introvert, but this job requires me to interact with people all day long. I get home and my husband and kids say that I seem so tired. I go, well, because I talk all day. I offer perspective, decide things all day long. Because of this, I try to take the weekends to recharge and focus on my family.
Who are the three women that are blowing your mind right now across all industries?
Sherrilyn Ifill — she’s the CEO of NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which basically leads all of the litigation. Follow her on twitter. She’s brilliant, she was one of my professors in law school.
Bisa Butler — she’s a visual artist in New York who uses fabric in her pieces. She does these beautiful pieces. My husband and I were going to see her show in NY this month. They’re not having the show obviously, but she’s pretty cool.
Chelsey Green — she’s a hip hop violinist. My youngest daughter plays the violin, and right now I’m admiring people who are creating art at these times [quarantine]. Ultimately, people who are still pushing forward and making art. She plays a lot of background to RnB and Hip Hop artists.
