We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deborah Omowale Jarmon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Deborah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about growing your team – how did you recruit the first few people, what was the process like, how’d you go about training and if you were to start over today would you have done anything differently?
The San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) was founded in 2017. It was completely volunteer-ran until the first employee a part-time accountant was hired in February 2020 to ensure the books were “grant-funding” ready. I was the second employee hired, March 13, 2020. A job announcement was posted by the board of directors for an archivist shortly after my onboarding. Because of the nature of the position, the interview panel consisted of community stakeholders, a SAAACAM founder, and academia. My recommendation carried quite a bit of weight since I would work directly with the person. The runner-up for that position expressed a desire to work with SAAACAM. They were hired as our office manager until we could move them into a position that matched their skill-set. The SAAACAM program director was a direct hire because I knew their skills and how they could help build an organization. This group created the leadership core at SAAACAM. The team has grown to 11 and we are hiring.
In looking at building a team, I consider the passion and strengths of the individual. Our team is strengths-focussed. Team members work in their strengths daily. The tasks that drain an individual are typically not their innate strengths. If the task is draining, I look to fill that gap with a person who has that skill set INSTEAD of providing training for the individual to do the task effectively. By concentrating on the strengths that each person brings to the table, SAAACAM has an extremely high-functioning core team. Most people are surprised at how much we accomplish with so few.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I moved to San Antonio from Oakland, California shortly after retiring from the Federal Aviation Administration. Five of my then 6 grandchildren, lived here in San Antonio. My two sons and best friend opened a bed and breakfast in the King William area of San Antonio. While running Eva’s Escape at the Gardenia Inn, I got involved with the local Black Chamber of Commerce. This experience introduced me to San Antonio’s business and government. Shortly after opening, my son that lived locally needed to relocate for work. After five wonderful years of running our bed and breakfast, we sold the property (not the business) and I started working in the community. I volunteered for the Fair Contractor’s Coalition and volunteered/worked at Dreamvoice the organization that produces the annual Dreamweek celebration. While working at Dreamvoice, I participated in the Masters Leadership Program. This experience gave me a broader sense of the impact of non-profits in San Antonio and the resources available to support the organizations.
While working at Dreamvoice, I received several text messages about an executive director position at SAAACAM. Responding to the last text, I said I have this information and I forwarded it to people who I thought would be interested. The person said, “No I am forwarding it to you. Please apply.” Upon reading the job requirements, I had very little of what the job posting required. As a retired air traffic controller, my museum work was nil. What I did have to offer was my love of history, my love for the community and my respect for everyone’s stories that create the collective narrative of our history. Also, my love of history has taken me to museums across the continent. I applied and I was immediately called in for an interview. I was then called back for a second interview with a project. A couple of weeks later I received a job offer and here I am!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
SAAACAM’s mission is to collect, preserve and share the African American cultural heritage of the San Antonio region. The love of history and the absence of Black history in America’s story drives me.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Several reasons drove me to retiring from the FAA. First, I wanted to spin quality time with my grandchildren. Second, the politics, the unconscious biases , the blatant disregard for me as a person was tiring. Throughout my 27 year career, I survived it and I thrived inspite of those things. Being the CEO of SAAACAM has put me in the position to be more political than imagined. I confront biases and racism on a regular basis. What I thought I was leaving, met me head on in my current role. The good news? A 27 year career has thought me how to navigate the shark-infested waters.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://saaacam.org
- Instagram: @archivemuseum
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/SAAACAM
- Twitter: @archivemuseum
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_LfmDNb4qnjVpWgDPz60w