We recently connected with Mary E. Tyler and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Mary E. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
With her 8th-grade education, my mother was among the most intelligent, just, and compassionate individuals I know. She taught us to speak up when we saw individuals being mistreated or victimized. At a very young age, she instilled in me the “responsibility” of caring for others in need. As a youth, I observed my mother’s compassion towards others and outspokenness when she saw someone mistreated or victimized. My mother modeled the traits I aspired to have and later took on in my adult life.
Although we did not have much, we were taught to share what we had. My mother was a proud and powerful woman who did “day work” to earn a living. She and her sisters raised the children of prominent families in the area and cleaned their homes. We were fortunate to receive clothes their children could no longer wear. We wore designer labels and didn’t realize it. She often gave some of the clothes to other children in the neighborhood. Neighbors respected her and relied on her counsel. They knew her heart!
In the evenings, neighbors sat on our porch to discuss issues regarding their children or situations at work. My mother went to our elementary school to meet with teachers or the principal to advocate for someone’s child with some challenges.
I would overhear conversations with neighbors about the financial matters they were experiencing. My mom would then rally the neighbors to collect money to help pay a family’s rent or utility bill. I recall many days when my mother told us to go down the alley to a neighbor’s home to deliver a bag of vegetables she and her siblings canned during the summer. Mom and her siblings were my role models.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am the proud principal of Mary E. Tyler Consulting, LLC., and a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP®) with over 30 years of strategic leadership and commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) in socioeconomic access for individuals and families. As a DEI consultant, I have extensive experience in program development and assessment, training and professional development, research, and designing and delivering equity listening sessions for various stakeholders. I strive to foster a culture of courage where every working group benefits from her consistently powerful messaging and passion for energizing the individual to learn in a shared experience — innovating opportunities for individual and organizational development. I am considered a thought leader who frequently presents content locally and nationwide. Community and corporate leaders seek my counsel, impartiality, and sincerity; organizations rely on my knowledge and experience in organizational and community matters.
Due to my vast experience, commitment, and work standards, clients constantly recommend me for consulting projects. I have been fortunate to consult with numerous organizations, facilitating their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging paths and other organizational performance opportunities. Within organizations such as the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Learn to Earn Dayton, University of Dayton’s Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, and school districts in Dayton, Trotwood, Kettering, and Northmont, I have conducted hundreds of listening sessions to obtain information on real-life experiences and opportunity gaps to assist students and families, and community partners. Here are a few comments from clients.
1. “Mary Tyler possesses all the qualities you’d expect from a top-notch facilitator: impartiality, objectivity, and an expert-level understanding of [relevant area of expertise]. She effortlessly navigates the complexities of group dynamics and ensures that every participant’s voice is heard and valued. Mary Tyler skillfully manages disputes, controls hijackers, and fosters a collaborative atmosphere that leads to consensus and buy-in.
One of the standout aspects of Mary Tyler’s approach is her innovative use of interactive exercises. She creates an environment where participants are up and moving, engaging in thoughtful discussions and collaborative activities. By incorporating small group settings, Mary Tyler facilitates lively discussions, encourages meaningful exchanges that spark fresh ideas, and builds strong relationships among board members.”
2. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Mary Tyler on community equity work for many years when she was at the helm of NCCJ. I’m thrilled to continue working with her as she brings her immense knowledge of organizational dynamics and capacity building to lead her own consulting company. Mary is a deeply skilled facilitator whose empathy and clear communication style allow her clients to easily connect and learn. Mary recently led an extremely engaging workshop for the Dayton Chamber’s EMPOWER: Women’s Leadership Cohort that focused on inclusive leadership in our current times. I am so grateful for the work that Mary leads throughout our community.”
3. “I have worked with Mary for over ten years, both with a community-wide violence prevention initiative and with my staff team of Prevention Professionals. She is the expert on diversity and inclusion in Montgomery County!
She has the uncanny ability to bring committees to a consensus. I watched her take a group of ten people who had gotten nowhere with planning for several months, help them define their strategies and outcomes, get them on track, and walk out of the room with actual plans and a renewed sense of purpose. All of this in less than 3 hours!”
4. “Mary Tyler is the consummate professional. She has provided a lot of different types of consultant services for Learn to Earn Dayton and without exception her work has exceeded our expectations. Mary consistently over delivers in so many ways: She goes the extra mile in doing the assigned work and carefully processes what she has done to make certain that it aligns with your program or project expectations. I also have SO valued her sense of personal honesty and professional integrity.”
Before returning to consulting, I was a nonprofit leader who enjoyed a rich and fulfilling 25-year career with the United Way Movement that began in Dayton, OH.
I enjoyed serving in United Ways in Modesto, CA, Baltimore, MD, Winston-Salem, NC, and Gastonia, NC. I raised over $110 million for health and human services with United Way, including creating an inaugural African-American leadership giving program in Winston-Salem, NC. The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) continues in Gastonia, NC, because of my administration and collaborative efforts. I have been blessed to work with some incredible leaders and change-makers in the communities where I served.
Throughout my United Way career, I served in various other leadership roles within the Diversity and Inclusion Council, including co-chairperson for the National Diversity Conference in Los Angeles, CA. I was an instructor and consultant for United Way Worldwide, where I taught annually and conducted organizational assessments to assist other United Ways. After retiring as a United Way Executive Director, I used my nonprofit knowledge and expertise to develop and teach community college-level nonprofit classes and workshops. I also consulted for nonprofit organizations, faith communities, and universities.
When I returned home to Dayton, I had the privilege of leading a nonprofit organization, The National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton (NCCJ), which provides diversity and inclusion education and programs to empower current and future community transformation leaders. I led NCCJ until 2019. As the executive director, I developed learning modules for organizations and served as the DEI subject matter expert for Sinclair Community College and their corporate clients.
I have worked with The Dayton Foundation and Mathile Family Foundation for the past two years to design a nonprofit capacity-building initiative for African-American-led organizations and majority-serving populations. My initial work included research, survey designs, interviews, data analysis, and making recommendations to the foundations. After completing the project, they asked if I would launch the 2-year Cohort, which I am still doing.
I remain engaged in the community as a consultant, retired nonprofit leader, community connector, protectress of human rights, and ignitor of action. I serve on a few local and national boards and committees. I serve on the PhoenixNext Board of Directors, focusing on economic development in Northwest Dayton, a historically under-resourced and under-served community. I co-chair the Scholarship Campaign for the new Premier Health YMCA in Northwest Dayton – a Phoenix Next community partner. I am a member of community efforts to leverage the dynamics of aging and change the stereotypes associated with aging. To continue this work, I also serve on the national United Way Next Board of Directors, formerly the United Way Retirees Association. My other volunteer involvement included serving on the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Equity Leadership Team. Following the murder of Mr. George Floyd and its implications for community policing, I participated in one of the City of Dayton Police reform working groups, concentrating on training, implicit bias, de-escalation, and cultural competency – an appointment by the Dayton City Commissioners. For the past two years, I led a Human Rights City Coalition in drafting the resolution to declare Dayton as a human rights city. I am proud to announce that in December 2023, the Dayton City Commissioners passed an Informal Resolution to create the framework for becoming a Human Rights City.
Recently, I began pursuing a Doctorate in Organization Studies as someone continually seeking opportunities to grow. I passionately utilize my skills and talents to strengthen organizations that impact individuals and families throughout the region. As modeled by my mother, when I see a need or injustice, I am responsible for responding to the matter, advocating for justice, and helping find solutions.
As an avid HGTV fan and other design shows, I study interior design, enjoy gospel and country music, relish playing golf, like country line dancing, and share fabulous and fun gatherings with family and friends. I have two best friends who live in California, and we travel together. We have enjoyed London, England, Paris, France, Mazatlán, Mexico, Acapulco, and other marvelous destinations. Once I complete my doctoral program, I plan to visit Australia as a gift to myself. To conclude, I am the grateful mother of two caring adult children (educator and nurse) who I raised to understand that we are blessed to be a blessing to others.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
While serving in the United Way Movement, I stayed abreast of the current local and national trends and best practices in the nonprofit sector to support my work. Whenever I learned about a successful organizational or community endeavor, I studied their application – learnings and successes that sometimes included contacting them via telephone or email to learn more, obtaining real-life examples, and asking questions. Because of great mentors and sponsors, I attended many conferences where I shared my findings and research. After a time, individuals encouraged me to consider teaching and facilitating learning sessions for United Way colleagues nationwide. I have always attended these sessions and gained a great deal, but I had yet to consider that I could lead the sessions. Mentors helped me with the proper introductions. I became one of the United Way Worldwide consultants, facilitating learning sessions part-time and working with my United Way president to navigate a schedule.
I am detail-oriented, and preparedness is a priority. Using my initial approach of researching the subject or content, I brought meaningful examples and information to the attendees, reflected in the positive course evaluations I received for several years. As a result, United Way Worldwide colleagues often called upon me to facilitate regional conferences and on-site sessions at the national office—a key milestone.
Within a couple of years, United Way Worldwide colleagues who noticed my facilitation and fundraising abilities tapped me to be part of the Train the Trainer initiative. After completing the session, I became part of consulting teams that facilitated organizational assessments for local United Ways throughout the country. Small local United Ways began to request the service, and I was able to go solo as the facilitator to lead them through the several-day process—another key milestone.
After retiring from United Way in 2009, a community member recommended that I teach at a nearby community college. The college sought someone with nonprofit experience, but I discovered they wanted to create a nonprofit sector in their entrepreneur center. I accepted the job and created a new program that included adult learning sessions on starting a nonprofit, volunteer engagement, fund development, operating a nonprofit as a business, and other nonprofit practices. Another local community college learned about the program I created and hired me to do the same for them. The United Way Worldwide and community college experiences helped me discover how to use my gifts, skills, talents, and experiences to provide a service I could monetize – a significant milestone.
Two successful female consultants helped me understand how to package and charge for my services. They encouraged me, gave me leads on potential projects, and promoted my work in the community.
I have worked with major companies and nonprofit organizations. Two consulting projects significantly defined the confidence clients had in my abilities. As a certified diversity, equity, and inclusion professional, I worked with our community college’s workforce development division as their subject matter expert. After attending a few meetings with their president, they were impressed with my knowledge and experience in supporting their corporate clients. I assisted their team with an airline, one of their new clients. It was a great collaboration that resulted in helping the airline develop a national diversity initiative and a request to extend my services beyond the college contract. The other project involved a proposal to conduct research, survey designs, interviews, data analysis, and making recommendations to two foundations working in collaboration to build an equity initiative for African-American-led organizations and African-American majority-serving populations. After completing the work, I began assisting in recruiting an individual to lead the initiative. However, the foundation leadership asked me to launch the 2-year Cohort, which reach its final year in 2024. I am pleased and proud of my work for these clients and others.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Decades later, I rely on technology (e.g., communications, facilitating) to work smarter, but the work involves relationships. I work hard to stay abreast of community matters and people to aid in making meaningful connections. Community involvement is crucial; I remain engaged in strategic areas where I can make the most impact. Individuals know they can count on me to be part of the solution when I commit to an initiative or issue. Because of my work ethic standards and visibility in the community, clients feel comfortable making referrals to others, which is how I can maintain a constant consulting portfolio.
Additionally, it is a complex process due to the nature of facilitating learning and introducing business practices using a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. My high emotional intelligence and commitment to being an inclusive leader have contributed to my success in expanding my clientele. I practice what I present. Through practice and learning from missteps, I can manage my emotions and understand the emotions of others. I diligently study organizational culture and individual behavior to help others navigate this journey. As an organizational performance strategist concentrating on diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, these practices have helped me grow my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maryetyler.com/