We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Randolph Wells . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Randolph below.

Hi Randolph , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

There could be several people, I could say have been the Best Boss ever. I can narrow that down to two people because both have been very instrumental in the person I have become over the past couple of years. The First one would be my current supervisor, Ms. Tracey Oliver-Keyser the Senior VP of Resident Services with the Housing Authority Baltimore City. Since meeting her in 2020 she has been one of the nicest and encouraging supervisors. She was one the biggest supporters when it came to me finishing my Undergraduate Degree in Human Services Administration and going for my Master’s in Public Administration. She made sure that I stayed up on my studies and always asked about my progress. Ms Oliver-Keyser always wants her staff to excel and grow and pushes us to be the best that we can be. That is why she will always be one of the best supervisors I have had. The second person I would have to say would be my pastor Bishop Walter Scott Thomas Sr. of New Psalmist Baptist Church. Bishop Thomas has been an amazing mentor and leader for not only me but also for several young men that he mentors. Just like I said about my current supervisor Bishop Thomas was also a big supporter in completing my Undergraduate Degree and then going on to pursue my Master’s in Public Administration. At a time when I was feeling lost, Bishop Thomas was there to encourage me to keep moving forward and trust in myself that all things work out when you trust and believe in God. Even today both push me to be the best that I can be with Public Speaking, Leading projects and being the best that I can be.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Randolph Wells, but most people know me as Randy. I currently work for the Housing Authority Baltimore City as the Community Engagement Liaison in our Office of Resident Services division. My job consists of being a helpful hand to the residents of Poe Homes with the redevelopment of the property and also providing resources to the residents that could assist them with helping to pay bills or other needs that they may have to become more independent. I also attend the University of Baltimore where I’m pursuing my Master’s in Public Administration and I also serve as the Student Events Board President where the student organization plans and carries out campus-wide activities for the Ubalt community. I also serve on several campus-wide committees like the 100-year celebration, and the campus engagement as the student voice. Outside of work and school, I sit on the board of directors for a local non-profit called the I AM ME Project as the Board’s Vice President. The I AM ME PROJECT is a local non-profit where our goal is to provide a safe space for young women to engage with one another by developing a positive sense of self-awareness and cultivating lasting relationships through inspirational seminars, innovative workshops, and exciting after-school programs. Lastly, I help oversee the First Impression iServe Ministry at New Psalmist Baptist Church.

I believe what makes me proud the most is being a servant leader, In every position that I hold I believe that the skills of being a good servant leader help me stay grounded and help me continue to learn and to be the best person that I can be while continuing to serve in any capacity that I’m in at the moment.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The best advice I can give for managing a team and maintaining high morale is that you should always be open and honest with your team. No matter if the team is big or small just remember that they are people too and that they have feelings. One of the quotes I have used when managing a team is “Teamwork makes the dream work”. As a manager or supervisor, you should never think what you are asking your team to do is beneath you. You should be able to do the same thing that you are asking them to do. When you work with your team to get the overall goals accomplished it helps keep the morale high and also make sure you show appreciation to your team, and let them know how valuable they are.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a time when I had to take a step back and pivot in both my career and life. From about 2010 to 2015 I worked very hard where I was taking care of myself. I was working sometimes 10-14 hours a day and even working on the weekend and just always saying yes and jumping in there to get work done. In April 2015 I fell ill and was admitted to the hospital with double pneumonia. I was hospitalized for about a week and a half and during that time there was a moment that things didn’t look good. I had to stop and say Randy it’s time to get yourself together, and because I’m a praying man I got out of my hospital bed found a corner, and Prayed to God that if he got me through this I would make a real change. That was the start of a real change and I pivoted in both my career and life to make sure I was taking more care of myself and learning that although work is important you also need to take care of yourself. I had to learn to make myself a priority. Since then I have made every conscience effort to make sure that I put myself first.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: rwells_84
• Facebook: Randy Wells III
• Linkedin: Randy Wells III
• Twitter: @Randywe25

Image Credits
these are phone camera pictures that were taken on my phone