Orchestrating Success

Spotlight by Brynne Pulver, Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, UNC Greensboro

As the Administrative Coordinator to the President at the Urban College of Boston in Massachusetts, Malcolm Dyer has established himself as an integral part of the team.  In his role, he performs both the duties of executive assistant and board administrator, tackling everything from figuring out a complicated scheduling puzzle, to implementing and attending board meetings, to planning for commencement.

About a year after graduating with a Master of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Malcolm found himself continuing to perform but also making his way into arts administration, working full-time as a program coordinator at a community music school.  In 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep the United States, the performing arts and arts-related jobs became obsolete almost overnight. While he still plays the cello and performs regularly, the pandemic had a profound effect on his mindset, and he began to realize how much his dedication to family, personal values, and views on the education he received aligned with the mission of higher education, especially the ideal that “education is for everyone.” Urban College of Boston is a two-year private, non-profit college that supports underserved populations and non-traditional students, a mission that Malcolm is very passionate about. Malcolm comments, “To those that received the message that college is not for me, we meet them where they are.” In fact, Malcolm’s proudest moments at Urban College of Boston have been “planning for and participating in Commencement.”  In speaking about his experiences with commencement, he states that, “As our biggest event of the year, it takes a ton of effort from the whole team to put together, but the joy of that day makes it all worth it. Our students have overcome so many challenges along the way, and with their families (and kids!) cheering them on, the sense of accomplishment and celebration in the room is infectious.”

When asked what skills or qualities he believes have been the most important to his success, Malcolm indicated that his ability to listen and his organizational mindset were his greatest contributors. His keen ability to listen allows him to be adaptable and diplomatic, while his organizational mindset gives him license to set goals and complete tasks efficiently.  Malcolm sets high standards for himself to help himself grow, but also to “put the success of the team first.”

In his short tenure as Administrative Coordinator, Malcolm has already been through a presidential transition, having served both the interim president and the current president. He attributes much of his success in his career to date to both presidents, who taught him the “power of openness” and have supported his endeavors to gain certifications and seek professional development opportunities such as attending the NAPAHE conference and becoming a NAPAHE member.   In addition to supporting his professional goals, both presidents have given Malcolm a seat at the table, allowing him to share his ideas and input in key decisions; “The way that they have invited me into the key discussions and allow me to attend important meetings has been a huge source of growth for me.”   

With all his responsibilities in the president’s office, you may ask, “How does Malcolm maintain a work-life balance?”  The truth is, like for many in his position, Malcolm struggles with finding a good balance.  He currently has a hybrid schedule, where he works from home two days a week.  This has been very beneficial for the working dad, who also says his personal goal of “focusing at the end of the day on trying to reach a point where it is okay to leave the rest” has allowed him to be present for his family at home and make space in his life for personal interests outside of work. In addition to spending time with his wife and daughter and playing the cello, Malcolm is an avid coffee enthusiast who roasts his own coffee beans and always tries to find the best cafes to get single origin pour-over coffees.

There is no doubt that Malcolm wears many hats, but whether he is doing the work of an administrative coordinator, playing the cello, roasting coffee, or being a husband and father, his abilities to listen, to be present in the moment, to be open to growth and development, and to set high standards, have given him the ability to orchestrate his success. 

Malcolm's Quick Takes