Pearl Alexander departs Georgia Tech after 37 years
When she reflects on nearly 40 years at Georgia Tech, Pearl Alexander says the time went fast.
With a chuckle and a tone of voice that matched her raised eyebrows, she recalled her first year at the Institute “must have been” 1987. At that time, Alexander was working on a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University – where she also worked in human resources – while raising a young child.
Based on reliable intel, she began searching for a more flexible and better-paying position at Georgia Tech.
“I decided I’d better get to know some people over there,” she said. “You learn quickly that if you’ve got somebody inside that’s willing to recommend you, you’re more likely to get the job, so I made friends with some people in HR at Georgia Tech. And the rest is history.”
Where it started
Alexander’s work at the beginning of her 37-year run at Georgia Tech was routine – processing immigration paperwork or taking reception duties – but it didn’t stay that way for long.
Whenever her managers asked for a volunteer or an opportunity arose to learn something new, she raised her hand. If a coworker announced their departure and she had an interest in learning their work, Alexander asked to pick up a responsibility.
Her career at Tech included work in employee benefits, records, equity and inclusion, and organizational culture, among others. Alexander’s passion emerged for developing and supporting people in advancing their careers and ensuring those who had historically been the least visible had a voice.
In the mid-’90s, when her director retired, she assumed the role of director of diversity management and was able to put that passion into full practice.
“I always told my bosses, ‘Put me in coach. Give me a shot at this or that.’ So, I’ve really benefitted from that,” she said. “When I became a manager, I saw opportunities to do more, and as I’ve gone along the way, I’ve always been very interested in presenting my people with opportunities for advancement – it’s like lifting them as you climb.”
‘Lift as You Climb’
Since her move into that director role, Alexander’s presence at Tech has become synonymous with leadership development and inclusion initiatives.
Several professional development programs developed by Alexander – like the Inclusive Leaders Academy, Leading Women @Tech, and Culture and Leadership Coaching – have seen hundreds of participants, with dozens of employees crediting the programs directly with their advancement at the Institute and beyond. Belonging initiatives, including employee resource groups, have also been a staple of Alexander’s presence.
Stephanie Ray, associate dean of students, is a long-time colleague of Alexander’s. Ray joined Georgia Tech in 1997 and has worked closely with Alexander since then. Ray said she is a product of Alexander’s “lift as you climb” approach, and now, things have come full circle, as she serves as a Culture and Leadership coach.
“Without a doubt, Pearl is the best mentor that I’ve ever had. Sometimes, it’s felt like she’s had more faith in me than I’ve had in myself, and I never, ever wanted to let her down,” Ray said.
Alexander’s leadership style lifted the profile and contributions of countless individuals across campus, Ray said, and she counts herself among them.
“If it weren’t for Pearl, I don’t know if I would be where I am today,” she said. “Her work will always speak for her.”
‘A Visionary’
Equally as impressive as her leadership qualities and ability to develop her team members is Alexander’s tenacity, according to those who served as her supervisors over the years.
It’s no secret that she came up in a time when workplaces were not always friendly to ambitious women, but she bucked that trend largely because she never saw an opportunity too small, said Archie Ervin, Georgia Tech’s retired vice president of Institute Diversity. But, he added, it was also because she believed firmly that her own success meant those around her could grow, too.
Likewise, Alexander searched for ways to leverage advanced degrees into career growth and then further advance her career with the knowledge she gleaned. In 1998, she graduated from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, after years of attending classes at night. She said she’d chosen law as an avenue to understand the entire HR department – from personnel to the intricacies of compliance.
Ervin called Alexander a “visionary,” unmatched in her ability to recognize the contributions and potential of underrepresented groups and to create systemic professional development networks that have lasting impact on an organization’s culture, as they have at Georgia Tech.
“I recruited Pearl to work on my team because of my impressions of her ability to make big, big impact on whatever she was doing,” said Ervin, who supervised Alexander for around eight years. “She managed to navigate the culture that she entered more than 35 years ago and become a powerhouse in making the Institution more accessible to women leaders. Today, Georgia Tech is far better off because of many of Pearl’s initiatives.”
If you ask Alexander, much of her drive and her desire to see others progress comes from her upbringing. Her parents emphasized the importance of education, and she watched as her father counseled community members and coworkers to help them grow.
She smiled as she reflected on the trait passed down from generation to generation.
“When I look back, I realize that people have often come to me for advice, and I think it’s a way to give back. I’ve never wanted to be that person who gets to the top and looks around, and there’s nobody that’s alongside you anymore or even ahead of you,” Alexander said, noting that she’s taken particular care to look out for her fellow women of color in her work. “It’s funny, I’ll hear my daughter on a work call sometimes and she’s a good little coach too. That makes me proud.”
After her 37 years at Georgia Tech, Alexander said she feels her work at the Institute is finally done. Starting in December, she’ll pursue another opportunity in a different university system. But, of course, she will hold dear her colleagues, community, and important work at Georgia Tech.
“I always think about what people come to me for and what they come back to me to tell me about,” Alexander said. “And what they often come back to tell me is what they’ve learned from a program or a piece of advice or what has made them better beyond just what happens at work. Those pieces – leader development, mentoring, and a sense of inclusion and belonging – that is the legacy that I hope leave.”
– By Thomas Hartwell