Eunice Jeffries was a regional director for former U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham, running logistics for him among many other duties, when her first exposure came to the Detroit Economic Club.
There was a lot to like about the association, but mostly Jeffries was impressed with the club’s ability to create an environment – with its midday meetings and networking opportunities – where a lot of work can get done meeting with business leaders from all sorts of industries. The DEC was formed in 1934 as a non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to the discussion and debate of important business, government and social issues. The club, through its monthly meetings, features speakers ranging from Fortune 100 CEOs to top government officials.
That’s the kind of exposure Jeffries thinks is so valuable to the community.
“Just being able to come in contact with other business leaders in other industries and to have that opportunity to interact with them … (DEC President/CEO Steve Grigorian) is great at brokering meaningful relationships between organizations and between people,” said Jeffries, now the executive director of government & community relations at Oakland Community College. “Especially coming from higher ed, that is so important to get those partners out there in the community and hear what they’re thinking.
“A lot of people find their next clients, maybe even their next job, at the DEC,” she added. “For us, it gives us a sneak peek, if you will, and gives us access to those who influence industry. We can take that information back and educate and train our students. So it’s kind of a cyclical effect, if you will. If you’re looking for it, you can get it at the DEC. And if you can’t find it, (Grigorian) will help you.”
These days, Jeffries – who, in addition to Abraham, also worked for former Gov. John Engler and former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, is responsible for government and community relations for OCC, as well as community education. Jeffries, who oversees the non-degree non-credentialed lifelong learning aspect – cooking classes, motorcycle safety, CPL, for example – talked with Corp! Magazine about the various aspects of her career and other issues.
Corp! Magazine: So, what else are you responsible for at OCC?
Eunice Jeffries: The other two buckets for me are government and community affairs or relations. That’s kind of fancy talk for just saying that I’m OCC’s legislative advocate in Lansing and responsible for our college-wide sponsorships.
Corp!: What was it like working in Lansing? What did you learn?
Jeffries: We call ourselves “Engler alums.” I think we are probably some of the best-trained people in terms of protocol. This was before the internet and all of that. So, the number one rule was he better not read it in a paper before hearing about it from us. We were just so well trained in terms of protocol, in terms of follow up, in terms of being humble. I don’t think any of us ever got the “big head.” We were just a really grounded collection of people who worked in that administration.
And the reason why I say that is because, again, just stuff that was normal to the things that we did in terms of protocol with Governor Engler, I would go to another employer and they would be like, ‘oh my God, this is amazing.’
Corp!: You’ve had a pretty varied career. There’re government relations in there, there’s some nonprofit work, some education. You worked for Corewell Heath (then Beaumont). Talk about that a little bit. Why did you take it in the various directions?
Jeffries: The one thing I’ve learned is that we always have transferable skills. It’s always something that you do, even if you might not see it, that will carry you and serve you well in your next role. And so, I had the privilege of learning that pretty early. I did have to reinvent myself, to be perfectly honest, after working for Terri Lynn land, I did have to figure it out. It’s just really important for you to explain to your potential employer how what you currently do is of benefit. And so, I just kind of figured that out of a survival tactic, if you will.
And then the other thing about my career path I learned is that I feel like every single one of my previous roles uniquely prepared me for the next role, even though it doesn’t look like it on paper. And that is also with some volunteer experience. There are some things that just uniquely prepared me for the very next thing that I did. So, I’m a person of faith and I believe our steps are ordered and I have definitely seen evidence of that.
Corp!: You’re in an education position now. Talk a little bit about the state of education at the moment.
Jeffries: There are some disruptors in education right now, artificial intelligence being one of them at the top in terms of disrupting education. And then another big disruption is the modality in which you can become educated. So previously your competitor might’ve been the university up the road … the flagship universities in the state. Now your competitors are online educators that could be in a whole different state but have stood up a pretty successful online program for an advanced degree, a four-year degree, a two-year degree. So, the competition just looks a lot different.
And then the third disruptor that’s always been there is workforce. Sometimes for different segments of our community, higher education isn’t attractive and it’s for different reasons for different communities, but the workforce is also still a very key competitor and that one we can handle.
Corp!: How has online education changed the world of education? There are universities where you don’t do anything but go online. Has that made it harder for you guys?
Jeffries: It’s a blessing and a curse, to be perfectly honest. Typically speaking, online classes fill up first. No secret there. So, it is good from that standpoint, but it is a curse because there are just some things, especially on a community college level, that you just can’t teach online. We do a lot of workforce development training in that. And so, when you’re talking to students that have pretty much been online and then they come in, there’s some things that come with that, maybe punctuality. Sometimes it’s hard to make the case why people need to come in and why people need to come into work. Also, because to your point, they got a full degree online and now I’ve got to do what? Come to work. They want to negotiate.
Corp!: There have been a lot of changes in the education department at the federal level. Have those changes started to affect how you deliver an education, or do they not bother you yet?
Jeffries: I wouldn’t say bother, but sometimes it feels like a job within itself, just staying on top of all the changes and what the implications are and to understand how things fit. I can actually give you a story: OCC has five campuses, but we’ve always operated with one FAFSA code for the entire college somewhere along the way. In the past 11 months, OCC was assigned five FAFSA codes, and it kind of took a few students in a tailspin and we couldn’t figure out why they weren’t connected. I think what it has done, some of the changes, what they have done has caused us to really pay close attention to what changes are coming so that we can be prepare for our students. But also, it’s kind of stretched us from a customer service standpoint to know to extend grace, because if
we can’t figure it out and we’re education professionals, how do we expect working
students, working families to be able to figure it out?
Corp!: As you were coming through college, were you going to be on a different career path? Did you want to be a CPA for instance?
Jeffries: No, and I hate to say this, but I would have to say it was more of a reflection of not good academic advising. I was kind of self-managed and I went to college kind of young. I graduated from high school (Murray Wright High School in Detroit) when I was 16. So, I was a really young (college) freshman 17. I just kind of looked through the catalog and thought a degree in accounting would obviously mean that I had a brand in my head. And so, I just wanted people to know that I was smart. And so, I selected accounting. I had no strong affinity toward accounting. No, I did not want to be a CPA, but it was really just that. And if I had to do it over again, I probably would’ve definitely gravitated to something that would be more pre-law.
Corp!: There’s also some nonprofit work in your background. Is that something that’s important to you?
Jeffries: I was taught you answer a call, not a need. And if everyone answered their call, this society’s needs will be met. And so just to bridge the gap, it’s just important always to give back and have that service-minded approach to life because at some point we all need a little bit of something.
Corp!: What motivates you?
Jeffries: My children, I have three daughters and as a single parent just showing them that people can make it against all odds, that motivates me. And being an example, being there for others, seeing people grow.
Corp!: You must have had some thoughts growing up, what you wanted to do. Did you want to be a doctor, an astronaut, a superhero? What was Eunice like growing up?
Jeffries: You know what? I did have this idea, which probably now we might call them boutique hotels, but I think at one point I did want to own a hotel, and it’s kind of a silly thing. I’m the youngest out of seven and my siblings all have such unique talents. So, in my mind, this hotel was going to be a place that showcased. So, for example, I have a sister that’s an artist and she designed her own wedding gown, and then she sold a pattern to Vogue. So, I’m thinking to have some of her artwork in this hotel. I have a brother who’s a musician. He traveled the world with Stevie Wonder twice. So, I thought, oh, he could do a couple of sets on Friday nights at my hotel, that type of thing. So, I literally own a hotel in Midtown Detroit but would have all these qualities or kind of like, I don’t know if you saw the Princess and the Frog, but I did. I think they had a hotel or a restaurant or something like that but just brought together elements of my family.
