(soft music) - Hello everyone, I'm Jennifer Moss.

It is time for Powerful Women, Let's Talk, but today we greet you in our new format actually on set.

So instead of just audio, we are now streaming both audio and video, and it's something that we are very excited about, and we are even more excited to kick this video podcast version off with our very own president of Grand Valley State University, Dr. Philomena Mantella.

So we wanna thank you for joining us today.

And Dr. Mantella, we of course thank you for being here for our inaugural video podcast.

- Thank you, Jennifer.

I'm proud to be here for your first one.

- Yeah, it's pretty exciting.

So we've been looking forward to this conversation.

I know I have, I wanna start by getting folks a little background.

We of course know you and know a lot about you here at Grand Valley, but this podcast, we know ever know who's listening or now who's watching.

so we wanna give a little backdrop.

You came here to Grand Valley State University in 2019.

Move quickly into this world of the pandemic in 2020, but at the core of it all, you have been implementing your drive for innovation and education, and looking to expand the university's reach to underrepresented in non-traditional students.

And we'll of course talk a little bit more about that shortly, but I first wanna add that you were no stranger to Michigan.

When you first arrived here, as you have your PhD in college and university administration from MSU, right?

And your master's and bachelor's degrees from Syracuse University.

Prior to your arrival here, you were the Senior Vice President of enrollment and student life at Northeastern University.

You've got more than 30 years in higher education and served on many, many boards.

An amazing career, and you're doing some amazing things here at Grand Valley.

I wanted to give some background as we have listeners from all over, again, and I think it's important for people to know where you've been and what you've done as we talk about powerful women, right?

Because then people can kind of see the trajectory of your career.

Our conversation then will reveal how you've moved from point A to point B.

It kind of creates that full picture.

So again, we wanna welcome you to Powerful Women, Let's Talk.

So let's talk, right?

- Okay.

- We got a lot to talk about.

So you came, again, in 2019, you've been here for a couple years, heading up the state's fourth largest university.

Pandemic is unfortunately raging on.

You've got a full plate.

Doing some great things.

Big question, how's the journey going?

And the bigger question is, are you enjoying the journey despite all that's happening in this world right now?

- So, I'll start with the second part, which is I'm thoroughly enjoying the journey.

And I think part of really the context we are living in is you have to grab your joy where you can and keep your eye focused on your purpose in life.

And for me, it's all about education's relevance in the 21st century and the important work that we've done as educators and that we have to do.

So totally enjoying the journey, and I would say that West Michigan and Grand Valley just are great community to be in a leadership role in and among wonderful people.

So it's hard, it's stressful, you know?

It's making decisions with incomplete information each and every day, but you're doing that among people you respect and for a purpose that's really at your heart and in great need in this country.

- And again, it's at that heart of the community, and that's important because you're directly connected with so many and so many students here who look to you for that leadership.

And that's one of the things we talk about in Powerful Women is that leadership, you know?

What are some of the leadership qualities you look for in people that you lead, work with, perhaps even mentor as you go along this journey?

- Yeah.

Well, you touched on one, which is not being afraid to lead with both your head and your heart, you know?

That that is something that I think is a part of a woman's soul in many ways.

And I think early on in my career, when I was thinking about how do you compete in a man's world, I was a little more timid to lead with my heart, my humanity, my compassion, the things that we associate many times with women.

And coming into that fullness of leadership, and I look for that.

Authentic leadership, it's a common term.

And people who are comfortable with empowering others, which means if you're in a leadership role, you have to be willing to let things happen a little more organically because you don't have control of the journey at every level and figure out how to put the right guardrails so the organization is moving in the direction that you intend as a course, but it will be imperfect along those blurry lines because you're allowing people to follow their passion and lead.

So I look for people who are comfortable in that zone and don't need just a full plate of structure in order to put their leadership to work.

- You kind of maybe let them learn as they go of sorts, but helping them kind of giving a little lift, but letting them discover some things along the way?

- Yeah.

I mean, I think particularly as an educator, one of the things we should be is continuous learners, right?

And I think probably, if we as individuals are honest with ourselves, we think of those moments where we reflected on what we did and said how could I have done it better or how can I be stronger?

And that intuition to do that, that reflex to do that I think creates a stronger and stronger leader over time.

And so I look a lot for that, you know?

I look for the humility, I look for the willingness to say, I did this, I made some mistakes, I made this correction, I learned this.

Those are all words that I enjoy seeing.

In education, when people are coming with deep, deep roots in a discipline many times with deep roots in leadership, they're experts by definition, but certitude can be a real problem.

So experts and certitude are two different things.

We can have an expertise, but if we become certain, we're really in not making room for others and others' points of view, which we know of course enriches our thinking and our direction.

- Allowing that room to grow as you move forward.

- Absolutely.

- So, a lot of times, as we talk about powerful women, you've got a lot of accomplishments, you've got goals, but we all know it's not a cake walk, right?

And so, in the midst of your journey, have there been any barriers that you've encountered?

'Cause you touched on it earlier when you were talking about how you didn't always let your full self be known because you thought maybe you had to construct it in a certain way 'cause you're a woman and you didn't wanna let that softer side show.

But, so as you traveled along your career's path, being a woman coming up in the ranks of higher ed, have there been barriers that you've encountered along the way?

- Yeah, I mean, the first thing that came to mind when you asked that was the barriers we put up in ourselves, the sort of imposter syndrome or the worries.

Are we really capable enough, skillful enough to be a university president, in my case?

I took a lot of years before I thought I was ready.

People used to tell me literally, probably, while I was changing my position to go from Pace University as Executive Vice President to Northeastern University in a similar role, and I had a lot of outreaches for president.

So that was 20 years ago, and I had to become fully ready, fully capable, and fully practiced.

And so, I'm curious when I look back, if I had taken a risk, would that been a good risk or a poor risk, you know?

So I think those self barriers are number one.

There's always barriers around you.

Maybe it's a financial barrier.

Maybe you're in a situation where there's a scarcity of resources.

Maybe it's dominated by one kind of thinking or one kind of approach.

But I think the most profound ones are the ones we put in ourselves.

- That's good, and so, you're so super busy and everybody, you know, it's just so many things going on.

What are some of the things that you do to relax, sit back, kick back, have fun?

What do you do?

- So one of my routines, I wish I could tell you I wake up and I go to the gym, which used to be my routine.

- [Jennifer] Didn't we all?

- I'm still struggling with exactly how to fit that back into my life.

But one of my routines is I have this little space in my house where I light a candle in the morning, and I really think about things larger than me.

I think about God, I think about my faith in the world, I think about, you know, I ask for help in making good decisions.

And I actually, I don't know if it counts as fun, but it's calming, it's reassuring, and it moves me forward in a positive mindset in the day.

So I really enjoy that.

I do a little reading, and then I get into my emails kind of start the day at usually somewhere between four and five in the morning-- - [Jennifer] Makes for a long day.

- Yeah, it does.

And get those three hours before people are really up and about to have that time.

So I enjoy that.

I do like to go to the gym, although I haven't fit it in as much to my life.

I love biking, and my husband and I both like fishing.

- [Jennifer] Fun, fun.

- So we enjoy that.

And so, having all water all around us in Michigan is awesome.

- In the perfect spot.

We also talked a quick second before we started this conversation, you said, "Oops, let me make sure my iPad's on 'cause those grands might call."

So that's gotta be part of your fun stuff too.

- Oh my God, yes.

Family comes first, absolutely.

I have three sons.

All grown, all married, and five grandchildren with the two oldest.

And so, they are just life fulfilling.

I mean, they're amazing.

- Wonderful.

So my next question may fit into some of that because it's my favorite question 'cause I, you know, they say it's good for the soul, laughter.

What makes you laugh?

What are some of the things that you could think of or anything that you could think of that makes you laugh?

- Well, the grandkids definitely make you laugh.

I mean, they just come up with God knows what.

I don't know.

We just, usually a good family game because all of our personalities when we were three to five come out then, you know?

And, yeah.

- [Jennifer] Absolutely.

- And a good, you know, a good movie.

Just a good movie.

- Good old movie.

So we've got a lot happening in the world today.

We've been talking about that.

People are often looking for a word of encouragement.

So do by chance have a favorite saying, perhaps a motto or just something that you encourage yourself with that you kind of look at from time to time that says this is kind of my little piece of what I'm leaning on?

- Yeah, I mean, what I think about, what comes to mind there is, you know, lead from where you are.

And I often tell, when I meet with students, they'll say, "Well, I'm not in a leadership role."

And I think that's a big mistake we all make.

We can lead from where ever we are.

And that encourages me so that whether I'm attending some sort of group discussion, and I leave that and I'm compelled by it, I think, well how, even with a busy schedule, how can I lead from where I am in keeping this discussion going?

Or, you know, on a volunteer board, it's the same thing.

So I think there's an opportunity for everyone to lead and be themselves in that leadership journey.

And part of that is where I sit today and what my opportunities are.

- Love it, lead from where you are.

Dr. Mantella, thank you so much for joining us.

I really enjoyed this conversation.

- I did as well, thank you.

- Thank you, and thank you so much for joining us for another addition of Powerful Women, Let's Talk.

I'm Jennifer Moss.

Do enjoy your day.

(soft music) - Terri DeBoer has been delivering weather for 30 years, maybe at least at Wood TV while also raising three very busy kids.

How did Terri make her career decisions?

What does it take to stay focused in one very public profession?

Plus, how does she find time to write a book?

So she's brought her book.

We'll talk about it.

Terri, welcome to this edition of Powerful Women, Let's Salk.

- I'm so excited.

Don't really consider myself as being super powerful, but I will gladly accept the title that you have bestowed upon me.

- You have, you you've made all the positive checks and here you are because, yes, you are powerful.

When, I mean, do you even remember your first day, we'll say at Wood TV sharing a forecast?

- Yeah, I do.

I remember that.

My career was kind of one of these where, you know, we never go in a straight path.

It's kind of this evolving journey.

And so, I started my career as a television news reporter and an anchor.

Went back to college then a couple of years later to become a meteorologist because I'd always loved the weather.

And as I kinda looked at the TV landscape in the late 80s, dating myself here, I just really saw that television stations were making a huge priority in trying to diversify their staffs.

And so, aside from the woman who was typically an anchor, there really weren't a lot of females either doing sports or weather.

And so, I took this flyer on myself saying I always really loved the environment, the outdoors, and I was passionate about science and math, and so I went back to college and got a second degree in meteorology and I made that pivot from news to weather.

And so, I was fortunate enough.

I do remember my very first weather cast on television.

I did a little 30 second cut into "The Today Show."

That was the debut, and I just remember thinking, I had been on TV at that point for almost a decade and just thinking at this point that I was flying without a script, you know?

Because the weather's all ad lib.

And so I had to rely on my knowledge and communication skills to put together a forecast in 30 seconds.

And then, you know, that was 30 years ago.

- Yes.

As little Terri, did you like the sciences?

Did you like the public?

Did you enjoy the cameras and being the messenger?

How were you shaped to enter this profession?

- Yeah, I always, I was very good at science and math, and interesting now that I've added author to my job title, that if I even look back on those aptitude tests that they do, I scored lower in the language arts skills than in science and math.

And so that was always, had wonderful counselors along the way who kind of said, you know, this is a good way to measure what you would be good at.

And science and math obviously are right in your wheelhouse, but I was also really a people person.

And so, at the time, this was before there was the internet and before there were a lot of opportunities to really see what other people were doing.

I thought if I'm gonna do something that's around people, it almost can't be science based.

And so, it was so cool that then I was able to make that pivot in my career so many years ago to say I can do science and math and communicate a people person.

I could do all of those things.

- And do you recommend that to a young Terri DeBoer that's beginning her journey?

- I do.

I think, you know, I always say the happiest people, and you know this, Shelley, because I mean, you love what you do.

The happiest people are the people who are able to do what they do everyday because they love it.

And as a bonus, they get paid for it.

It gets to be your job.

- But no job is without challenges.

Would there have been a challenge either in your early days or staying sustainable for 30 years?

- Well, I think early on, I didn't really, I didn't have a clue on where it would go.

As I finished my degree and made the transition from news into weather, that was the time I was getting married.

And so, at the time, the television news industry had, you know, this was late 80s, early 90s.

You had very few options except to pack up everything and move to another town in order to expand your career.

And so, that Terri was a little worried that maybe by making this commitment to start a family that that would be the end of my upward movement in my career.

And fortunately, now especially, especially in the 21st century, it's not mutually exclusive.

You really can do it all.

You really can have both opportunities to advance and grow your career and your platform and to have a good quality home life.

- Did you have a mentor and are young women asking for you to be theirs?

- I did, I had a lot of great mentors along the way.

I think one of the best and most profound connections I had early on at Wood TV, Diane Knowski was our general manager.

I know you know Diane well.

She was just a pillar in this community.

And she, like me, a working mom, and she kind of understood the challenges.

And so, anytime I had a question about, I would go into her office and I would say, okay, this is the mom Terri talking to you.

This isn't the employee Terri.

this isn't the meteorologist Terri.

I need some advice, I need some guidance.

And she was always willing to change hats in our relationship, and that was really nice.

And so for me now, I do view it as a great opportunity to mentor the young women and to really help, especially as people are getting out of college and starting their careers and wondering what's the place in the media?

Can I have a career?

Can I have a sustaining career?

Does what I do matter?

There are those great options, and to be able to really sit down and listen to these young women and some young men as they're going through kind of what are their hopes and dreams and aspirations.

I'm happy that people trust me to be that person for them.

- When was it time to write the book?

- So I'd always wanted to write a book.

I mean, I can remember so many times, especially during ArtPrize, 'cause you know, you're such a fixture walking around downtown Grand Rapids.

- Not you.

- Walking, running, skipping, jumping.

- This is not Terri DeBoer.

- I know, but I would remember running into you and every time we would talk, I'd say, (gasps) I wanna write a book.

I wanna write a book.

Shelley, I really wanna write a book.

And I'd had that dream on my heart for about 40 years.

And, so in January of 2020, I thought, this is the year.

And so I took a flyer, I emailed somebody I had met at a book signing who worked at a local publisher, and I said, I've got this concept for a book.

And we had a couple meetings, and he kind of pointed me in the direction.

And next thing you know, I had a contract and a deadline, which always motivates people.

- [Shelley] Yep.

- And ended up writing a book.

- There it is, January, 2020.

It wasn't that called pre-- - Pre-COVID.

Yeah, that was the beginning.

Yeah, so I wrote, I actually, I signed the contract and got the deadline given to me just as the world was shutting down.

So I said I had basically those months of COVID isolation with a mission because I had a manuscript to write.

And so I spent those months writing the first draft of what would become "Brighter Skies Ahead: Forecasting a Full Life When You Empty the Nest."

- [Shelley] What's it about?

- It's about the transition that was the hardest for me in my life of being an empty nester.

I always thought that, I really believe that the weather has many similarities to life, you know?

Life unfolds in a series of seasons just like the weather.

We've got the beginning stages, the growing up years, which it's a lot like spring.

And then we move into the young adult season, which is like summer.

And then we get into this busyness, I did for sure with three busy kids we call the juggling X season, which sort of corresponds to fall.

And then the next season, the empty nest season, which can feel like it's the winter.

Like everything is cold and done and drab out there.

And Shelley, I gotta tell you, I had such a difficult time adjusting to the empty nest.

I mean, I loved the chaos of always having a million things going on and even the getting three or four hours of sleep a night and driving my kids to practice and then taking a nap in the back seat of my car while they were doing their soccer or golf or hockey workouts.

- So that's the secret to success?

- Yes, exactly.

Take a nap in the back of your car.

And so, yeah, so I was not ready for the sadness and the melancholy and almost the grief for me that came along with entering the empty nest stage.

And so, I thought if I feel like this, and for me, I have a career I love, I'm still very much active, I volunteer in our community, I've got great friends, I'm still married to my same husband of all these years, my kids are amazing.

- [Shelley] Did you say grandma?

- I'm a grandma now too.

Yeah, exactly, and I have a three year-old grandson, Levi.

And so I thought, if I just feel this huge void in my life while I have so much that is full about my life, I know this has to be universal.

This feeling has to be universal.

And so I ended up trying to find a book to read that would speak to me, and I didn't find one that I felt hopeful and optimistic and joyful enough.

And so, I basically wrote the book I wanted to read.

- [Shelley] Is there a companion to it?

- There is.

And so, I got busy and did a journal that goes along with the book.

Yeah and so they were both released on November 9th, 2021.

So this is the, and I've got two more books I'm working on.

Of course I am, right?

You know, you're gonna love this metaphor.

It took 40 years to write the first book, and once I did it and I realized that I could do it, I was like the guy that was the first person to run the four minute mile, right?

Once you do it, you feel like you can do it.

- Here we go, fun facts.

You lived in a single wide trailer until you were in eighth grade.

- Yes.

Yeah, my dad was in the Air Force.

And so, as a result, we moved around the country a good bit.

And so my parents had a single wide trailer, and I remember when my dad got back from Vietnam in 1969, we took everything off the walls.

They brought a semi in, loaded up our trailer and pulled us to a little trailer park right beside the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana where we ended up staying until the Missouri River flooded in 1975.

Every 11 years, there's a catastrophic flood along the Missouri River, so in '75, they came in in the middle of the night and loaded up all the trailers onto semi trucks and they pulled us, and then we ended up finding a spot in the trailer park on the Air Force base, Malmstrom Air Force base, and lived there until eighth grade when my parents finally decided we were gonna stay put in Montana for a while and bought a house.

And I actually visited the trailer park and the house Labor Day weekend last year, which was so much, it was really cool to come full circle, to make a little voyage and pilgrimage home.

- Brings you back.

Why am I to ask you about Spam?

- Spam.

(laughs) Okay, I like to consider myself a fairly healthy person, but I will tell you that Spam-- - This is a good thing.

- Is one of my favorite foods on the planet.

I love the taste of spam.

It's delicious.

Have you ever?

- No.

Have you ever tried Spam?

- Never had it.

- Well, don't try it because you will, I mean, it's borderline addictive.

So anyway, so that would be my, if I was looking to splurge and allow myself to have kind of a cheat meal or whatever, it would be Spam, but until I read the back of the can and realized how much sodium and fat there is, and so now I think I have not had Spam in probably eight or nine years.

- It's probably like a lot of foods.

- A lot of those things.

- The cheesecake.

- Yeah, the older we get, we're allowed to have that.

- Thank you, powerful woman.

- Thank you very much, equally powerful woman.

I appreciate it.

I'm so excited for you, Shelley, and what you do all the time here at WGVU because you definitely are a wonderful voice for our community and congrats on 20 amazing years.

How amazing?

- Thank you for that, but this is all about you.

Thanks, Terri DeBoer.

- [Terri] And about you too.

- That's it for this edition of Powerful Women, Let's Talk.

I'm Shelley Irwin.

(soft music)