Joyce Washington

Joyce M. Washington’s diverse career spans 40-plus years, primarily serving as a territorial leader for skilled personnel responding to catastrophic disasters in the United States. Her strong management style enabled hundreds of major organizational responses to provide immediate aid, often to thousands of insurance customers, and rapid damage assessments and financial settlements to help individuals and families rebuild homes and lives. Problem-solving has been one of her greatest attributes, and her expertise includes change management, talent development, multi-functional operational management, internal/external communication, recruiting, and large-scale logistical planning. She also has a proven track record for transforming organizational cultures to maximize operational efficiency.

Her passions are mentoring leaders and growing diverse teams. She rose through the ranks of a Fortune 100 company beginning in 1971, and, due mainly to her formal efforts over time, leadership diversity was increased by 25 percent. She often found herself the first or only woman and person of color to hold leadership positions within the ranks. In addition to her business experience, Ms. Washington is formally an advocate and facilitator for social justice. She leads workshops on implicit bias for the Racial Justice From the HEART organization in this role. Her audiences seek to understand different racial perspectives and the true history of the United States, with participants including community activist peers, seminary students, teachers, social workers, church groups, and social services groups. Joyce’s philosophical approach to transformational management and culture is grounded in her belief that any business or organization’s most valuable asset is its people.

Joyce holds a master’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Strategic Communication. She is active in her community, serving as President of the Weakley County Reconciliation Project and Advisory Board vice-chair for the College of Business and Global Affairs, the University of Tennessee at Martin. She is a member of Delta Sigma Thea Sorority, Inc., serving as recording secretary for the Martin Alumnae Chapter.

Joyce has three grown children and seven grandchildren. She has lived around the country and in Bamberg, Germany. She grew up in rural Northwest Tennessee and returned to her roots in 2007. She uses her mother-wit and God-given passion to “Do the right thing. Not the popular thing.”