Staff Spotlight: Tayah Butler

Tayah Butler serves as the director of diversity and inclusion for the Office of Undergraduate Programs and has been with the Poole College of Management for over three years. Butler earned her Master of Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, in 2002.

As the director of diversity and inclusion, Butler’s core responsibility is to engage everyone in Poole College to develop cultural competence and create space for marginalized communities to thrive. She is currently a member of the University Diversity Advisory Council (to the Provost), the Bias Incident Response Committee, the African American Advisory Council, the Latinx Advisory Council and the Native American Advisory Council. 

Work at Poole College

Why did you decide to join Poole College?

I joined the Poole College of Management to lead a cultural change for faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members involved in our organization.

What have you enjoyed most about your experience at Poole College?

The willingness of the Poole College faculty and staff to jump on board to help with the events and campaigns that I plan.

What do you see as the greatest strengths of Poole College?

Our humility and the eagerness to do better for our organization and the community.

What advice would you give a staff member who has recently joined Poole College?

There are a lot of amazing people in Poole, so take advantage of the community events to get to know the faces and personalities.

Professional Accomplishments

What project that you completed at Poole you are most proud of? 

I am especially proud of the Women’s History Month HerStory Reception in 2019. This event was one of a kind. Not only were the alumni totally amazing at storytelling, but Aisha Fukushima also rocked our worlds. I cried so many times that night, and the painstaking effort to pull off such an event was worth it!

What do you believe is your most interesting accomplishment as a staff member? 

I mentor a group of men of the Black Male Initiative. I meet them every other Friday morning at 8 a.m. for breakfast at Waffle House on Avent Ferry. The relationships I have made there are precious to me. The men truly have become like family to me and have gotten to know both my husband and my daughter personally.

What professional organizations are you currently a member of?

I am currently a member of the Raleigh Chamber Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board. 

Life Outside of Poole

Where were you born and what countries/state/cities did you live it?

I was born in Warnambool, Australia, but I was raised in Eugene, Oregon. 

When you are not at Poole College, what do you enjoy doing for fun? 

When I am not at Poole, I am helping my husband restore an inherited family farm in South Carolina. His ancestors farmed the land and now we are imagining its future since no one is left to farm it. I am honored to be by his side in that journey and get overwhelmed at the potential future for my daughter and her cousins in that ancestral place.

What do you consider as your greatest accomplishment outside of work?

As I mentioned earlier, the family farm is not my story to tell. It’s my husband’s and his relatives, but for me, to be part of their journey as a family member whom they can rely on to carry forward the future is a really big deal for me. They are counting on me to play a part and I am honored to be invited into their story as a supporting actor.