Oral History Program Enrique Romo Interviewed by Tasha Petroff 4 April 2016 Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah Enrique Romo Interviewed by Tasha Petroff 4 April 2016 Copyright © 2023 by Weber State University, Stewart Library Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. The reviewed and corrected transcripts are indexed, printed, and bound with photographs and illustrative materials as available. The working files, original recording, and archival copies are housed in the University Archives. Project Description The Weber State College/University Student Projects have been created by students working with several different professors on the Weber State campus. The topics are varied and based on the student's interest or task for a specific assignment. These oral history assignments were created to help Weber State students learn the value and importance of recording public history and to benefit the expansion of the Weber State oral history collections. ____________________________________ Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account. It reflects personal opinion offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ____________________________________ Rights Management This work is the property of the Weber State University, Stewart Library Oral History Program. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Romo, Enrique, an oral history by Tasha Petroff, 4 April 2016, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, Special Collections and University Archives, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Abstract: The following is an oral history interview with Dr. Enrique Romo. It is being conducted on April 4, 2016 in Enrique’s office and concerns his leadership experience as a minority. The interviewer is Tasha Petroff. TP: Please start by telling me a little bit about your background: your childhood, your teen years, where you grew up, and things like that. ER: Thank you, Tasha, for giving me the opportunity to work with you on this project. For my childhood, growing up in Mexico, I was a little bit sheltered because I had the opportunity to travel a lot in Mexico. Also, my parents always wanted us to have different experiences, so they took us to many trips in the United States as well, so I was a little bit familiar with the culture and the ways of the Americans, if you will, but then it was kind of a drastic challenge for me when we decided to move back to the United States and made this our home. We had to go through an adjustment period, because we had to learn the language, and then we had to go to school here, which was very different than what I was used to with my people, my friends, my colleagues, family members. Having to come here was a bit of a shock. Not necessarily understanding the culture that much because I was exposed to it with my travels, and we would always cross the border to do a lot of different things, but then having to live in that environment was very different, so that taught me a lot about persistence and a lot about how every action we take in our own lives has consequences, either positive or negative. That kind of opened up the world to me in a different way where I had to step out of my own box and be uncomfortable in order for me to succeed. 1 TP: What about a little bit about hobbies? ER: Yeah, a little bit about hobbies—I like to play softball and I like to go running. I like to go hiking. I like to be outdoors a whole lot as much as I can. Since this is the first time in my life where I think I have had my first actual winter in Utah, I went skiing and I went snowshoeing, so that's kind of exciting. TP: Did you like the snow? RE: I did. It was fun. I had experienced snow before, but not like here, so to me that was brand new. I like to do a lot of that. I like to go out to movies. I like to read. I like to sometimes just stay home and get a Netflix movie going and that’s about it. TP: What experiences did you have in your childhood, teen and adult years that led you to believe that you could be a leader? ER: I think when I was growing up, I had the privilege of having the parents that I had that were always very encouraging. They were willing to let us try things and to never question or be afraid or second-guess ourselves, so they were always giving encouragement. They grew up in the same kind of way that we did where all of our ideas and decisions were ours. We could pretty much do whatever we wanted. So that was very empowering for us, to come with that capital, if you will, to understand the challenges that at some point we would encounter in life. They were giving us the tools to get to that next level, to that next place, to become leaders within our own lives. You could define leadership in many ways, but as we were growing up, for us to be leaders was like when we were playing with our friends. I would always be the one to initiate something, or would become the captain of a 2 team, or throw out some ideas as to what we would do or where we could go. That was actually very clear for me from a very early age that I could do that. Again, that was because of the way we were raised. That goes for me and my sisters as well, that we had that upbringing that if you wanted to make something happen, then it's down to you to make it happen. You can't rely on someone else to make it happen. It was the same in academics and in school. I was always wanting to learn new things. I was always challenging myself to see how far I could go. So I think I’ve always had that kind of... I don't know if it's really a lifestyle or if I want to call it that, but it's so deep-rooted in the way that I was brought up, so it's just kind of the way I am. I like to explore new things; I like to challenge myself and I like to learn new things. I like to feel uncomfortable in my own skin, if that kind of makes sense. That’s what led me through the different stages in my life that have led me to where I am today. TP: Back to the first question, kind of… You were born in Texas, and then right away did you move to Mexico? How old were you? ER: Yes, I think I must have been probably… I was born in Texas on May 16, and I must have been here in Texas for about a month, so I was not even a month old when my family decided to go back to Mexico. They were here, but they decided to go back to Mexico, and that's where we grew up. TP: And then you were there until… ER: Until the last year of high school. TP: What are your core values? How have they influenced your leadership experiences and abilities? 3 ER: Okay, that's a loaded question [laughs]. But I think the first part of the question—I think my core values are transparency. I like to make sure that everyone knows where I stand, and I like to know where others stand as well. I like for people to think that there are gray areas, sometimes, in professional settings that we have to kind of walk into, but I try to not go there if I could prevent it. If I can help it, then I would rather not. I would rather know what the expectations are from the very beginning. I like to understand what motivates others. To me, that's crucial in my values as a leader. I want to make sure that I use the information that I have of other people that I'm working with so that I can bring them up to the next level. I want to make sure that they understand their place in the organization, but I value ideas, I value perspectives, background. I wanted to have different initiatives; I want them to be critical thinkers. So those are some of my core values in a professional setting. I want to make sure that they have the ability to grow, and I am a nurturer, in a way. I want to see my people succeed, and whatever tools I can give them to put them in a path that will get them to the next level, then I will do what I can to get them there. It's about professional development as well. That's one of the core values that I believe in, because that's how I was brought up professionally, through professional development opportunities. I want to make sure that people who are working with me have the same opportunities that I had. It comes down to, again, transparency, professional development, appreciating differences. This is kind of where we will learn from each other, right? Sometimes when we don’t know certain things, then that's when I bring 4 that as a teachable moment into the conversations so everyone can benefit from that. Those are the values that I think I have in a professional setting. I want to see people succeed, and if it's within my hands, my power to help you get to the next level, then I'll do what I can to make sure that you get there. So that's part of the first question, right? TP: Yeah. ER: What's the second part? TP: How have these core values influenced your leadership experiences and abilities? I know you kind of touched on that. ER: Yes, so again, it's just the way that those core values have influenced me. I think they've been the way that I carry myself professionally. I know that I am very cognizant of the different levels that people have in a professional setting. Some people might be quick learners, others might not be. That's kind of given me the opportunity to be more patient. Also, I think the way they’ve influenced me, those core values, is that I need to be more trustful when people say certain things. Let's say that there is a deadline—and I'm very much deadline driven. If you tell me that you’re going to give it to me on a Monday, then I expect that project to be turned in on Monday. Sometimes I’m still learning the culture here, so I just need to be very mindful and cognizant that there is probably a different way of doing things here in Utah that I'm not used to. I’m very direct, very straightforward, and I want things to be done a certain way, and that's kind of the expectation that I have from my team. So that’s how those values have influenced the way that I perform as an executive director here. Just again, clear expectations, and I want to make sure 5 that things get done before the deadlines if possible. Again, I want us to have fun within this framework that I have just described to you. I still want us to have fun. I want us to connect with each other, to learn about each other, because sometimes with our colleagues and coworkers, we spend more time with them then we do with those people that we live with, right? With our own families, sometimes. So I want us to have that environment, that sense of family here. I know that sometimes family has issues, can be dysfunctional at times, so how do we work through that dysfunction to make sure that we're still performing and yielding the outcomes that we want? It’s kind of allencompassing. TP: Very good. Name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader—so maybe a mentor? ER: I have been lucky, again, to have had a few mentors in my life that have helped me to get to where I am today. The one person—the first person that I saw when you said that was Dr. Janis Guerrero-Thompson. She was an executive director also at the University of Texas at Austin. She then became the #2 person within the Austin Independent school district—this is back in Texas. Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago, she had cancer, but she was always instrumental in getting me to that next level. She saw the potential that I had and the hunger that I had to continue to excel in everything that I did professionally, so she took the time to walk me through the different scenarios of where I could end up if I continued with my education. I want someone like her to guide my decision. I think she’s the one who definitely put that little seed in me—that if this is the direction that you want to 6 be and if you want to stay in higher education, maybe these are the things that you want to consider to move up and to continue to feel challenged, but also valued at the same time. I think she’s definitely the one person that I can always go back to and say that she was the pillar, I guess, and the one person who pushed me forward and made me realize that I could still do lots more in higher education. I think I owe a lot of who I am today to her. TP: And what was your position? ER: I was a project manager for the office. This was at the University of Texas at Austin, and I wore many hats in the office. I remember I was hired to manage a project called the Cost of Education Index study. This was for us to find out the different funding scenarios for schools K-12 in Texas to fix the funding formula the state used. So again, it was K-12, but it was in a higher education setting. Then I also worked in communications in that office. I worked in development in that office; I worked in research, so I was collecting data as well. I did a lot of different things. TP: Good. The next part of this question is: why and how did this person impact your life generally and your leadership abilities specifically? ER: We touched a little bit on that. I think she was very instrumental in developing me and taking the time to kind of polish me, if you will, so that I could be ready for my next challenge professionally. She was really vested in my future and I think she did all the right things. She pointed me to the right resources. She pointed me to the right people, introduced me through networking, through social capital, to connect with people. She found my immediate circles to be comfortable in those spaces. Even though it’s Texas, sometimes when you are 7 at certain levels, sometimes even people question why you are there in those spaces. So being comfortable in those spaces where people don't expect to see you there and to just be very confident. TP: Okay, next question. What do you see as the biggest challenges of being a minority leader in Northern Utah, which is predominantly white? ER: Oh my goodness [laughs]. Let me see. In my eight months here, I think some of the biggest challenges for me are—I was kind of alluding to that in my previous response. Sometimes you're not expected to be sitting at those tables, I think because of the number, the percentages here—minorities, of course, are still low numbers. When I was in my research, why I decided to come here to Utah, to Ogden, was because the Latino population here in the city is 30%. So out of those 30% that we have here, we only have 10% of our students here at Weber State who are Latino or Hispanic. When I look at the Ogden school district, 50% of our students, K-12 this time, are Hispanic or Latinos, and again, we have 10% of them here, so we have a huge gap. What does that really say about the city and the state and how we are encouraging our students to take on that next challenge? If it’s higher education, well, how about a graduate degree? How about joining the workforce? I think there is a disconnect in the way that things have been done in the past. I see it when I go to these meetings. I sometimes am the only one who is of color, right? And then if I say something, I have to be very careful in the way that I word it because I don't want it to be misconstrued. I don’t want people to think that I am speaking for this whole community, because they tend 8 to clump us together. There are people that are within the Hispanic/Latino community that have different perspectives, different worldviews, different experiences. I am very mindful of that. Some of the comments that I make sometimes tend to perhaps be understood because I come from a different perspective. The one challenge that I've had here is what I've come to know as the ‘Utah way’, or the ‘nice way’, where people tend to be passive-aggressive, and I don't do well with that kind of personality. Not that I'm abrasive in any way, but I'm very direct, very forthcoming, and I don't like to waste anybody's time. So sometimes when I go to these meetings, it’s like we are running circles around the table, and to me that is just such a waste of time. Again, because of who I am and where I am and what I am, if I say something, that's a challenge. It's like, “Well, where are you coming from?” They may dismiss it. But I do see the lack of representation around the tables when decisions are being made. That's the one thing that I always say: “If you're not at the table, then you’re on the menu.” I always make sure that I’m at the table, because if people are making decisions that impact the lives of minorities—and I'm thinking about all of the students here at Weber State—but if we're talking about minorities specifically, I want to make sure that those voices are included and that people take those experiences into consideration when they're going through that decision-making process. So that’s a challenge: looking the way that I do, sounding the way that I do with my accent, so people then look as though they want to take you seriously, but then, how much do we take you seriously? Then, you know, 9 there are different layers cause then there is the visible, then they see that I have the credentials, right? They see that I have a PhD, so that also opens up doors, but then I still have to understand where those doors will lead me to. Some people might want me on their side because I fill the ulterior motive that they want, but then are they being genuine enough? The friendship or the information they're giving me—what do they really want? What are they really after? I’m always really careful with those things. I'm always careful in whatever scenario. Even in Texas, I was the same way. I was kind of wary about, “What do people really want from you?” Here I am doing the same thing, not just because it's Utah, but just because that's who I am, and it’s a way for me to protect myself. The challenges are there. We need more representation at all levels, all of the cities, sexual orientation, expression, identities; I want to make sure that every voice is heard and that everyone has a place at the table where these conversations are taking place. So that’s a challenge, you know. It’s been a predominately white part of the country, and that's fine, there’s nothing wrong with that, but then how do we make sure that we help those that are in power and have held the power for so long that it's okay to include others? That's a challenge. TP: And what do you do to overcome these challenges? ER: Again, I tend to invite myself if I'm not invited, and I like to always come in with this positive attitude that this will collectively be so much better if we put all of our efforts and resources toward a good common goal, right? So that's kind of the attitude that I always have. I come in very positive, I come in understanding that I might not have the whole context or understand where and how some of 10 these decisions have been made, but have the goodwill. I'm very open minded. I connect with people at the person level so I can then feel comfortable enough to say, “This is what I think we should be working on, this is what we should be concentrating on. Have you thought about this, or have you seen this from this perspective? Maybe you haven't thought about this, maybe you think that this is unique to Utah because that's what you know,” but then you tell you that these conversations are going on at the national level as well. It's a skill that you kind of acquire after you've been doing this for a while, but I think that's kind of how I overcome those kinds of challenges in those spaces. If you come with the greatest disposition to work with people, and you're genuine enough and passionate about what you tell them you're working on, they open up to you as well. So that’s kind of how I overcome those challenges: being myself. I don't pretend to be anybody else. This is who I am, this is what I’m advocating for. I’m passionate about issues; what can we do to help those issues? That's my agenda [laughs]. TP: What advice would you give emerging young minority leaders in order to be successful? ER: I think the advice that I would give them is, first and foremost, do not ever forget who you are and where you came from and the challenges that those that came before you had to endure so that you have the opportunity that you have now. I think sometimes we tend to forget that there have been others that have paved the way for us, so always be cognizant and recognize that the opportunities that you have today, you have them because someone else paved the way for you. 11 I think also to be yourself. Be honest, be true to yourself and your profession. If it's something that you want to continue to expand on, then by all means, educate yourself. Really kind of get into whatever it is, whatever profession that you're in, to know the ins and outs of it. Read a lot. Be kind, especially in our world here in higher education. What are the best practices? Always stay on top of those things. Always become the expert. Be the person who people look up to. You have to be very honest. You have to be immaculate with your word, you know. You say something, make sure that you follow through. Those are some pieces of advice that I think emerging minorities, if they want to succeed, because that's what helped me, and I see it when I talk to other people. They ask for advice sometimes, and those are the things that I tell them. I think being humble is super important. Just because you've ‘made it’... well, what does that really mean? Does it mean that you've achieved a certain level of success? Is it because of the money that you’re making, or the disposition that you hold, or the way that the community respects you, or does not respect you, for that matter? Always be mindful of those things, that just because you are at a certain place in your professional life, that doesn't mean that it's always going to be that way. Things can change and you could lose that privilege, that status, that position, that money. Always be careful of the direction the inquiry is going. And save money [laughs] because you never know when you're going to need it, and you're always going to have to have a little bit of money put aside should something go wrong. Especially for those communities of color that are wanting 12 to break through new areas that haven’t necessarily seen representation of Latinos or minorities in general in certain areas. It's going to be hard but always look for those that have done the job that you want to do. If you can talk to them, see how they could mentor you. Have people that have gone through what you are going through kind of guide that path for you through mentorship. That's important, that's key. Mentors can come in different shapes, and sometimes mentors don't necessarily have to be the same background that you are. They could be somebody else, they could be a different gender even, so make sure that you have someone that you trust will guide you through the right process. TP: Good. Okay, last question. What other insights can you share about being a minority leader in Northern Utah? ER: Insights [laughs]... My goodness. Again, I'm still trying to learn the culture here, but in those times that I’ve been connecting with community leaders, with faith leaders, business leaders, I think the community is ready to start to make some changes. The one thing that I always say is demographics is destiny. Other people call it the ‘Browning of America’ because of the way that minorities of color, especially Latinos or Hispanics, are exploding into the demographics in the country. So the community here, they’re finally understanding that it's inevitable that Latinos will become the largest minority in the country in about 20 years. So what are we going to do to help provide opportunities so that when that happens, we are ready to take on the next step, right? Sometimes you know, when we think about it, this young population, the students here, will probably be the ones that will be taking care of us as we 13 retire, right? So we want to make sure that we are giving them the right opportunities, the right training, the right tools so that they can succeed. Because if we don't, then not only will we be failing them, we are failing ourselves, and we can't afford that. There is too much at stake and too much to lose if we don't do that. The exchanges that we have had, the community here while I’ve been here these eight months, is that the community is ready, is willing; it's ripe for these kinds of interactions. They've seen how productive having other voices at the table is and they're actually wanting to pursue that, so they've seen, in a way, how these kinds of experiences can affect positive changes in society as a whole. They're very receptive to that, and to me, that's very gratifying and refreshing to see that. I mean, of course, there are still some biases they have to walk through, some misunderstandings, misrepresentations, but once you get through that, I think the community here in Northern Utah is realizing the potential. If they don't do it now, who's going to do it, then? I think to me, that's so refreshing and so rewarding at the same time, because they're at the place where they know that if they don’t do it now, it's going to come back and hurt us later. 14