When Rob Poynor was 7 or 8 years old, he went to a parade and decided he would be in a marching band when when he went to college. When he was recruited to a scholastically competitive university that offered to pay for half of his tuition, he declined the offer because the school didn't have a marching band.
From a kid growing up in rural, isolated Arkansas; higher education was prominent in the state. Only, he didn't know many people who actually went, so it was a surprise when people snickered at his plan to study law with no intention of becoming an attorney. Rob's plan was simply to pursue things he was interested in, good at, and helped others. And he was doing well. His first year was a breeze. Then a revelation about his sexuality and the confusion of what that would mean to his friends and family changed that path.
Rob worked in accounting. He kept a business owner and his wife from spending all their money on useless stuff. He opened a comedy club. No matter what he did, he somehow consistently ended up in higher education. And stayed there for 33 years. Recently retired, he reflects on how his servant leader style, allyship, and "bull in a China closet" approach to diversity, equity and inclusion made him the professional that his students needed, his staff admired, and the higher ups feared.
Oh, and he shares how Arkansas has a culture of its own.
