Rhymes Appointed as Employment Coordinator and Special Assistant

Darryl Rhymes has been appointed to the position of Employment Coordinator and Special Assistant to the President for Inclusion at A-B Tech College.

Rhymes is an Asheville native and long-time employee of the College’s Human Resources Department. He will lead the charge to make A-B Tech a model of diversity and inclusion in Western North Carolina, said A-B Tech President Dennis King.

“Increasing diversity among our staff and faculty is a particular goal of my administration and our Board of Trustees. I created this position for Darryl because I have every confidence that he has the ability and dedication required to move us forward,” King said.

“I am excited about the opportunity to help A-B Tech better reflect our community,” Rhymes said.

“The lack of diversity in an organization is a disservice not only to the organization, but also to the entire community the organization serves.”

A graduate of A-B Tech and UNC Asheville, Rhymes was hired at A-B Tech in 2008 as a Human Resources Assistant and was promoted in 2010 to Employment Specialist. He also has served as a member of the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Diversity Chair for the WNC Human Resources Association, board member of the WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition, and committee member for the Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast.

In addition, Rhymes teaches both Human Relations and Interview Skills classes at A-B Tech, lecturing extensively on diversity. He also donates his time teaching interview skills to at-risk minority students for two local non-profits, Green Opportunities and Western Carolina Rescue Ministries.

As an Asheville native, Rhymes’s approach to teaching is contextualized by his memory of being the only minority student in most of his classes throughout high school and college. As an instructor, he carries that memory into the classroom and works hard to make every student feel welcome and respected.

“There are many variables in the diversity equation, such as religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.,” Rhymes explained. “Sometimes to achieve your goals, you must target a variable, but that’s not indicative of a lack of respect or unfair treatment to the rest of the variables within the equation. The key word is still ‘inclusiveness.’”

Rhymes has made a name for himself in the A-B Tech community as an inclusive teacher and model of “invitational education” – a theory of practice in higher education embraced by A-B Tech that emphasizes trust, respect, optimism, and intentionality. One newly hired employee recounted his experience during the job application process in a way that may be rare with today’s job seekers:

“Once I arrived to campus, Darryl instantly embraced me as a colleague and with respect. He exemplifies excellence and what a HR employee should be about: people. He is the perfect person for others to turn to and feel welcome, accepted, and not judged.”

That sort of praise for Rhymes’ philosophy of inclusion seems to flow continuously into A-B Tech’s administrative offices, resulting in numerous accolades and awards, including A-B Tech Staff Member of the Quarter in December 2014. But what stands out to Rhymes as his greatest achievements is not the applause (Rhymes is also a professionally-trained singer), but rather those moments when he’s helped individuals manifest their goals.

Rhymes remembered a particular instance when a student went to A-B Tech’s Human Resources Department to get help applying for a job with a government agency. For two days, Rhymes dedicated his lunch hour to helping this student with her interview skills. He later received an email from the student saying she got the job, thanking Rhymes for dedicating his personal time to helping her.

“Helping someone in that way has a domino effect on the person’s entire community,” Rhymes explained. “Knowledge is a powerful force that’s meant to be shared.”

Rhymes’ background and reputation have led to his current role assisting A-B Tech’s President in matters of diversity and inclusion. “For years A-B Tech has embraced a diverse workforce and fair hiring practices, but the creation of this position shows A-B Tech is committed to diversity and inclusion like never before,” Rhymes said.

Last April, A-B Tech partnered with the YWCA to host a Stand Against Racism event, and in September hosted a nine-week Building Bridges session that also focused on overcoming racism. The College is also one of six anchor institutions affiliated with the WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition. Its Diversity and Inclusion Committee meets regularly and its Safe Zone Training Program focuses on creating a safe environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students.

Kaye Waugh, Vice President of Human Resources at A-B Tech, said A-B Tech’s Building Bridges sessions “highlighted many of the challenges faced by people of color that I was simply not attuned to: issues related to inequalities in education, racial profiling, and development in Asheville that has over the years displaced a sense of community. It takes a community of all colors and nationalities working together to solve our social issues, and that process begins with understanding.”

Understanding and knowledge are the common themes when speaking with Rhymes and other A-B Tech leaders about how to move forward in creating an inclusive community with strength in diversity. In the classroom, Rhymes models that type of community for A-B Tech, as A-B Tech simultaneously aims to model that type of community for Western North Carolina.