No-Nonsense Leadership: A Conversation with Dr. Kim Harrington

Dr. Kim Harrington shares her award-winning 30-year career journey from residence hall director to executive leadership positions, exploring how authentic leadership and community building shape higher education.

• Serving as a hall director provided the best leadership training ground by developing skills in crisis management, supervision, facilities oversight, and budget administration
• Being invited as the commencement speaker at her alma mater SUNY Fredonia was a surprising honor that reconnected her with her higher education roots
• Creating community is a consistent thread throughout her career - providing spaces where people feel supported, challenged, and able to develop
• The chief of staff role requires building trust, demonstrating humility, and serving as an "honest broker" connecting different parts of the organization
• Approaching organizational politics with authenticity rather than game-playing has allowed her to maintain integrity even during challenging institutional periods
• Weathering 21 ethics complaints while leading HR taught valuable lessons about staying true to personal values
• Leadership requires balancing supportive relationships with clear expectations and accountability

Guest Biography: 

Dr. Kim D. Harrington is a seasoned leader in higher education, bringing over 30 years of experience in shaping campus culture, driving strategic planning, and advancing inclusive leadership. Her tenure at Georgia Tech spans more than two decades, where she has served in key roles including Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance, and most recently, Associate Vice President for Arts, Belonging, and Community.

Throughout her career, Dr. Harrington has been deeply committed to student development, staff engagement, and organizational growth. Her leadership has consistently focused on building community through, mission-aligned environments that foster both excellence and belonging.

Beyond campus, Dr. Harrington contributes her expertise through board service with organizations focused on education, governance, and child advocacy. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she continues her lifelong commitment to public service and community uplift.

She has been recognized with several prestigious honors, including the USG Chancellor’s Gold Service Excellence Leadership Award and the ACUI Butts-Whiting Award. As she prepares for retirement in 2025, her legacy continues through the newly established Dr. Kim D. Harrington Student Employee Scholarship at Georgia Tech.

Transcript

Learning from Everyone's Advice

Kim Harrington 0:06

My personality is such that people may tell me advice or give me advice, and I don't. I hold on to what's good, I discard what I don't, what doesn't matter, because I think you learn lessons from everyone. I take it and say great.

Elizabeth Cox 0:25

Welcome back to On Campus. Off the Record, I'm your host, Elizabeth Cox, and this is the podcast where we pull back the curtain on life and leadership in higher ed. In this episode we're sitting down with someone who's seen just about everything campus life can throw at you. Dr Kim Harrington is an award-winning leader whose 30-year career has taken her from the residence halls to the university executive leadership team. But her career path it's been anything but linear. She's done it all. She's been a hall director, admission counselor, director of the student centers, chief human resources officer, chief of staff and an associate vice president.

Elizabeth Cox 1:07

She has been described as a trailblazer, a tireless advocate for community and a no BS leader. She's also been a sought after mentor, nonprofit board member and most recently no big deal the commencement speaker at her undergraduate alma mater, SUNY Fredonia. So in this episode we go behind the titles and into the heart of leadership. We tackle the tough questions like should we be playing organizational politics, what does it really mean to be a chief of staff, and why starting out as a hall director might be the best leadership boot camp out there. So whether you're navigating your first professional role or leading at the executive level, this episode's got the off-the-record insight no one puts in the strategic plan. So let's get into it, let's go on campus and off the record. Welcome Kim Harrington.

Kim Harrington 2:02

Thank you, Elizabeth. I am delighted and honored to be here with you this morning

Elizabeth Cox 2:05

Good.

The Value of Being a Hall Director

Elizabeth Cox 2:06

We are going to start out with a little bit of an activity just to get us warmed up a little. This or that activity, traditional, this or that. Okay, you've got to choose between the two.

Kim Harrington 2:17

I'm ready, let's go

Elizabeth Cox 2:19

All right. Coffee or tea,

Kim Harrington 2:20

coffee

Elizabeth Cox 2:21

Pencils or pens

Kim Harrington 2:22

Pencils absolutely.

Elizabeth Cox 2:39

One-on-ones or team retreats

Kim Harrington 2:44

Is both an option

Elizabeth Cox 2:46

No

Kim Harrington 2:46

One-on-ones

Elizabeth Cox 2:46

Tonference messages or phone calls

Kim Harrington 2:50

Text messages okay, early mornings or late nights in a work context absolutely early mornings okay work hard, play hard or slow and steady work hard, play hard okay, book or podcast, wow both but uh, let's see if I had to pick today.

Elizabeth Cox 3:18

I will say podcast, orientation or graduation.

Kim Harrington 3:28

Okay, orientation or graduation. Oh Elizabeth, that's an impossible. This or that. They're both so meaningful and I love rituals, mm-hmm, I will say graduation.

Elizabeth Cox 3:39

Let's talk a little bit, actually, about the experience of being the keynote speaker at your undergraduate alma mater. What was that like for you?

Kim Harrington 3:48

elizabeth, I can't, even words, cannot convey how honored, surprised, overwhelmed, um, just with gratitude, because you know, I entered suny fredonia as a very reluctant you know, 18 year old and it's a big school at the time was, you know, five 6,000 students and it was intimidating to me. And so now, all these years later, to have been invited back to give such a special speech was remarkable, you know. Quick story the president asked me in last October OK, and I told very few people, I think I told two, because I was pretty sure by the time February rolled around he would have changed his mind and selected someone far better. Wow, and so in March, when he sent me a text and said that I was still his choice for a commencement speaker, I was just el, I was just elated, nervous, completely. Um, yeah, nervous, very nervous.

Elizabeth Cox 4:51

Did you now? The other commencement um ceremony that happened in the afternoon was a lady from the Buffalo bills, Correct, and you are a big Buffalo bills fan, so did you get to meet her?

Kim Harrington 5:02

Did I get to meet her? Did you get like some sign?

Elizabeth Cox 5:04

Gretchen, getter Gretchen.

Kim Harrington 5:05

Getter. I've known Gretchen Getter was one of. We lived in the same residence hall. Oh wow, I was her RA.

Elizabeth Cox 5:11

Were you, I was.

Kim Harrington 5:12

And so the fact that when it was announced that Gretchen, I literally that is amazing.

Kim Harrington 5:25

I literally screeched because I was like too, and so Gretchen did the same thing. So I've known Gretchen for 30 years and so the fact that the president didn't know we knew each other but we were able to experience this together made it incredibly special. And it was great because, you know, I cheered her on and she cheered me on and you know, we did kind of some of the pre-events together and the first events together, so it made it just even more special to be able to spend that time and have that wonderful experience with Gretchen.

Elizabeth Cox 5:46

Okay, wow, and you were her RA, so that's pretty amazing. And there was some local press coverage and I want to pull out a quote from one of the articles that I read in a local newspaper Let your creativity guide you, your compassion ground you and your courage push you to make the spaces you enter more inclusive and more just. When you said that, what were you hoping for? Folks?

Kim Harrington 6:12

Elizabeth, thank you for bringing that up. I really appreciate this opportunity because as I read that quote, I was surprised because actually I didn't say that. I didn't. I never, no, not at all. Okay, you know, talk about how it's important to be if you're, you know, be open and welcoming new members of a community and help someone feel like they belong and be a part of a space where people feel like they matter and I speak to life is infinitely better with community, but I never use those words.

Elizabeth Cox 6:40

Wow, well, thank you for correcting the record. Absolutely. I'm glad that we have the opportunity to do that and thank you for the opportunity, because I was surprised when I read it as well, and so did you think that being the, being an RA, was a jumpstart into your career in higher education, or did you even know that their career? I didn't even realize that you could actually do a career in higher education. So you know, I think it was a jumpstart.

Kim Harrington 7:04

I didn't even realize that you could actually do a career in higher education. So you know, I think it was a jump start I didn't um, you know, I didn't know I'd be involved. Fredonia wasn't, I mean, it wasn't necessarily my first choice. I wanted to go to school, I stayed, and it was. I applied after my, during my freshman year, and I said either I will be an RA and become involved this way or I'll transfer. I just wasn't sure, but it absolutely was kind of the jumpstart into my career.

Kim Harrington 7:25

From there I began to work as an orientation leader. Through that I began to get to know other administrators and it was the then vice president for student affairs His name was Robert Kuhn and the dean of students, michael Dimitri, who began saying you know you could have a future in this space. I said well, what is this space? What do you guys do? Began saying you know you could have a future in this space. I said, well, what is this space? What do you guys do? So then I began to pay attention to that. But it wasn't until my senior year when I decided that I really didn't want to pursue a clinical psychology path. I decided that that was just. It was too overwhelming for me that I would See what I could do in working in student affairs and higher ed. But you know, my dream job, elizabeth, actually was to be a director of housing.

Elizabeth Cox 8:11

Oh really.

Building Community Across Campus

Kim Harrington 8:11

Absolutely Wow, because I was a you know I loved RA training, I loved the residence hall. To me was this microcosm of the world. It was a place where students come home, where you provide support where they found community Right. The world it was a place where students come home, where you provide support where they found community right, and so I really thought residence life and housing was the end all be all for me, loved it. I was a hall director Absolutely. I think, if I could be honest, the job that I think I was the most comfortable in, that I think I performed the best in, was being a hall director.

Elizabeth Cox 8:45

Wow, I loved it. Look, we always need hall directors? I believe we do. There's openings across the country so you can actually live wherever you want. Great, and probably be a hall director.

Kim Harrington 8:53

That was one of the most rewarding experiences that I've ever had, and a quick story. I was, again, still always shy and I remember the night that I had to give my first opening conversation to my residents. Yeah, and I was terrified, wow, yeah, absolutely terrified. So they're all in and I'm pacing in my apartment. It's day one, we go and we have a nice night, and my residents write me an anonymous note, oh wow, about the impact and how just happy they were to be in this particular residence hall. I saved it, you know, 30 years later and that was a turning point for me. That's amazing. So, yeah, so there's something special about residence life.

Elizabeth Cox 9:37

And I think that the hall director position in particular. When you're in it, you don't realize what a great training ground it is. When you're in it, you don't realize what a great training ground it is because what other entry level job are you going to handle? You've got to supervise a team, right. You've got to hold people accountable, you've got to respond to crises and you're like a minister of fun and I hope that more people will see that this is an amazing position and you know the management skills that you learn. I think you're not going to learn anywhere else.

Kim Harrington 10:12

And I think it's the management skills, but I also think there's some hard skills. So I think, facility management, yes, yes. Financial management, yeah. You spoke to the emergency crisis. Pieces of it, yeah.

Elizabeth Cox 10:22

Budget tracker Programming budget tracker. Programming budget trackers.

Kim Harrington 10:26

Managing that. I mean, to your point, you're leading a team of RAs that are all at different points in their journey. Supporting them, it is. And I have a bias and I will share this with you. I typically hire hall directors oh wow, honestly because I think for the experience that you glean and that you gain in housing and what you glean from that, you can't get anywhere else those who work in recreation centers or admissions. I think that's fine too, but there's something special about having a successful career as a hall director. There's things that you can't learn anywhere else.

Elizabeth Cox 10:59

Yeah, Add an amazing career so far, and you've worked at various places and doing various roles. And when you look back on your career so far, what are you most proud of? What's not necessarily in your bio or in your CV, but what has mattered most to you personally?

Kim Harrington 11:20

Thank you. That's a great question, I think you know, as I've had a moment to reflect and I think every role that I've been in, I've had an opportunity to create community, from working in a residence hall to working in admissions, like I think that was a common thread through. Everything that I tried to do is make sure that the students or the team that we worked with there was a sense of community and camaraderie and support sense of community and camaraderie and support. I also think I really, really love the opportunity for students to become their best selves. So I think that's what I try to do is just help people become who they're destined to be through my work with them. So I think I play a great support role and I think that's something I'm proud of is be have been a supporter for a couple of people on their journey.

Elizabeth Cox 12:07

Great Thank you, and so you know you talked about the word community and as you look back on your career, has your idea of community shifted? Like, what does community mean to you?

Kim Harrington 12:20

It's a great question. I don't know that it shifted. I think community to me means support system. I think it means it's not always it's encourager, but it's also it's challenge and support. It's that balance. It is a safe place to land, it is kind of a home, a place that you know that you there's a space for you to build confidence that allows you to go outside of the community. And so I think in the community sees you for who you are, will challenge you to become who you can be, but also you know that you have people there that are cheering you on, that want you to be successful. So that's what I think community is.

Kim Harrington 12:54

I mean has it changed over time, absolutely.

Elizabeth Cox 12:58

Do you think the word community is overused?

Kim Harrington 13:00

I don't know that it's overused, but I think, maybe. I think there are some attributes that make a healthy community and maybe we could use some of those attributes.

Elizabeth Cox 13:10

What are those attributes to you?

Kim Harrington 13:11

I think safe, I think dynamic, I think challenging and supporting, I think meeting the needs of individuals, because I think not necessarily one, necessarily one community that meets all of your needs. So I think it's important to be a member of, I'll say, different groups or different enclaves of individuals, because one community may not provide everything that you need, nor does it provide you an opportunity to give what you can contribute to that particular space. And so I think there's a lot of ways that people would describe community and it means different things to different people space. And so I think I think there's a lot of ways that people would describe community Um, and it means different things to different people. So I don't think I answered your question, but I don't know that it's overused. Okay, I really I don't know that it's overused, but I do think we can do a better job of truly explaining the benefits.

The Chief of Staff Role

Elizabeth Cox 13:59

So I want to switch gears a little bit and go back to um talk about the chief of staff role, because this is something that you and I shared in common. Know what a chief of staff was when you became one, or I did, I did.

Kim Harrington 14:12

I learned more about it when I served the CHRO OK because I was on the chief of staffs for the executive leadership team at Jodi Tech on speed down and there were four brilliant group of. They happen to be women.

Elizabeth Cox 14:24

There's a little network yeah.

Kim Harrington 14:26

Yeah, but they were, and it was that group of women that I relied on to be my to provide information. I always wanted to make sure that the leadership knew something, that was happening, something was going on. So my entree to the president or to the provost was through their chief of staff, and so often we will work closely together to manage situations and try to provide guidance or leadership or set our leaders up for success, and at CHIRO, I was a major part of that with them, right, and they were my partners, and so I knew exactly about the role, which is why, when you know, kelly Fox mentioned it I was thrilled and intimidated to say, well, how could I, even could I even do something like that? So, yeah, so I was very familiar with the role and think it's a wonderful role.

Elizabeth Cox 15:10

And what do you think is the most important skill and the most important thing in a chief of staff?

Kim Harrington 15:16

role? I don't know that there's one most important. I think someone who can build trust is critically important. Yeah, I think someone who can build trust is critically important. Yeah, trust of your leader, but also trust of your peers, yes, and trust of everyone who interacts with that person. I think that's I mean. But I think that trust is fundamental in any relationship, right, but absolutely in our relationship as well. I think humility, because it's not about you, right, and the whole role is to really set that leader up for tremendous success, and everything you do has to be focused that's your North Star is making sure that that person, and even being willing to have tough conversations, because it's part of it. Right Across the board. Sometimes I had tough conversations with Kelly and sharing information that maybe she didn't want to hear, but I was that trusted resource to say here's this, but also, let's figure out how we can work through and manage it together.

Elizabeth Cox 16:09

Yeah, I think one, one thing that I appreciate about that role is this idea and I think you and I have talked about at some point of an honest broker right To be able because you have to have the relationships across across, like the whole 360, in order to be able to say to some people like this is going to happen, I know you don't like it, but this is going to happen and that could be to the, the principle that you're supporting, but it also could be to to people in the ground who are asking you questions because you are an entry to a room that they can't be in, because you're in the room where it happens. And I think that there's a lot of responsibility there. Um, if it's, if it's used well and a very, a very awesome opportunity because you can connect the organization in a way that without that role, they can't, it can't happen. I agree with that.

Kim Harrington 17:07

Yeah, I think every leader doesn't want a chief of staff or need one.

Elizabeth Cox 17:12

True, that's true, I agree.

Kim Harrington 17:14

I agree.

Elizabeth Cox 17:16

So if a leader came to you and said, hey, I'm thinking of hiring a chief of staff, but I don't know if I actually need one, what are some things that you would ask them? What are some things what advice you would give, to say, I would ask more questions, right, and so I wouldn't.

Kim Harrington 17:32

I would listen more and say tell me why. Okay, what is it that you think? What does success look like for you in that dimension? Why do you feel you need that? How would you leverage that person? What do you think that person brings to the table? Like I would ask those type of questions, which is kind of my style is to say tell me, tell me more about why you want it, and I would just we would kind of talk to it that way and I would use whatever they say to kind of to, to, to move into that.

Elizabeth Cox 17:55

And what about you? What are you looking for in that relationship or with that person For?

Kim Harrington 17:59

me it's okay. What do I, what are my gaps and what does the organization need and how can?

Elizabeth Cox 18:09

Do you think there should be more chiefs of staff in higher ed Like what? Are your thoughts on that? Or do you think that people can play the chief of staff role without being in the position?

Kim Harrington 18:19

I don't know that everyone wants one or would benefit from one, and I don't know that the experience would be good if it was a requirement, so to speak. Does?

Elizabeth Cox 18:29

that make sense? It does it does. I think that's a really valid point, so to speak. Does that make sense? It does, it does. I think that's a really valid point. I think that you know it takes a certain type of leader, who who recognizes some of their gaps, to be able to utilize a chief of staff in a way that's navigate organizational politics and play the game, so to speak, of organizational politics. How?

Kim Harrington 19:05

do you do that and stay authentic to who you are as a leader? It's maybe an unpopular response. I don't play a game. Ok, say more, yeah. So I think I am authentically who I am, always OK, I sincerely get to know people that I want to get to know. I make myself available to become members of Committees of things that I want to work on. That I'm passionate about. That I can support.

Elizabeth Cox 19:30

And what do you think of people who do play the game?

Kim Harrington 19:33

Fine, that works for you. I mean, I just, I, just because I don't see it as a game.

Elizabeth Cox 19:38

Yeah, okay.

Kim Harrington 19:39

Right. I think everything is political because it involves people, right. I think one thing that I do pay attention to is maybe it's the psych in me, right, the psychology degree and stuff. The psychology background that I have is just understanding how people influence people. I do pay attention to who is quoted. I do pay attention to who misquotes people, but who people listen to. I do pay attention to who's paying attention in a room. I do kind of really connect with people who work hard and are kind. That's what matters.

Kim Harrington 20:19

I don't play a game. I've never played a game. I don't know how to play a game. I try, and I don't know that. I try to live, but that's just who I am. One is integrity. So my integrity is not by virtue, it's not something that I gleaned or learned on the job. It's something that my parents instilled in me at a very young age. I am who I am and I'm going to be honest and forthright, and that's just who I am. The other one is intention. So there are two things that I am, and so you know there was some time in HR and you probably know some of this where Georgia Tech was in a tumultuous period of time where leadership was messy and many of us were accused of things we didn't do Right, and so I had 21 ethics at the point, kind of complaints against me, while I was leading HR?

Kim Harrington 21:14

None of them, true, but it was a tough time because I was leading an organization while I was under massive investigation by the system office, and it was tough because people were calling my integrity into question and everything in me wanted to say but I didn't do that, but I didn't do that and there was nothing I could say or do other than allow the investigation to go forth. And so I think that was a time where I became. It was hard, it was the most difficult because I, you know, told my family, you know, I could lose a job. I didn't do anything, but I don't know, anybody could drop something up on me and, you know, something could happen. So that was probably the most difficult. Where I think my integrity was challenged now because I think I remain here and can retire from here is because I did not allow requests of others to compromise my values.

Kim Harrington 22:06

Okay, so were there things I was asked to do? Absolutely, did I do them? Absolutely not Right. And so I think, because of that, because I knew that what I do is not who I am, it's just what I do, you know, both of my parents were high school dropouts for a while, right, and so I come from a family of hardworking Harringtons yeah Right. And so they both went back and got their GEDs. But I knew that my name meant something to my family and I was not going to let any body or any place soil that for me as leaders, is balance setting people up for success and managing their growth while also making sure to hold them accountable.

Elizabeth Cox 23:00

How have you approached this in your career.

Kim Harrington 23:03

Everyone wants to feel like they can be successful and that they're adding value to where they are, but always things aren't a fit there. Have I fired people? Absolutely, sure, absolutely. Have I fired people? Absolutely, sure, absolutely. I also think it's spending time, which is why I said, when given the option, do I prefer one-on-one to retreat? Yeah Right, because in a one-on-one you get to know the person. You get to know what their strengths are, what they want to do.

Elizabeth Cox 23:38

And it gives me an opportunity to really spend some time investing, setting expectations but also being very clear about what success looks like here and helping them find a way to be successful. Well, I think that's a great way to end our conversation. So thank you, Kim, for being a guest on On Campus Off the Record, and I do want to say congratulations on your retirement from Georgia Tech. What's next for?

Kim Harrington 23:50

you, I'm just I'm retiring from this current role and I will take a break and then consider what's next for you. I'm just I'm retiring from this current role and I will take a break and then consider what's next and absolutely do something else.

Conclusion and What's Next

Elizabeth Cox 23:58

And that's a wrap on this episode of On Campus Off the Record. Dr Kim Harrington reminded us that leadership isn't always about having the title. It's about showing up with care, navigating complexity and never losing sight of our authentic selves, whether you're in the residence hall or the boardroom. Her story is a testament to what's possible when we lead with both heart and strategy. Kim, thank you for sharing the wisdom, the humor and the real talk To our listeners. If today's conversation sparked something for you, we'd love for you to share it or send it to a colleague who's walking the same path. And, as always, keep showing up, keep learning and keep leading with purpose. Until next time. This is On Campus Off the Record.