Shelley Mills-Brinkley, now a retired managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, earned a master's degree in social work and then focused on Child Welfare.

When she received the Managerial Leadership Award at the 2014 Women of Color STEM Conference, her service to IBM's government, healthcare, and education clients was seen as simply outstanding.

Through a master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Connecticut State University, Mills-Brinkley developed a passion for helping those in need by leveraging technology for better delivery of government and public sector services.

Asked to define managerial leadership, Mills Brinkley said:

“It’s a role or a skill that is honed over time, but you have to have in your heart that you really want to be a manager AND a leader," she said.

Mills-Brinkley led customer relationship management practice and oversaw the delivery of case management, as well as contact center and help desk technical solutions for government customers.

The Awards Section Committee looks for a person whose career choices serve as an example to women looking to move beyond what is considered a traditional role for women.

Mills-Brinkley was and continues to be a recognized expert in implementing technology in U.S. assistance programs, such as supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), Medicaid, child care, and child welfare.

“How you approach people and all those types of dynamics determine whether you’re going to be a good manager and a leader,” she told Women of Color (WOC) magazine.

The WOC Managerial Leadership Award is one of 15 category awards that will be made during the 2020 Women of Color STEM Conference, the 25th annual celebration of women in science, technology engineering and math (STEM) careers.

Please nominate an inspirational woman in STEM.

Mills-Brinkley said leading by example, providing feedback, and encouraging people to give you the information that you need are key in helping people you manage in their careers and even through personal issues.

She won recognition for health programs, which helped IBM clients improve their services and better serve their clients. She also created a program to educate and train over 350 consultants to serve public sector clients.

All told, Mills-Brinkley spent 19 years and 11 months in IBM’s Global Business Services public sector consulting business. Later, she went on to serve as managing director at Deloitte Consulting.