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Everyone talks about staying calm under pressure. But what does that actually look like—when the pressure is real?
At the Higher Ed Facilities Forum, Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy didn't offer theory—she shared battle-tested experience from her time as EVP and COO at Howard University. Her message was clear: facilities leadership isn't just about plans or policies. It's about staying steady when others falter, making informed decisions under pressure, and always finding a way forward.
Her Jamaican mindset would prove essential in her first three months at Howard, when crisis after crisis tested every leadership principle she'd ever learned.
Her portfolio covered nearly every operational function on campus: facilities and real estate, IT, safety, HR, business continuity, and enrollment management. When things broke, she was the one expected to hold it all together.
In those first 90 days, Dubroy faced a perfect storm:
- An active shooter scare
- A $90 million steam plant collapse that damaged six buildings
- Media scrutiny from The Washington Post
- Winter weather crisis and infrastructure failures
Each moment demanded level-headed leadership when others might freeze. And that Jamaican "no problem" attitude? It became her strategic advantage.
She Stayed Calm. She Asked Questions. She Got Things Done.
When the chief of police called about an active shooter on campus, Dubroy's first move wasn't panic—it was fact-finding.
"He said, 'We've got an active shooter scare.' I asked him, 'Has anyone seen the shooter?' He said no. I asked, 'Has anyone heard gunshots?' He said no. I said, 'Then are you sure we have an active shooter?'"
That response set the tone for everything that followed. Measured thinking. Clarity under pressure. Focus on facts over fear.
When the steam plant collapsed weeks later, Dubroy had already identified it as the campus's most vulnerable asset. Her team assured her they'd "done quite a few things" to get through another winter.
"It turns out we did not make it through that winter, and the entire steam plant collapsed."
The failure caused massive disruption. Dubroy responded with recovery, clear communication, and a focus on rebuilding trust with essential partners.
Leading Through the Storm
At Howard, scrutiny was relentless. "The Washington Post is our backyard newspaper... if an elevator went down, WaPo would post about it." Rather than hide from attention, Dubroy leaned into transparency and consistent communication.
But she didn't just manage crisis response. Even with limited resources, she prioritized visible progress that students could see and feel:
"Even amidst us not being able to renovate entire buildings at a time, let's ensure that there is something that students can always come back to every single year when they return to campus."
Lobby renovations. Updated signage. Smart HVAC upgrades. Whatever it took to show the campus was cared for, even during tough cycles.
Her key insight: "There is a set of team members who will deal with the crisis. We will always manage the crisis, but somebody has to keep their head above the water... otherwise you get so bogged down in crisis response that you forget about the day-to-day operations."
This balanced approach helped Howard not just survive multiple crises but continue growing throughout her tenure. Dubroy also emphasized empathy as a strategy: "We had to institute empathy and leading with kindness. Because those same researchers who are complaining are the ones who bring in the major research funding."
When your next crisis hits—and it will—remember Dr. Dubroy's core principle: ask the right questions first, keep some people focused on tomorrow while others handle today, and stay steady when others can't. The "no problem" attitude isn't about pretending problems don't exist; it's about believing that every problem has a solution, and your job is to find it.
Watch the full talk below:
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