For Tony Allen, a commitment to public service and community empowerment underscored his tenure at Bank of America and ultimately his current role as president of Delaware State University (DSU), one of the fastest growing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S.
A career rooted in service
Tony began his career in 1994, as a co-founder with Public Allies Delaware, a leadership development organization for young people interested in public service careers. Now in its 30th year, the organization has graduated 1,000 young adults who have provided more than a million hours of public service to Delaware communities. After Public Allies, Tony began graduate school and later became a speechwriter for then United States Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. His last job with the Senator Biden’s office was to help the late Jim Gilliam, Sr. start the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, where Tony became the founding president. He forged a close relationship with Jim 50 years his senior, who ultimately became his best friend and chief advisor. That relationship led Tony to meeting Bruce Hammonds, former CEO of MBNA (Bank of America legacy company) and his next career move. Tony’s plan was to work in corporate for three years, but two years into working there, Bank of America acquired MBNA. And it’s where he spent the next 15 years of his career.
“BofA was much more of a fit for me — culturally. They were folks who had vision about regular everyday people. I felt like the bank’s community partnerships were exceptionally authentic. And I thought I could find myself in kind of a microcosm of the communities I had a love and interest for,” Tony recalled.
After the merger, Tony became the communication executive for the Card business and got to know and later worked for the late Jim Mahoney, former Corporate and Government Relations head and Anne Finucane, former Bank of America vice chair. He credits Jim and Anne with creating avenues for him at the bank that were consistent with his government and public service career.
In crisis there is opportunity
Tony’s tenure at Bank of America provided him with valuable insights into crisis management, leadership, strategic planning and community relations, which he now applies to his role in shaping the future of DSU. His last role as head of Corporate Reputation for the bank was the result of an idea he pitched to Anne and Jim several years after the financial crisis.
Tony explained. “Jim and Anne let me, and my team devise an analytical framework around change -- specifically, we wanted to know when our customers and clients would know that we have changed. It helped us all think through how to best position the company long term.”
Tony added, “By the time I was heading Corporate Reputation for the company, I felt really good about what was happening at the bank, my role at the bank and what I was doing in Delaware.”
It was around that time when Tony’s late mother encouraged him to revisit his earlier career plans. Tony recalled his mother’s advice, “Baby you are a teacher — it’s time to come home (to your roots).”
Tony joined Delaware state as provost in 2017 and was promoted to president in January 2020 — two months before the global pandemic happened.
“So, my dreams come true and two months later, the worst pandemic in modern history happens. But I will tell you that all my experiences at the bank prepared me for it, crises generally just don’t bother me,” Tony shared.
The pandemic provided Tony and his staff the opportunity to raise the profile of HBCUs and show how campuses like DSU (and other HBCUs) are often home for students.
Like every college president in the country, Tony sent his students home, except for 200 who would have otherwise been homeless without the university. He was able to bring students back to campus in July 2020 due to a partnership with Testing for America, who paid for all the testing for faculty, staff and students three times per week for two years.
Making connections in moments that matter
Months into the global pandemic, the murder of George Floyd happened. Tony recalled, “I got a lot of phone calls from former BofA teammates to make sure I was ok. But two leaders, in particular, kept calling to offer their support.”
Chip Rossi, president, Bank of America Delaware, one of the leaders Tony specifically referenced, has since joined the DSU board. And, in late 2020, as part of the bank’s $1.25 billion five-year commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, DSU received a $1 million grant to collaborate with the bank and other corporate partners to improve career pathways, internships and career opportunities for students of color.
When most colleges and universities overall growth rate is on the decline, DSU’s growth has increased. Under Tony’s leadership, the university recently made history as the first HBCU to acquire a predominately white university located a few miles from campus.
“How we think about what we are doing now (growing DSU and engaging Corporate America) has to do with the seed money BofA provided us,” Tony pointed out. “We’re the only HBCU to ever acquire another institution and that has really changed who we are.”
Staying connected and paying it forward
Tony considers the network as an opportunity to pay it forward with the lessons learned and principles instilled during his tenure with the bank.
“Most people I know who have retired or left the bank, have a great affinity for what we were able to build together. We owe it to the bank to make sure folk know we were a part of it. And we’re still a part of it,” Tony noted.