Celebrating Black Excellence Profile: May Dobbins

In honor of Black History Month, AABB News is pleased to present our “Black Excellence in Blood Banking” series. The six profiles in this series highlight just some of our Black AABB members who are making a difference in transfusion medicine, blood banking and biotherapies through their leadership, significant work and commitment to health equity. Learn more about May Dobbins's leadership journey in the DEI space, her passions and how she defines Black Excellence below.

Q&A - May Dobbins

Senior Corporate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Vitalant

‘Breaking Mental Barriers’

May Dobbins learned how to navigate leadership spaces as the only person of color by shedding self-imposed thoughts to bring her authentic self to the table.

May Dobbins is the senior corporate director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for Vitalant in Scottsdale, Ariz., where she leads the development and implementation of the organization’s DEI strategy. Before joining Vitalant in 2020, May spent 16 years fostering cultural change and implementing DEI strategies and programs within a Fortune 500 aerospace organization. May holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in mass communications and media studies from Arizona State University. 

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT VITALANT? WHERE IS YOUR ORGANIZATION ON ITS DEI JOURNEY?

My role as the senior corporate director of DEI is to develop and implement a comprehensive DEI strategy for our organization. Working closely with our CEO, Dave Green, I oversee various initiatives that promote an inclusive workplace culture, develop learning and education sessions and trainings and collaborate with our executive leaders, team leaders and team members across the enterprise.

We began our DEI journey a little more than three years ago, when I was hired to stand up this function at Vitalant. From the beginning, we launched a DEI Executive Council, with 12 members representing various functions and levels across the organization. The Council breaks up into subcommittees focusing on initiatives that drive our DEI strategy, such as increasing minority donorship, community outreach, workplace diversity, and learning and education.

Our organization has come a long way in just a few short years. We have embedded DEI into our organizational strategy, and it has also become part of our organization’s core values. We launched our first four Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in January (Women’s Network Group, New to Vitalant Group, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC). Additionally, Vitalant recently developed a new culture statement which seamlessly incorporates DEI principles: “At Vitalant, you belong. Together, we lead with our hearts, to find a better way.”

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE WORK YOU DO? WHAT ENERGIZES YOU?

One of the things that I love about my work is that I have the opportunity to help drive engagement and shape a culture of inclusion and belonging within the organization. One of my core personal values is to love people, so I’m passionate about helping people feel valued, seen and accepted, whether that be a team member or a donor. Helping people and seeing them thrive truly energizes me.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR DEI LEADER IN BLOOD BANKING/HEALTH CARE? CAN YOU SHARE OBSTACLES YOU HAVE FACED AS A BLACK WOMAN IN LEADERSHIP?

I can’t speak for all; however, I have several DEI colleagues in blood banking, and we agree that DEI is somewhat of an uncharted territory for the field and is a rather new business objective for many organizations, if it even exists at all. This unfamiliarity leads to having to address many misconceptions about DEI and this can be a challenge. Other challenges include working to increase representation in donor recruitment. There’s a lot of work that must be done to address perceptions and barriers that certain communities face in donating blood and creating a more diverse donor base. Lastly, I would add that another challenge within health care, in general, is addressing the persistent health disparities that create barriers for communities of color. This has been ongoing work for many health care advocates and requires continued dedication to ensure equitable access to quality health care for all individuals, regardless of their background or identity.

As a Black woman in a leadership role, one of the most significant obstacles I’ve faced is overcoming self-imposed mental barriers. Throughout my career, there have been instances where I found myself as the “only” (person of color, woman of color or woman) in boardrooms and leadership spaces, which at times would lead to the belief that I didn’t belong or that I had to conform to certain expectations to be accepted. This mindset hindered my ability to express myself authentically. Through introspection, I recognized the importance of shedding these self-limiting thoughts, as I realized they prevented me from bringing my best self to these settings. Conquering this mindset has proven to be the most gratifying experience in both my life and career.

WHAT’S THE LAST BOOK YOU READ THAT INSPIRED YOU?

A recent book that inspired me in the last few weeks was John Maxwell’s The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication. Effective communication is a powerful tool that enables us to add value, connect and understand each other—all of which leads to fostering empathy, building relationships and shaping a shared understanding of the world that can drive positive change.

WHAT’S THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?

I had a mentor tell me early in my career, “You’re in charge of your own destiny. Drive it.” This gave me the mentality to always be persistent and to persevere in the face of obstacles. To this day, whenever I feel “stuck,” I always remember that no person or circumstance has to define my destiny, and this drives me to find a different way around. There’s always a way; we just sometimes have to shift our perspective.

WHAT DOES BLACK EXCELLENCE MEAN TO YOU?

To me, Black excellence is the acknowledgment of the resilience, success and achievements of Black individuals who have been able to overcome barriers and challenges to success in spite of injustices, many of which still exist today. It represents a celebration of determination exhibited by Black individuals in their pursuit of excellence, which helps pave the way for others.