by Laurie D. Willis
When Damion Tucker attended Morgan State University, he studied telecommunications with a focus on TV production and dreams of becoming the next Spike Lee. Fortunately for Toyota those dreams didn’t pan out. What began as an entry-level job in Toyota’s Baltimore call center has blossomed into a stellar, 15-year career.
Today Tucker is a senior administrator in Toyota Financial Services’ Corporate Social Responsibility Department, and by all accounts he’s doing well. “Damion is not only great to be around; he adds value and perspective to the team and to our strategy,” said Carolyn Huber, Tucker’s manager. “Coworkers and partners consistently request that Damion be involved in or attend meetings, conferences and events because they like him and he brings so much value. While he has a lot on his plate, he’s always open to helping support others.”
Tucker lives in Bowie, Maryland, and manages Toyota’s national partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Girl Scouts of the USA and Junior Achievement. His duties include managing the budget, strategy, partnership/ contract execution, driving reputation and associate engagement.
“I love being able to work with non-profit organizations that help affect the lives of children, not only in the cities where we work and live but also on a national level,” Tucker said. “It’s a great feeling to be able to work for a global company that takes pride in being an outstanding corporate citizen. I’m able to have a career that involves helping improve the lives of children, and it doesn’t get any better than that! It feels more like a mission to me than a job.”
Tucker has been in his current role for over four years and says his biggest challenges are time constraints and having to say no to some requests. “I never have enough time to do (everything) I want to do,” Tucker said. “And there are so many non-profit organizations that reach out to us for money, so many that are doing great things, but I have to stick to our overall strategy of youth development and financial literacy.”
To date, Tucker’s biggest professional success is the negotiation of a major contract with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which took about 18 months. “It was my first time negotiating a contract, let alone one of this magnitude, and we went from a three-year, $1.5 million partnership to a five-year, $17 million partnership.”
Hugh Haywood, senior vendor program administrator at Toyota, has known Tucker since their Morgan State days and isn’t surprised by his close friend’s achievements. “I think the foundation for success is embedded in the characteristics one has, and Damion’s characteristics of selflessness, determination and thoughtfulness were sure to provide a springboard for future achievements,” Haywood said. “Damion is a genuine friend and a person who’s … willing to dedicate his time and energy toward the benefit of others.”
Tucker and his supportive wife Wendy have two children, Amana, a freshman at Florida State University, and Cameron, a fifth grader. Tucker works 40-50 hours a week on average but make family time a priority. He also exercises at least three or four times a week and officiates high school, college club ball and AAU basketball games.
He credits his success, in part, to his parents Terence and Pamela Slater, who always believed in him and instilled good values in him. He counts John Ridgeway, Corporate Manager for Toyota Financial Services, among his mentors.
When he started at Toyota in 2002, Tucker never dreamed he’d stay so long. But now he hopes to reach a 20-year milestone with the company that he says does a good job of promoting diversity in and out of the workforce. Tucker is also encouraged that the company will continue including more people of color at the executive level.
“One of Toyota’s core values is ‘respect for people,’ a value my parents preached to me and one that I truly believe in,” Tucker said. “I also love the fact that our executives understand the value of giving back to the communities in which we work and live.”
Tucker has five years to go before reaching 20 years of employment at Toyota, which Huber says should be no problem. “Damion’s ability to build relationships and expand our key national partnerships has been critical to their success,” Huber said. “Because of him, we have thriving partnerships, engaged team members and happy customers. He seeks out and accepts feedback, makes changes quickly and continues evolving and improving. He’s really defining what community partnerships at Toyota should look like, and many companies are beginning to build their programs around his models. Damion has a bright future with Toyota.”
