No One Cheers for Goliath: My Leadership Story

No One Cheers for Goliath chronicles the obstacles overcome and the leadership lessons learned by Timothy J. Brown from his journey as a first generation African American college student to academic dean. As the son of a steel worker, his path took him from the small steel mill town of Coatesville, PA through his improbable ascension into leadership positions in higher education. His story, however, started inauspiciously as he landed on academic probation after his first semester at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He would rebound to earn two degrees in Communication Studies from West Chester University, and complete his Ph.D. in Rhetoric at Ohio University. From Ohio, he would take his first faculty position at Buffalo State College, before returning to West Chester University as a faculty member in the same department in which he was a student. After five years, he would succeed his mentor and the person who first encouraged him to go to graduate school, Dr. Denny Klinzing, as department chair (Denny served 26 years as chair of the department). Dr. Brown would serve 10 years as department chair of the Department of Communication Studies at West Chester University-a program that had over 500 majors and over 35 faculty members before being named the Dean of the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. The Knight School of Communication is the only school in the nation that carries the Knight Foundation name. Currently, Dr. Brown serves as the Dean of Liberal Arts at Montgomery County Community College where he oversees 15 departments that span the arts & humanities and social sciences. As Dr. Brown excelled as a teacher/scholar, he became a leader on his campus and in the discipline of communication. Among his many honors includes being named a Distinguished Teaching Fellow and a Distinguished Research Fellow by the Eastern Communication Association, and being honored as a Drum Major for Justice by West Chester University's Frederick Douglass Society.

No One Cheers for Goliath revisits Dr. Brown's leadership journey in higher education through personal reflections, life experiences, and memories of the people and events that shaped his leadership philosophy of being a servant-leader. Dr. Brown's servant-leadership approach is forged upon building authentic relationships and providing individuals with opportunities and support in order for them to succeed. Through powerful personal examples and stories, Dr. Brown captures what he learned as a leader in higher education. He believes in people because others had believed in him. He supports people as others supported him. He connects with people as others have connected with him. His ability to see people through their challenges, is reflective of the challenges that he had to overcome. The people, events, and circumstances that Dr. Brown discusses in No One Cheers for Goliath are meant to motivate, to encourage, and inspire leaders and aspiring leaders. As a result, effective leadership is a transformative process where the leader comes along side others to unlock their potential in order for them to reach goals that might have otherwise seemed unobtainable.

Timothy J. Brown, Ph.D. was born in Coatesville, PA on July 12, 1969. He is the third of four children of Samuel H. Brown Jr. and Shirley M. Brown. As a youth, he enjoyed playing organized sports, neighborhood "pick-up" sports, board games with his siblings and the neighborhood kids, riding his bike, spending time with his immediate and extended family, and attending Coatesville Area Senior High School's Red Raider football and basketball games. As a high school student, he played football and basketball for the Red Raiders and graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High School in 1987. After high school graduation, he attended West Chester University (WCU) where he earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Communication Studies. In between earning his bachelor's and master's degrees he was a sports reporter for the now defunct Coatesville Record. As a graduate student at WCU, he was a graduate assistant with the Forensics (Speech and Debate) Team, the Frederick Douglass Institute, and a teaching assistant to a large-lecture, mass communication course. After graduating with his M.A., he enrolled at Ohio University as a doctoral student in the School of Interpersonal Communication's program (which is now the School of Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication) where he was a graduate assistant for the Forensics Team. Also, at Ohio University, he met his Laura Hamilton Brown, Ph.D. who is now his wife. Currently, Dr. Brown serves as the Dean of the Liberal Arts at Montgomery County Community College where he oversees 15 departments that span the arts & humanities and social sciences. Prior to his current position, Dr. Brown was the Dean of the James L. Knight School of Communication and Professor of Media and Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. Before Queens University, Dr. Brown was a Professor of Communication at West Chester University (2002-2018), where he chaired the Department of Communication Studies for 10 years. At WCU, he held numerous other leadership positions including Special Assistant to the Provost and Chair of the Council of Chairs. Prior to his time at WCU, he was a faculty member at Buffalo State College. Dr. Brown is a rhetorical scholar whose research, teaching and consulting focus on the intersection of culture, communication, and identity. He has made over 80 presentations, most of which took place at the annual conferences of the National Communication Association (NCA) and the Eastern Communication Association (ECA). Examples of his publications include being a co-author of the textbook Public Speaking for Success: Strategies for Diverse Audiences and Occasions (Hayden-McNeil). He was the second author of the textbook Argumentation and Debate: A Public Speaking Approach (Kendall/Hunt) and co-author of the article, "More Than a Game: Fulfilling Expectations and Inscriptions in the Career of LeBron James," which is published in The Western Journal of Black Studies. On the national level, Dr. Brown has been a motivational speaker and workshop presenter on leadership skills for the Federal Government's Leadership Assessment Program. Moreover, Dr. Brown served on the National Communication Association's Learning Outcome's Project which created student learning outcomes for the discipline of Communication Studies. For the Eastern Communication Association, he has served in many capacities including being a Second Vice-President for its annual conference. In addition, he has been a workshop presenter on integrating diversity into the curriculum for the Educational Resources of New Jersey which provides professional development for public school teachers. Among his many honors includes being recognized by the Eastern Communication Association as a Distinguished Teaching Fellow and as a Distinguished Research Fellow. Furthermore, he was honored with the Drum Major for Justice Award by West Chester University's Frederick Douglass Society.