The Art of Management
New York Institute of Technology caught Stacy L. Beatty Jr.’s (B.F.A. ’02) attention as a high school student. “New York Tech had expressed interest in me when I was a sophomore at Midwood High School. I went to the open house and was intrigued,” he recalls. Beatty was impressed with the students and their work, as well as the atmosphere of the classes. “There was a lot of teamwork going on, and they were making advances in research design at the time,” he says.
He enrolled in the university and ultimately earned a B.F.A. in Graphic Design. He is currently the director of graphic design with the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). Beatty sat down with The Box to talk about his career and how New York Tech helped put him on a path to success.
What inspired you to pursue this career path?
For the longest time, I liked 3-D animation and special effects. The graphic design/fine arts program was the only program in which I would get to take the 3-D Design and Thesis classes. I wanted to do animation shorts and cartoon programming. Then, over time, I thought I might open my own local graphic design and animation studio.
Tell us about your current job. What do you enjoy most about it?
My responsibilities have moved from design toward management. I’ve done project design management and have been a project manager. Now I manage the day-to-day needs of a unit at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. We service the agency and the mayor’s office. So, if I do design work, it’s at the production level.
What I love the most about my job is my team. They are loyal and hardworking, and they have as much respect for me as I do for them. I enjoy most when we are solving issues using creative design methods.
How did your education at New York Tech (inside or outside the classroom) prepare you for success in getting your job?
Interesting question. My mom worked for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and they had signed up for Public Service Corps (PSC). It’s a program run through the DCAS that offers students internships in city government using federal work-study funding in colleges and universities that sign up. When I heard about the program, I tried to sign up, but New York Institute of Technology was not part of the program. So, I went down to PSC, got the 100+ pages of paperwork for New York Tech, and Dean Thomas helped me to get everything signed on time. (I will always be grateful for his help.) Once the university was signed up, I got an interview and received an internship at HPD. From there, I worked my way up through city government, and now I run city graphics at DCAS.
Do you have a special memory about a person or experience at New York Tech
There are so many! The first to come to mind is Helen Bayona [a former Department of Fine Arts staff member]. She got me my second internship at New York Tech, in the Department of Fine Arts. (The first was in the Office of Admissions.) She was a very sweet and funny person. Though she was my supervisor, she always seemed like one of us (students). Through that internship, I was introduced to the film and production department, where I got to help other students with their class projects. Much of what I experienced at New York Tech was because of Helen Bayona.
