Kimberly C. Hughey

My journey into corrections was born out of necessity. I came to Delaware to attend Delaware State University where I majored in radio production as a mass communication major, dreaming of becoming a radio personality. After being suspended from school for fighting, I found myself essentially homeless, sleeping on people's couches and working as a waitress at Ruby Tuesdays and Fridays just to survive. When I started the corrections academy, I began saving money and was finally able to get my own place. I didn't even have a car until almost a year after completing the academy - I was hitching rides with coworkers. This career chose me, I did not choose it, but God brought me to corrections. Over the past 20 years, I've grown from those humble beginnings to executive leadership. Achieving the rank of Facility Warden was my most notable achievement - having that sense of ownership where you're responsible for a building, the staff, the offenders, and the success of the operation. It's a great honor to have the state place that much trust in you. I completed my doctorate in organizational learning, leading, and innovation, which helped me understand that our greatest resources are people, not just fiscal budgets. I wrote my dissertation on the importance of acknowledging personal trauma so that when you're in leadership, you're not bleeding on your staff. I've had the privilege of teaching criminal justice at the community college here in Delaware and serving as a co-facilitator in training for the Office of Business and Management. Now I work for the Bureau of Community Corrections in an executive leadership position, overseeing facility wardens and a probation and parole director, working with community stakeholders, unions, and the Attorney General's office.