Welcome and Introductions
Taryell Simmons: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another episode of Rise Urban Nation. It is your host Taryell Simmons, and I am in the building with a legendary special guest. We were just riffing before recording; we are both from the DMV area. I have Mr. Harold Tuck in the building. Harold, how are you doing this morning?
Harold Tuck: I am doing fine, Taryell, or should I call you nephew Tommy?
Taryell Simmons: Just don't call me late for dinner, that is all I ask.
Harold Tuck: All right, you got it.
Taryell Simmons: For the people who do not know Harold Tuck, who is Harold Tuck? Give us a brief intro.
Harold Tuck: I am a native of Baltimore, Maryland. I have been in San Diego, California since 1978. I have had a series of jobs, each one more rigorous than the previous one. I am currently retired. I am a husband, father of four adult children, and grandfather of five grandchildren across both coasts. I grew up in the concrete jungle and now I live around palm trees.
Taryell Simmons: We both grew up in the concrete jungle and made our way out to the palm trees. When I worked in the nonprofit sector building mentorship programs, I noticed many young people have limiting beliefs. You are involved in mentoring as well. Could you tell us about that?
Lessons from the Farm and Youth Mentorship
Harold Tuck: Both of my parents are from North Carolina. In the summertime, we visited my maternal grandparents on their farm. Being urban children, we knew nothing about farming or livestock. Our grandparents, aunts, and uncles taught us everything—from values and faith to feeding pigs slop and drawing water from a well. That nurturing and mentoring essence became part of me. As an adult, I realized the difference between wisdom and knowledge. I wanted to share both. My fraternity brothers and I began speaking at elementary schools and church gatherings, mentoring young people from third grade through age twenty-six. My grandmother once told me, "Never stop your opportunity to learn." When talking to youth, I ask them what excites them rather than using abstract words like empowerment or passion.
Taryell Simmons: You also shared an insight about highway numbers that blew their minds.
Harold Tuck: I explained that interstate freeways ending in odd numbers travel north to south, while those ending in even numbers travel east to west. I told them that so they would never get lost. It gives them fundamental reference points. You do not have to have every answer, but you must know where your reference sources are.
BOULE Scholars and Career Pathways
Taryell Simmons: Is that mentorship program still ongoing? What is it called?
Harold Tuck: It is called BOULE Scholars. Our goal is to take third graders through high school and support their next steps. If they want to attend a four-year college, we assist them financially. If they choose an apprenticeship or trade program, we help fund that training. We serve as a reliable resource to assist them in whatever path excites them.
Taryell Simmons: That is vital because we have lost focus on skilled trades that offer well-paying union careers with great benefits. Meeting young people where their excitement lies is key.
Harold Tuck: Exactly. Like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, if you do not know where you want to go, any road will take you there. We help young people with the decision-making process without dictating what their choices should be.
Rest Haven and Healthcare Advocacy
Taryell Simmons: You are also doing impactful work around children and healthcare. Could you tell us about that?
Harold Tuck: I serve on the board of directors of Rest Haven, founded in 1909. Our mission is to provide and fund healthcare services for children from birth to age seventeen when no other resource is available. We fund cleft lip surgeries, exam rooms at Rady Children's Hospital, community pediatric clinics, medical devices, and bereavement support for families facing tragedy. Recently, our board awarded a one million dollar grant to a local San Diego organization dedicated to children's mental health.
Taryell Simmons: The Black community has a complicated history with healthcare, leading to skepticism and reluctance to visit doctors. Why do you think that persists?
Harold Tuck: Much of that skepticism stems from historical mistreatment, such as the Tuskegee experiment in the 1940s, and the shortage of medical professionals who look like us. We must break that mold by encouraging more people of African descent to enter medicine, while also developing healthcare literacy. When visiting a doctor, advocate for yourself respectfully. Be specific about your symptoms—just like telling an auto mechanic where you hear a noise rather than just saying the car feels off.
The 035 Goal Setting Framework
Harold Tuck: In the corporate world, everyone told us to write extensive goals and objectives. I preferred a simpler mental framework that I call the 035 plan. When your age ends in zero, you establish your five-year goal. When your age ends in three, you evaluate your progress. If life circumstances change—marriage, children, illness, or loss—you readjust your plan. When your age ends in five, you achieve or reset your goal, and then begin the next cycle. It keeps your goals structured, manageable, and positive.
Taryell Simmons: Do you break those goals down into detailed step-by-step checklists?
Harold Tuck: It depends on the individual. For me, it was mental. When I set a goal to get married by thirty, I prepared myself mentally: becoming financially self-sufficient, changing where I spent my time, and aligning my habits with that goal. Each person should use whatever tracking method works best for them.
Career Pivots and Overcoming Setbacks
Taryell Simmons: Did you apply the 035 plan to your career at the county?
Harold Tuck: Absolutely. When I joined the county, I decided what I wanted to achieve in five years. You must have self-determination and the courage to pivot if an environment no longer serves you. My father-in-law once showed me a straight tree in his yard and told me he had staked and straightened it when it was a sapling, because once a tree matures, bending it will break it. I applied that lesson to raising my son, who is now completing his doctorate, and to my own life: address problems early before you get stuck.
Taryell Simmons: What was your journey from your first job to executive leadership?
Harold Tuck: My first job at age eleven was delivering morning newspapers in Baltimore at 4:00 AM in freezing weather, followed by bagging groceries at fifteen for $1.15 an hour. After earning a pre-med bachelor's degree, my first corporate job was as a bill collector. I integrated West Coast operations and became branch manager before being fired. I was unemployed for months until landing at a health clinic. When they needed a computer manager, I stepped up, learned computing on my own, and became proficient. That led to being hired by county government, earning a second master's degree, becoming director of housing, and ultimately serving as Chief Information Officer overseeing countywide IT.
The Black Wine Movement
Taryell Simmons: You have also invested in the wine industry. What is the Black Wine Movement?
Harold Tuck: While enjoying wine with friends, we realized how few Black winemakers were recognized despite their quality products. We created the Black Wine Movement at blackwinemovement.com. We curate wines from Black vineyard owners and entrepreneurs, and 100 percent of the profits are directed into a foundation providing scholarships for African American young men. It allows us to enjoy great wine while creating generational wealth and investing in our youth.
Taryell Simmons: It also highlights Black men in the wine space, breaking cultural stereotypes.
Harold Tuck: Exactly. It is about appreciating quality wine, giving Black producers equal visibility, and reinvesting proceeds directly into community uplift.
Leadership, Trust, and Future Outlook
Taryell Simmons: What key life lessons guide your leadership philosophy?
Harold Tuck: If there is a setback, a comeback is coming. If you stay ready, you never have to get ready. In leadership, you must be willing to make difficult decisions without needing everyone to like you. When you transition from peer to supervisor, be their boss, not their friend. Set healthy boundaries, bet on yourself, and shorten the time it takes to build trust with others.
Taryell Simmons: Harold, thank you for sharing your wisdom on Rise Urban Nation.
Harold Tuck: Thank you, Taryell, and God bless you all.
