Five Catholic chief executive officers were honored by the
Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia and discussed how their faith
guides them to leadership excellence.
The luncheon and panel discussion, which was moderated by Bruce
Gemmill, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of John Marshall
Bank, was held June 8 at the Hyatt Regency Dulles.
The panelists included: Tony Howard of the Loudoun County Chamber
of Commerce; John Boylan of the Dulles Regional Chamber; Jim Corcoran of the
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Debbie Jones of the Prince William
Chamber of Commerce; and Mark Ingrao of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.
Howard, a parishioner at St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg,
said he incorporates his faith in the workplace by focusing on the business community
he serves, as well as those less fortunate.
Corcoran, who attends Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Vienna,
described himself as a “servant manager.”
“We’re all about serving others,” he said. “If you want to be a
leader you need to be serving others non-stop, 24 hours a day. The client comes
first. The community comes first.”
Ingrao, a parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo Church in
Arlington, said he approaches his job with a social conscience. He called
himself a consensus builder who attempts to find common ground when dealing
with difficult issues.
“We represent business, but we partner with other groups in our
community,” he said.
Jones said her philosophy is “to treat others like you want to be
treated. If you want to get credit, this job is not for you.”
Boylan, who attends St. Timothy Church in Chantilly, said the
foundation for how he approaches his job is built on the three pillars of
commerce, community and communication.
All of the business leaders agreed that being successful requires
collaboration and developing partnerships.
Corcoran said what inspires him in his work each day is “meeting
the people who will drive the community forward.”
“You need to pick your partners where it’s going to work the
best,” he said.
As a person of faith who is always optimistic, Jones said it’s
vital for her to share information with her chamber colleagues, both locally
and nationally. “I’m energized when I can connect people,” she said.
“The only power we have is brought to use by our members,” said
Ingrao, who called himself a community steward. “I love to see communities
grow, to see everyone succeed,” he said.
Find out more
Go to cbnnova.org.