Cynthia N. Colbert, MSW, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
Leadera Consulting Group named Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston CEO/President Cynthia N. Colbert, MSW, as September 2016’s Outstanding Woman in Business.
The honor marks the third recognition in the last few months for Colbert. She was also selected as a finalist for the Houston Business Journal’s 2016 C-Suite Awards in the Best Nonprofit CEO category. She was a recent finalist in the Houston Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business Awards.
Colbert earned her bachelor’s degree from The California State University in Sacramento and her master’s in social work from UC Berkeley. She worked as a Congressional Aide to Con. Pete Stark after graduate school and worked at United Way of Santa Clara, Calif., and Austin, Texas. She also served as a grants administrator for The City of Hayward and the City of Austin. In 2010, Ms. Colbert became the Executive Director of Catholic Charities in Wichita, Kan., before coming to Houston in 2012.
Colbert is active as a board member of the Latin Women’s Initiative, a Senior Fellow of American Leadership Forum (Class XXXVI) and Vice Chair for the Network of Behavioral Health Providers. She is also a committee member for the Early Matters Initiative.
Leadera asked Colbert to answer a few questions about herself:
Q: What about your work are you most proud of?
At the end of every day, whether I attended meetings, gave a presentation, spoke with staff or with clients – whatever task or activity I performed, I know I did it to support the people we serve and our staff. We have an incredible, dedicated and professional staff who provide compassionate and quality services that make a difference in the lives of children, families, seniors, veterans and others. I have worked with the board and staff to increase programs and donations so that we can reach more people in need. The greater Houston community is wonderful to work with, and they definitely contribute to our agency and many others.
Q: Tell us about your family.
I grew up in a small town in California and met my husband at The California State University, Sacramento. We have been married 35 years and are the proud parents of two young men – David and Derek. I am proud of my sons and am grateful for a husband who has loved me through all the good and the difficult times that come during life.
Q: Describe your role.
As the president and CEO, I am responsible for leading a large, multi-service not-for-profit agency. I work with the board of directors to lead and implement our strategic plan, help with development to ensure we have adequate resources to carry out our mission, and promote our mission, vision and values to our staff and the broader community.
Q: What advice do you give female professionals who aspire to be leaders?
Be true to yourself, be authentic and learn to communicate with a lot of different people on many different levels. Find your passion and do everything you can to live out your passion and personal mission. Try new things and take risk now and then. “Lean in.”