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Gloria Cavanagh: Being a part of the CNMI community
Gloria Cavanagh
Gloria Cavanagh, the vice president of Mariana E-Land and the acting chair of the board of Marianas Visitors Authority, wears many hats. She is not only a proud daughter, sister, wife, a mother, but also a good friend, mentor, and role model to many. She excels in her dual role as a powerful leader and a friendly colleague.
Cavanagh has a background in math and accounting: She majored in math and accounting in college and her first job was as a math teacher. She is a firm believer in knowing number and financial figures. Working in the hospitality industry, she advanced her skillsets to cut costs, maximize revenues, and optimize the financial structure of the business. While climbing the corporate ladder, she learned how to manage and oversee people, money, and the entire organization.
“When I first started my career, it was a different time. As a woman, I had to prove myself harder, work harder, balance harder, and improve my capacity harder. There is no one secret ingredient to the recipe of success in a woman’s career. Luckily, I have loved what I was doing,” she says.
“When people are in a certain field or industry long enough, they believe they know it all. I try my best not to fall into that trap. My tip for younger women in the business is never to stop learning. There are always new trends, new information, and new knowledge in the world, and that is particularly more so in the hospitality industry. That is what still excites me every morning,” she adds.
Her coworkers admire her in many ways, but especially for her dedication to the community. Her team sees her as the glue of the team, and the center of communication. She has been actively serving the CNMI community more than a decade now. She willingly took various roles at the Hotel Association of Northern Marianas Islands, the MVA board, and other committees and associations in the hopes to contribute to sustainable development of the CNMI’s tourism industry. “Always remember that you are a part of the community. If your community is not healthy, it will affect your life and your family’s. Take a part and be a part,” she says, which is something that she lives up to. (PR)
