Page 40 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2017

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY words of wisdom ADVICE FROM
Gulf Coast
LEADERS
story by Lynn Lofton and Kelsey Sunderman-Foster
photos courtesy of Renaissance Community Loan Fund and Harrah’s Gulf Coast
Even though it’s sometimes said that advice is
cheap, advice from proven business leaders can
be valuable. Two such leaders, Kimberly LaRosa, president and CEO of Renaissance Community Loan
Fund, and Jonathan Jones, senior vice president and general manager of Harrah’s Gulf Coast, share a few words of wisdom they’ve learned along the way.
LaRosa says the best advice she was ever given is to lead by example. “You don’t have to be the loudest or the most outspoken. Let your work and your accomplishments speak for themselves,” she said.
The best business and professional advice she feels she can give anyone can be covered in four points. “Don’t
give up — the end solution may not be what you wanted, but perseverance will get you to the best solution. Don’t stop trying to better yourself –— there will never be a day when you cannot learn something new,” she said. “Don’t compromise your beliefs; if you feel an action or decision is wrong, it probably is. And fourth, always live a balance of spiritual well-being, family and work — in that order.”
La Rosa’s career began in 1995 with the Isle of Capri Casino’s corporate office in Biloxi, where she held several positions over a 12-year period. She made a career change after Hurricane Katrina when she joined the team at Renaissance, a new nonprofit with a mission to put people
into houses. “We have seen Renaissance grow into a nationally recognized statewide organization that’s making a difference in communities,” she said.
Jones admits that he has always been driven. At one point, he realized he had held 21 jobs in 20 years, all in ten different cities and seven states. “Having worked full time since I was 14, I am no stranger to hard work,” he said.
He’s worked with Caesars Entertainment since 2005, starting in Las Vegas, and has kept moving within the company and geographically.
“The advice that’s stuck with me throughout my career comes from writer and businessman Max De Pree, who said, ‘The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.’ This philosophy has helped me become what I am today,” Jones said.
Jones reminds all aspiring business leaders to realize it’s okay to mess up, to make mistakes. “That’s how we learn. In fact, if you don’t mess up, you’re probably not trying hard enough,” he says. “There are only two kinds of grave mistakes: not taking ownership of your mistakes, and
not learning from them. Be honest, work hard, and stay humble, optimistic and curious, and generally people will gravitate to you and want you to be a part of their team.”
KIMBERLY LAROSA,
President and CEO
Renaissance Community Loan Fund
JONATHAN JONES,
President and General Manager Harrah’s Gulf Coast
40 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2017
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