What is “A Moment With”? The Women’s Business Development Center is pleased to introduce our new series, “A Moment With”, where we will periodically highlight some of our greatest supporters and partners, sharing their career experiences and advice. This month, we are thrilled to introduce you to Comcast Regional External Affairs Manager, Maria Castro.
Meet Maria Castro: Maria has worked in a wide range of roles over the course of her career. Most notably, she served as the director of marketing for a one-million square foot shopping center on Chicago’s North Side, a regional marketing manager for one of the largest real estate developers in the country, and a regional operations manager for a leader in event marketing services and promotions. She currently serves as the regional external affairs manager for Comcast’s Community Investment team and has done so for the past 15 years.
Maria is also the co-author of Today’s Inspired Latinas Volume V, Today’s Inspired Leader Volume II, and coming this fall, Hispanic Stars Rising: The New Face of Power. She also frequently lends her #TimeTalentsTreasures (she calls them her T3s) to support organizations outside of work, serving as Chair of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Chicago Chapter, and a member of the Telemundo Chicago Community Action Board and DePaul Art Museum Board of Directors. She was also appointed by former Governor Pat Quinn to serve on the Illinois Conservation Foundation Board in 2014 and serves as a member of the WBDC’s advisory council.
A Lesson
We asked: Looking back on your career at-large, is there anything you would have done differently?
Maria shared: This question and decision haunts me at times. I traveled quite a bit when my younger son was little. My husband had to attend a lot of soccer games and meetings during my absence. Although he turned out to be an incredible young man and entrepreneur, I wish I would have traveled less to be present for some of those years. My older son was a teen, and it did not seem to bother him, but I know I probably missed a lot of important moments or conversations.
A Turning Point
We asked: What was the biggest risk you took in your career? Did it pay off?
Maria shared: The biggest risk I took was working in the cable industry, which I knew absolutely nothing about. It has turned out to be the biggest blessing of my life 15 years later.
A Guidepost
We asked: What is your favorite quote?
Maria shared: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Author unknown
The WBDC extends a big thank you to our loyal friend Maria for being our very first feature for this series. For more information on Maria, please visit her LinkedIn page here. We look forward to introducing you to more of the great women and men who help fuel our mission.
