After five years as president of the College of Southern Maryland, Dr. Maureen Murphy will retire this week, leaving behind a lasting legacy of excellence that was on full display through her commitment to education, innovation and equity.

CSM includes four campuses across Southern Maryland, as well as the Velocity Center at Indian Head and the Center for Transportation Training. During Murphy’s tenure, the college consistently received awards and recognitions that positioned CSM as among the top community colleges in the nation.

“My decision was difficult, largely because my time working here alongside all of you has been the best part of my career,” she said upon announcing her retirement earlier this year. “Our college is among the best in the country—and that’s because of the passion that all of you bring daily to the work of serving our students.”

Earlier this month, friends, supporters and alumni gathered at The Velocity Center to celebrate Murphy’s impressive career, her tenure at CSM and her “graduation” into retirement.

CSM’s Board of Trustees unanimously selected Dr. Yolanda Wilson to become the college’s sixth president and the first African-American president in the school’s 64-year history. Wilson comes to CSM from Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, where she was vice president of instruction at Ashe Campus and Alleghany Center and a leadership coach for Achieving the Dream.

G.S. Proctor & Associates congratulates Dr. Murphy on her incredible career and the lasting impact she’s made on Southern Maryland. We look forward to working with Dr. Wilson as she strives to carry on the legacy of her predecessor and lead the school for future generations.

Trey Proctor never set out to work for the family firm. He never intended to follow in his father’s footsteps. 

While his path did eventually lead him to join G.S. Proctor & Associates, he has been blazing his own trail since joining the firm in 2014. He has brought his own skills, experiences and expertise to the table for our clients. 

Trey excels at building relationships and at identifying and pursuing the opportunities to create the greatest good in every scenario. As Trey said, “We do what we do because it’s the right thing to do.”

Even though it wasn’t in his plans on the day he graduated college, life has a way of putting you where you need to be. We’re thankful Trey’s path led him here, and we hope you’ll take a few moments to read his Q&A. You’ll see exactly what we mean.

You started your career in banking. Did you always envision yourself working for G.S. Proctor & Associates eventually?
Quite the opposite. Right out of college, I wanted to be in marketing and advertising. I was always interested in psychology and economics, and that struck me as a perfect blend. Across the board, 2008 wasn’t a great time to be entering the job market, but I had a great opportunity to work as a credit analyst at Old Line Bank. 

Somewhere in that time, establishing and maintaining relationships of various types, I realized that politics is really just the economics of people and relationships. That’s when I grew a deeper appreciation for what Pops had accomplished to that point and what he was trying to do. After a few serious conversations, I decided that carrying on the legacy of a black business in and for the DMV region was something that I wanted to do.

How did your time at Old Line Bank prepare you to join G.S. Proctor & Associates?
I couldn’t imagine a better first “real job.” I grew some strong relationships and transferable skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The J’s (Jim, Joe and Jeff) and everybody at Old Line had such an amazing impact on me that I really couldn’t thank them enough. I learned how to analyze a deal, how people were creating and managing a variety of businesses in and around Prince George’s and Charles counties. I learned patience as I worked with the Accounts Receivable lines of credit and even with a few delinquent accounts.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned since joining the firm?
One of the first pieces of advice I received when I first started lobbying has been one of the most valuable. A young lady I have looked up to for years — and continue to look up — told me “don’t take any of it personally.” At the time, I thought was a little menacing, but over time it has taken on a new meaning. 

The humility contained in those words is huge. You put so much time and energy into so many different undertakings, but you really have to take your ego out of it to be successful. Our model is one of team and family and community. There aren’t a lot of “I’s” uttered around the office. A lot of “We’s,” a lot of giving credit to others for the hard work that they put in to help make your efforts a success. Learning to tame your ego and to resist the almost always unproductive knee-jerk reactions is a valuable lesson for anyone at any age.

What aspects of your role do you enjoy most?
Getting to see the positive impact that we make on people every day is so humbling. Some days you put in 14 or 16 hours, and you’re not sure if anyone noticed. For Pops and the firm to be recognized as change agents and partners to thought leaders throughout the region is a testament to the commitment, the integrity and professionalism that G.S. Proctor has as part of its mission. 

In all cases, we do what we do because it’s the right thing to do, but it’s nice for people who share your values to call on you for help and recognize that we share in this fight to make the region and the world a better place.

In your view, what has made G.S. Proctor & Associates so successful over such a long period of time?
The people. It’s all about people. From the clients who place their trust in us to look out for their best interests to the community members who trust us to be transparent and tell them the truth even when it’s not necessarily something that they want to hear at the moment, from the associates that devote long hours and years of their lives to be a part of this thing to the legislators and agency leaders and staff that we have the pleasure of calling “friends.” The dedication to community and diversity of ideas, opinions and backgrounds is nothing short of amazing. It all goes into making G.S. Proctor what it has become.

When you’re not working, how do you enjoy spending your time?
The short answer is spending time with my girls: Zauriel, who is 7 years old and a second grade TAG student, Simile, who just turned 5 and celebrating her fourth full week in pre-k4, and my best friend and wife of 10 years, Lita. 

We work hard, and we like to play hard. We often leave a library to go to a playground. The girls are always ready for the much coveted “vacation,” which really is spending the night in a hotel with a pool. Getting to watch them grow and learn is my favorite thing to do. 

I will sneak in some of my own fun from time to time. While they’re playing, I’ll take aerial photos of them and the surroundings with my drone. I work in time for photography, and I always have my notebook with me to reflect and think big picture about just about everything.