A warm congratulations from the Glimpses team to Ramona Jones on her well-deserved title as the 2017 Businesswoman of the Year and a second congratulations on her promotion this year to CEO of Jones & Guerrero Co. Inc.
Throughout the Businesswoman of the Year process, we get to know the nominees well through their detailed responses to questions on their careers, personal lives, values and philosophies; through a video we produce for the gala that shows them in action at work and also has testimonials from their colleagues and employees on their leadership and management tactics; and through personal conversation at the photo shoot for this issue of Guam Business.
Following all of this, the word that I heard tied into any sentence about Ramona thereafter was “intelligent.” Her responses are eloquent and substantial, giving you a clear picture of her take charge, problem-solving management tactics.
My second impression of Ramona is that she is fearless in her actions. At our press conference with all of the nominees, her advice to women in business was to take credit for your hard work and what you’ve done well — something that she said is not a common practice culturally in Guam for women. But she also said to take responsibility for what you’ve done wrong. That boldness and ability to publicly take responsibility have earned her the respect and confidence necessary to run one of the region’s largest locally founded conglomerates.
While some CEOs know everything there is to know about their industry, they may not know everything there is to know about the company — its history, its departments, its people. But Ramona has grown up in J&G. And not just as a child in her parents’ office, but as a team member. She started in the company as a merchandise buyer for Town House, then became the commercial and residential real estate developer and manager for Aquarius Development, and then took on the roles of economic analyst, management consultant and director of special projects for J&G Corp. She knows the company from the inside out, and it will be to her benefit as she guides the company through its next endeavors.
In addition to our Businesswoman of the Year feature, this issue includes our first-ever look at Guam’s private schools. The Private Schools Portfolio is designed to be resource for the upcoming school year to help you compare and inquire further into the best fit for your children. You may be surprised by the number of schools available, the majority with accreditation. Each one we talked to was passionate about its curriculum, confident in its staff and proud of its end-product: students who go on to be valuable contributors to their communities and even hold prominent positions in offices and business.
Regardless of whether or not you have school-aged children, the summer months are typically a good time to travel as the calendar of events starts to dwindle until fall. Enjoy any time off you may have planned, and don’t forget to take our publications along.
(From left) Joy White, assistant editor; Jackie Hanson, managing editor; Maureen N. Maratita, publisher, all with Glimpses Publications; Farrell; and Lara Ozaki, reporter, Glimpses Publications.
