Dallas, TEXAS - Success is achieved through hard work and determination. Leaders come from different parts of the world and carry stories that motivate and encourage others. City Electric Supply (CES) is proud to share one that is sure to make an impact on those who are looking to be inspired. Today, Director of Sales and Operations for the Corporate and National Solutions (CNS) division of CES Nancy Ramdon-Connolly leads her own team. But her story began at the age of 17 when she moved from Jamaica to the United States. As a teenager, Ramdon-Connolly was going to school, working, paying for rent, and financially supporting her family.

“My challenge was that I realized that I only had me to rely on, not anybody else. If I didn’t start taking care of myself, there was nobody to take care of me,” she said. “My family couldn’t financially support me, so I was trying to support them.”

That challenge is what put her on the path to success in the electrical industry, unexpectedly.

“I needed a part-time job, so I ended up working as a receptionist for an electrical supplier,” she said. “I was working the counter a lot, picking up products, and helping people. That’s where I learned a lot about breakers, wires, and the broad customer base of our industry.”

What she learned helped her advance from counter sales to the office, working on projects and taking orders.

“Taking on additional challenges and responsibility just made sense to me,” said Ramdon-Connolly. “I didn’t start knowing that my job could be a career, but that’s exactly what it was.”

Ramdon-Connolly later received a job offer in New York with another electrical supplier. That’s when she began to experience rapid growth.

“I worked in the projects department and began climbing up the ladder very quickly. I was promoted to customer service manager, then director of project management and customer service,” she said. “I helped them open an office in San Francisco, then got into marketing and sales, and never looked back.”

Never looked back but continued to look forward. That’s how Ramdon-Connolly found CES in 2019, right before the pandemic hit. She joined the company and started the Corporate and National Solutions division, which provides lighting, electrical, and other affiliated solutions for companies nationwide.

“We haven’t gotten the chance to do all that we can yet,” explained Ramdon-Connolly, who hopes to see more growth in the division within the next couple of years. “COVID stopped a lot of projects. We adapted and managed to grow, but I know there’s so much more to come.”

What exactly makes CES different from other companies Ramdon-Connolly has worked for? It’s having individuals like Co-Chief Operating Officer John Gray who has the ability to spot leadership quality in others.

“At CES, leadership roles are filled by people like me. They’ve all come from being ordinary people, your neighbors, truck drivers, warehouse guys. They’ve all grown up in the company, just like a family,” she said. “Passionate people who worked their way up in the industry and gained the knowledge and skillsets unique to that type of career progression. As a result, CES leadership has a deep respect for every role in the company. It’s like a family and that’s why I love working here.”

And in terms of goals for the future? It’s to continue growing the CNS division and create her own legacy within CES.

“There’s so much to do, but that’s what makes it exciting. My first job in the industry was to pay rent. But it’s so much more than that now,” she said. “My job is to grow my team as best as I can with the abilities that they have, but I also push for them to have a balanced life. Something that will make you grow as an individual and work to create a legacy of some sort. It will make you more creative and do an even better job at work.”

According to Ramdon-Connolly, the secret to becoming successful is to listen and learn from others.

“I think a big part of how you become successful has a lot to do with how you’re perceived,” she said. “People are attracted to people who are positive and want to do good things. People who want to empower and inspire. I do that, because I care about people. And you have to care about people, especially in our industry, to grow as a person.”

Today, reflecting on when she left her family in Jamaica to make the move to the United States, Ramdon-Connolly feels proud of all that she’s accomplished.

“Coming from a big family, you’re just more fearless. But you don’t know you’re fearless until you look back on what you’ve accomplished with the opportunities that have come to you,” she said. “At one point in my career, I recall being the only woman sitting in a room of 20 men and feeling a sense of accomplishment.”

With an already-impressive list of accomplishments, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Ramdon-Connolly and the entire CNS division at CES.