Helpful Practices, Best Books, and Inspiring Women

A Conversation with the New CEO of Broadway Bank Noreen Skelly

Q: What is the most helpful tool or practice you use to stay focused on your priorities?

My father regularly quoted Benjamin Franklin: “Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” I think about that every morning when I review and update my long to-do-list. I prioritize and break down large projects into achievable daily tasks so that I can feel a sense of accomplishment against my top priorities every day. I try to stay away from allowing my email to dictate my priorities.

Q: What is the best book you’ve read lately, or podcast you’ve heard and why?

I just finished Jane Eyre after seeing my daughters enjoy it as required reading in high school. Not only was it a gripping story, but I love the title character Jane Eyre. Her struggles as an average woman asserting her voice and working to provide for herself speaks to me and is still relevant in this modern era.

Q: Which woman most inspires you now, and why?

I can’t limit this to just one woman. The women in my family – my sister Alicia, my daughters Ellie and Abby, and my niece Mattilyn are kind, smart, socially aware people who make me and this world a better place. I am inspired to be more thoughtful of others, more intellectually curious, and a better advocate for issues surrounding social justice after I am with them.

Noreen Skelly was named CEO of Broadway Bank in August 2021. She was previously CFO and Chief Operations Officer of the Houston-based Gulf Capital Bank, the largest community bank to open in Texas in nearly a decade.