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A Giving Leader
Mary Ellen Garrett, First Vice President-Investments
Merrill Lynch, The Garrett Group
Genuine. Gracious. Generous.
These are just a few words that describe the subject of this SHEro profile. But they don't begin to tell the whole story of the "total person" who is Mary Ellen Garrett—a daughter, sister, wife, mother, business executive and community leader—who personifies the concept of "giving back."
Early influences carry forward
A mid-westerner by birth, Mary Ellen grew up in Dayton, Ohio, the youngest of five children. There were five years between her and her closest sibling. Of her mother, Mary Ellen says, "She was and is a beautiful person, inside and out. Today, she's a vibrant seventy-eight year-old and still works. She taught me the meaning of a strong work ethic"
On the wall in Mary Ellen's Buckhead executive office, with its panoramic view of Atlanta's northeastern skyline, hangs an intriguing Coca-Cola poster, vintage 1940. Who's the lovely poster girl, you ask? None other than Mary Ellen's mom! It's also a touching display of affection and pride between one generation and another.
Equally influential in Mary Ellen's young life was her father. His business included ownership of several printing ink manufacturing plants across the mid-west. Often he would take Mary Ellen with him when he worked. As a result, the young leader-in-the-making received her first lessons in the world of business. More importantly, however, her father also taught her lessons for life, including how to meet and treat people.
"My dad never met a stranger. He was always the first to say 'hello' and to give a friendly smile, looking the other person square in the eye until they returned the greeting. He was a great communicator and taught me the importance of this skill," Mary Ellen explained. "Now, with my own children, the example my father gave me lives on as I teach them the same principle. They've even made a game out of it. They call it 'sweet and sour.' When they say 'hello' and someone returns the greeting nicely, that's sweet. When they ignore it and don't say hello back, that's sour!"
Another valuable life lesson Mary Ellen learned from her father came in quite a different form and would take many years for her to fully appreciate. It began in the deep recession of the early 70's when her father lost his company and along with it, the family's upper-middle-class lifestyle. The impact on Mary Ellen was dramatic, including a shift from private Catholic school to public school. At 16, she had to get a job to help out and later, after finishing high school, had to attend a local college rather than a more prestigious one because of family finances.
"As a teenager, I was very angry and unforgiving of my father because I didn't know how to deal with difficulty. Little did I realize that I was learning one of the most valuable lessons of my life and building character and integrity in the process! Of course, as an adult and in my profession as an investment advisor, I have come to understand that in the bear market of the 70's, 65% of all private businesses went under. I just wish I could tell my dad it wasn't his fault."
A turning point
In 1980, desiring a fresh start in a new city, Mary Ellen moved to Atlanta to pursue her career in the securities industry. She also chose Atlanta to be near her older sister. Looking back, Mary Ellen knows it was a definite turning point in her life and quite possibly, a providential decision. Two years after coming to Atlanta, she would marry the man of her dreams—Scott Garrett, her life partner, and the person with whom she would have three children—a son and twin daughters.
As her husband's advertising business flourished, so, too, did Mary Ellen's career with Merrill Lynch. Using her leadership and relationship building skills along with her financial savvy, she rose quickly in what was and still is a male-dominated profession. Not only that, but she and her team were so successful in bringing in new business among high net worth private clients and corporations that she became one of only a select few executives in her compan—or in the industry—to have her own division. Today, The Garrett Group is one of Merrill Lynch's top investment and portfolio management and estate planning teams in the country. Mary Ellen is also a member of Merrill Lynch's training school in Princeton.
Her professional success clearly makes Mary Ellen a role model for aspiring women of all ages, but that's only one role that distinguishes her. Above all, she puts family first. Not just in words, but in how she leads her life and focuses her considerable energy and enthusiasm. One example is her parental choice to send her children to private school and to be involved in those schools to the maximum extent possible. That includes serving on their boards and raising funds to support sports and educational programs.
Currently, Mary Ellen holds a Board Trustee position and is Campaign Chair of the Atlanta Girls School (AGS). AGS is the three-year-old school attended by her thirteen year-old twin daughters. "There are no words to describe the impact this school has had on my daughters since they started there," Mary Ellen said. "At an age when many young girls become distracted with education because of hormones and other things, AGS takes them under their wing and teaches them in a way girls learn best. My daughters are different now, more thoughtful, more confident, and yes, even smarter!"
"And," she continued, "it doesn't hurt that while attending AGS, my daughters are instructed in self defense by my sister who holds a black belt in karate and who just happens to work there as office manager."
Mary Ellen works tirelessly to promote AGS and to help ensure its future growth. The school's 2003 enrollment is about 200, but if she and her fellow board members bring their vision to reality, that enrollment will expand to 450 in a few years and AGS will have a new campus.
When Mary Ellen isn't crusading for the Atlanta Girls School, she's probably crusading for United Way's Women's Legacy Initiative. "Could any force be more powerful than thousands of women philanthropists working hand-in-hand with nonprofits, neighborhoods, companies, schools, and other-who all share the same goal of a safe, stronger region?" Mary Ellen asks. The easy answer: NO.
For 2003, Mary Ellen chairs the Women's Legacy for United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. She's the very able leader selected to succeed the Founder and Co-Chair Emerita of the Women's Legacy, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, and other Co-Chair Ann Kaiser. The goals of this initiative are to educate women about philanthropic involvement and leadership—defined in the broadest terms as investing time, talent and treasure—to engage more women in the work of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta to transform our community. In a recent publication of this group, Mary Ellen appears with her two daughters, Anna and Patsy. What a terrific way to role model what women's leadership is all about!
Just for good measure, Mary Ellen has served on the board as Fund-Raising Chair for Sandy Springs Youth Sports, Board Member of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Strategic Planning Council and Development Committee for Marist School (where her son attends), Emory University's Board, and is a long-time council member at St. Jude's Catholic Church.
What's next
Mary Ellen shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, nor should she. She's young enough to continue contributing in her role at Merrill Lynch for years to come. She's also young enough and experienced enough and passionate enough to have not yet hit her true stride as a community leader, fundraiser, and philanthropic dynamo. Fast forward a few years, though, and she'll be able to watch her progeny, the next generation of female leaders, make their mark. How could they not do great things, with a caring and inspirational SHEro like Mary Ellen Garrett to emulate?
By Susan B. Hitchcock
Creator of The Age of SHEroes
VP-Client Services and Executive Director, Women's Initiatives, Turknett Leadership Group
January, 2003
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