December's Featured Manager: Randy Acosta

Acosta's Advice: Learn from the Best

“There should be a Boys & Girls Club in every town,” said Randy Acosta, seen here with two members at an Aberdeen IronBirds game. He believes members experience life changing opportunities every time they come to a club.

Name and title: Randy T. Acosta, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford County. There are clubs for children ages 6 to 18 in Aberdeen, Bel Air, Havre de Grace and Edgewood. Acosta also runs the Boys & Girls Club in Westminster in Carroll County.

Personal background: Acosta was born in Tampa, FL and was raised in Minnesota and Virginia. His father was in the military for 20 years, so the family moved around, including three years in Panama. He spent much time during his childhood years at Boys & Girls Clubs in Minnesota and Virginia. Acosta, who attended George Mason University, and his wife Elizabeth welcomed their first child, Jude Salvador, into the world Sept. 12 at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air.

Professional background: “I have worked for the Boys & Girls Clubs for more than ten years combined,” said Acosta. “Prior to coming to Harford County in February, I was the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Prince William County, VA.”

Keys to success: Acosta said that being passionate about what he does contributes to his success. “As a product of the Boys & Girls Clubs, I breathe, sleep and live the movement. I am constantly thinking about what I can do to help our kids at the clubs,” he said.

Goals: “My short term goals include reaching out to more alumni for financial support, increasing marketing and awareness efforts and looking for expansion opportunities,” Acosta said. While serving 4,500 kids is something to be proud of, I don’t rest on my laurels. We should be serving 20,000 youths,” he said.

Advice: As advice, Acosta offered a quote from former Congressman, Pennsylvania governor and first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, who said, “You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I’ve learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership. If they feel empowered by you, they will magnify your power to lead. Trust is a great force multiplier.”

What could be done to make business more successful: “Keeping a competitive edge,” Acosta said, adding, “Learn from the best and always be open to learning something new everyday.”

(Editor's Note: See article about Acosta's presentation at the March 17, 2009 Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce meeting .)