It’s quite obvious that banking executive Irvin Ashford isn’t satisfied with being mediocre or resting on his laurels. His recent promotion to senior vice president of public affairs at Comerica Bank doesn’t come as a surprise. Since joining Comerica in 2000, Ashford has built quite the reputation. He has received Comerica’s Volunteer of the Year Award and the Chairman’s Circle Award for leadership and quality; was named a recipient of the 2009 C.A.W. Clark Human Relations Award presented by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Greater Dallas; in 2008, the Dallas Business Journal honored Ashford with its Business Leader Award; and he received the 2008 Southern Dallas Development Corp.’s President’s Award.
“In business school you learn that managers must lead, plan, organize and control. As a leader, the trick is knowing when to act. A leader should have vision, resolve and know when and how to allow the team to do whatever is necessary to get the job done in an ethical manner. Leaders must also respect the thoughts and opinions of those around them and never forget that the power to lead is a gift that can be taken away if not used properly,” Ashford says.
A supporter of several community-based organizations, including the board of directors for the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Plan Fund, he also serves on the affiliate board of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Ashford discusses why he supports what many would deem a female cause.
“I work with many people and organizations in the southern sector of Dallas County and have seen the need for services that lend a helping hand. One of the organizations providing services in this sector is the Dallas County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. After I learned about their mission, I thought it would be a great fit for my experience and connections in southern Dallas County. Black women are disproportionately affected by breast cancer and other major diseases. I feel it’s my duty to get the word out about all of the wonderful things SGK does in the community to positively impact lives.”
In 2007, Ashford was named to the United States delegate class of the British-American Project. It’s an appointment that helps him further his professional aspirations. “I am a member of several transatlantic public policy and international relation organizations. My hobby is making sure I am aware of what’s going on globally that may impact the United States. The world is a big or as small as your grasp of what is going on,” he says.
A graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, Ashford earned dual master’s degrees — one in public affairs from the University of Texas and one in business administration from the University of Dallas. He is a Woodrow Wilson International Studies and Public Policy Fellow and an American Marshall Fellow.
–yvette caslin
