Pottsgrove High School graduate Maria O’Connell is the owner of the Chester County/Main Line office of Express Employment Professionals, a franchise that partners with a variety of businesses to provide a full range of staffing services to help ensure flexibility and savings.

O’Connell — who earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Kutztown University, a master’s degree in Instructional Systems from Penn State Great Valley, and an MBA from New York Institute of Technology — is proud to play a role in people’s career journeys.

“I enjoy helping people to find a career where they can feel appreciated, thrive for themselves, and also help support their families,” she said.

O’Connell shared her perspective on what makes a successful leader.

“They’re present, interested, and are able to listen and feel accountable to help remove barriers for others to be successful,” she said. “I love to learn someone’s ‘why’ and what lights them up about what they do.”

O’Connell credits Evelyn Shelly with having the biggest impact on her career.

“Ms. Shelly was my elocution teacher for 13 years,” she said. “At an early age, I learned so much from her in the areas of speech, presentation, and leadership. She was a great role model for me. I use what I learned today when public speaking and in my leadership roles.”

Of the 12 Principles of the Scout Law — Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent — Trustworthy resonates the most with O’Connell.

“Living and operating with high integrity — that’s important,” she said.

The Chester County Council, Boy Scouts of America will honor O’Connell and the 11 other BSA VISTA Leadership Megastars at an awards reception on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at its new Program, Activity, and Resource Campus (PARC) in Exton. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Kristin Conran at kristin.conran@scouting.org.