Ellicott City Woman Named No. 1 Elite Executive National Sales Director

Ellicott City’s Gloria Mayfield Banks has made history in the beauty and direct sales industry by being named No. 1 in sales of Mary Kay Cosmetics. Banks is the first African-American woman in the company’s 53-year history to hold this title. Since joining Mary Kay in 1988 she has been a consistent record-breaker, with more than $11 million in earnings to date.

Beyond her beauty enterprise, Banks has made her mark as a renowned keynote speaker, leadership strategist, lifestyle expert and published author by teaching ordinary people to create extraordinary lives. She empowers people with master success tools she has personally used to persistently beat her own odds.

Banks surmounted dyslexia to earn a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, an MBA from Harvard University and an honorary doctorate from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She now advances to the top position in Mary Kay Inc. where she will lead an international team of more than 6,000 consultants.

“This moment speaks to me deeply,” said Banks. “After 28 years, it is rewarding to know that I am still becoming a better version of myself. One of my life’s missions is to motivate people to be better, live better and do better. Having said that, it is important for me to also demonstrate ‘better’ in my life.

First HCC Dental Hygiene Students Graduate to Promising Careers

HCC is one of four community colleges with a dental hygiene program in Maryland, and one of 300 schools across the country offering the curricula. The HCC program prepares students to sit for the National Board and the Northeast Regional Board examinations to earn the title Registered Dental Hygienists.

With a focus on experiential learning, the program develops competencies and prepares students to manage real-life patients. With no more than 16 students admitted to the program each fall, students work on mannequins in simulation laboratories and then progress to practicing on student partners before advancing to providing services to patient volunteers at the Dental Hygiene Center.

During two years of study, each student works with least 50 patient volunteers, amounting to more than 700 community members served.

The employment outlook for dental hygienists is strong. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth of 19% is expected over the next eight years, and dental hygienists are among the top-earning careers for associate degree graduates. The American Dental Association calls dental hygiene one of the 30 fastest growing occupations.