Career Tech Champion Jackie Listen

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Jackie Listen.jpg The seeds of Jackie Listen's successful banking career were sown in an auto body repair course in 1979.

Listen, vice-president of the McClain County National Bank in Purcell, says he learned a lot about values during his senior year in high school as a student at Metro Tech. There, he learned the value of being ready for opportunity when it knocked and the value of mentors.

That's one reason he tries to give other young people a chance today.

Listen grabbed the opportunity to enroll in the auto body program during his junior year of high school. Skills gained there helped him land a job where he worked his way up to $20,000 a year working as an auto technician at Bob Moore Cadillac the year after he graduated from high school.

"I've been blessed with mentors who helped me prepare for opportunities when they came along," Listen said. "But I had to put forth the effort to be ready."

Listen was ready for his first opportunity by keeping an open mind his sophomore year at Jones High School.

"A representative from Metro Tech came to school," Listen said. "Until then, I had never considered career and technology education. I'd been on the farm all my life. But, this sounded like something different."

Listen said he looked forward to his auto body repair class every day even though it meant a 45 minute drive from Jones High School.

"It was a class that you could see the finished product," Listen said.

It was also a class with an instructor who instilled a strong work ethic in his students. Stephen Prieto, Listen's instructor at that time, believed that knowledge is of no use unless it's shared. Sometimes that knowledge has to be learned through experience - and making the effort not to help someone make a mistake.

Image of Steve Prieto and Listen showing awards Listen said that he'll never forget the day he ran into the garage to work on a project. In his rush, he didn't pay attention to the worn-out buffer pad he picked up.

"Normally, they're fluffy, but I was in too big of a hurry to notice. While Mr. Prieto was watching, I scratched up all the work I had done, and had to start over," Listen said. "He just shook his head, looked at me and said a phrase that I use to this day, 'The hurrieder you go, the behinder you get.'"

"Mr. Prieto did not cut us any slack, but he did provide close instruction," Listen said. "There's no better teacher than experience, especially hands-on experience like you get at the vo-tech, and from everyday life."

Don Dodd, from Bob Moore Cadillac, was another notable mentor in Listen's young life.

"A lot of kids don't know what they might want to do for a career," Listen said. "Career tech can help them learn to do something that may lead to a career, if they're willing to go above and beyond."

Dodd taught Listen to do things right. Eddie Rule, the bodyshop manager encouraged him to give courtesy estimates above and beyond what the customer asked for when they came in.

"Often, those customers wanted me to go on and fix those, too. This was a niche I created for when things were slow. I learned how to sell," Listen said.

And from that niche, he earned $20,000 the year after high school graduation that enabled him to help with finances at home.

"My mom was divorced and by the time I was 17, I saved enough money to help support my family."

"I also had an upbringing on a small farm and had to work hard every day. That builds character," Listen said. "My pay on the farm was six pigs a year. Those experiences gave me a quicker way to get into the job market."

Auto body is where Listen said he learned about physical work and problem solving. It also was a stepping stone to other things in his life.

From those beginnings, Listen went into real estate for 11 years with his future father-in-law, Paul Howard, another mentor, who taught him the art of salesmanship. Because of his experiences and a good work ethic, Listen knew how to sell. And, that led into the vice-presidency at the McClain County National Bank with branches in Lexington, and MCNB Mortgage branches in Purcell and Norman.

"Now, through the bank, I'm involved in Junior Achievement. I believe in passing along whatever I know to kids today who face so much more than I did," Listen said.

"And I tell them, if you can learn one thing, it's a start. Out of this group can come greatness," Listen said. "I tell them that a great mentor, like the ones I had, can help draw out that greatness."

posted 1/4/2001
Story by:Ann Houston-Wanger
Communications and Marketing
Email: ahous@okcareertech.org

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	The seeds of Jackie Listen's successful banking career were sown in an auto body repair course in 1979. Listen, vice-president of the McClain County National Bank in Purcell, says he learned a lot about values during his senior year in high school as a student at Metro Tech. There, he learned the value of being ready for opportunity when it knocked and the value of mentors. That's one reason he tries to give other young people a chance today. Listen grabbed the opportunity to enroll in the auto body program during his junior year of high school. Skills gained there helped him land a job where he worked his way up to $20,000 a year working as an auto technician at Bob Moore Cadillac the year after he graduated from high school. "I've been blessed with mentors who helped me prepare for opportunities when they came along," Listen said. "But I had to put forth the effort to be ready." Listen was ready for his first opportunity by keeping an open mind his sophomore year at Jones High School. "A representative from Metro Tech came to school," Listen said. "Until then, I had never considered career and technology education. I'd been on the farm all my life. But, this sounded like something different." Listen said he looked forward to his auto body repair class every day even though it meant a 45 minute drive from Jones High School. "It was a class that you could see the finished product," Listen said. It was also a class with an instructor who instilled a strong work ethic in his students. Stephen Prieto, Listen's instructor at that time, believed that knowledge is of no use unless it's shared. Sometimes that knowledge has to be learned through experience - and making the effort not to help someone make a mistake. Listen said that he'll never forget the day he ran into the garage to work on a project. In his rush, he didn't pay attention to the worn-out buffer pad he picked up. "Normally, they're fluffy, but I was in too big of a hurry to notice. While Mr. Prieto was watching, I scratched up all the work I had done, and had to start over," Listen said. "He just shook his head, looked at me and said a phrase that I use to this day, 'The hurrieder you go, the behinder you get.'" "Mr. Prieto did not cut us any slack, but he did provide close instruction," Listen said. "There's no better teacher than experience, especially hands-on experience like you get at the vo-tech, and from everyday life." Don Dodd, from Bob Moore Cadillac, was another notable mentor in Listen's young life. "A lot of kids don't know what they might want to do for a career," Listen said. "Career tech can help them learn to do something that may lead to a career, if they're willing to go above and beyond." Dodd taught Listen to do things right. Eddie Rule, the bodyshop manager encouraged him to give courtesy estimates above and beyond what the customer asked for when they came in. "Often, those customers wanted me to go on and fix those, too. This was a niche I created for when things were slow. I learned how to sell," Listen said. And from that niche, he earned $20,000 the year after high school graduation that enabled him to help with finances at home. "My mom was divorced and by the time I was 17, I saved enough money to help support my family." "I also had an upbringing on a small farm and had to work hard every day. That builds character," Listen said. "My pay on the farm was six pigs a year. Those experiences gave me a quicker way to get into the job market." Auto body is where Listen said he learned about physical work and problem solving. It also was a stepping stone to other things in his life. From those beginnings, Listen went into real estate for 11 years with his future father-in-law, Paul Howard, another mentor, who taught him the art of salesmanship. Because of his experiences and a good work ethic, Listen knew how to sell. And, that led into the vice-presidency at the McClain County National Bank with branches in Lexington, and MCNB Mortgage branches in Purcell and Norman. "Now, through the bank, I'm involved in Junior Achievement. I believe in passing along whatever I know to kids today who face so much more than I did," Listen said. "And I tell them, if you can learn one thing, it's a start. Out of this group can come greatness," Listen said. "I tell them that a great mentor, like the ones I had, can help draw out that greatness."
	posted 1/4/2001	Story by:Ann Houston-Wanger Communications and Marketing Email: ahous@okcareertech.org