Post by Wells Fargo

Chuck Bishop lived in six different places in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland before reaching middle school. Indeed, a house was not a home for Chuck until he bought his own at age 22. It’s no coincidence that Chuck, who today leads Customer Growth Segments for Home Lending at Wells Fargo, has made homeownership the centerpiece of his career. He’s been featured in national publications and podcasts explaining the “why” of buying homes. “You’re paying a mortgage, just not yours,” he said of renting. “My mom was a mathematician and a highly educated woman with graduate degrees. She was smart, but she rented her entire life and paid almost $1 million in rent. That’s a missed opportunity to create real wealth down the line for herself and our family.” Chuck’s passion is evident every day as he leads a team of 23 employees to help communities achieve their homeownership goals. “I like to consider the thoughts of the whole team and their opinions,” Chuck said. “I don’t like to go off and make unilateral decisions as if I’m the sole source of truth for everything. When you encourage participation and openness, you get varying perspectives, ideas, and thoughts. Collectively, with my team’s wide range of culture, professional experiences, and skillsets, I feel like we arrive at the right decision most of the time.” What makes Chuck most proud, though, is the intersection of two things he cares deeply about — his job and his children, who grew up going to community homebuying events and hearing their dad praise the virtues of homeownership. His son bought his first home as a young professional years ago. His daughter is in graduate school and says she plans to buy a home in the future. “As an executive, we don’t always think about the influence our work has at home,” Chuck said. “But they’re always listening. They’re always watching. Words are powerful.” We celebrate leaders like Chuck whose dedication to building opportunities for others starts at home.