A Lifetime of Leadership: 35 Years with Jay Lynch
Celebrating 35 years of leadership excellence with Susan Lynch.
Q: Take us back to the early years, what was it like?
“Long workdays, that’s what I remember most,” she said.
“We had friends in our same newlywed stage whose husbands traveled a lot but then worked from home when they were back. I had never heard of that. Jay was different. He was always ‘home,’ but he’d leave before sunrise and get back after dark. When the kids came along, it was the same routine. We had a running joke: if something was going to go wrong on a job, it would happen the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or right before a vacation. Without fail.”
“From the very beginning, Stewart and Ann were incredibly gracious. They’ve always treated us like family.”
Q: Did you ever imagine back then that Jay would grow into the role he has today?
“In the early stages, you’re not thinking long term like that. You’re thinking, ‘I’ve got to make this project work.’ He moved through so many roles, estimator and project manager, and just focused on what was right in front of him.”
“I still remember his first company cars, one of those old Mercury sedans that looked like unmarked police car with antennas and radios. At the time, having a company car felt like such a big deal. There were years he came home cleaner, working in the office, and other years he came home covered in dirt from being out in the field, and he loved that part. No matter what role he was in, there was always a sense of accomplishment.”
“You could point to something and say, ‘That’s what he worked on.’ Even now, we’ll drive around Charlotte and tell the kids, ‘Your dad helped build that.’ That’s really special.”
Q: What drives Jay?
“His faith has always been central to who he is. He’s been a steady, grounded person since I met him. That comes from his faith and the way he was raised. His parents were incredible. He’s always had a strong sense of right and wrong, even when we were young.
“We joke because I’m the one who might try to use an expired coupon and argue for it, but to Jay that matters. He doesn’t waver on that. The details matter to him.”
Q: Who is Jay outside of work?
“Honestly, he’s the same person. He still backs into parking spaces, even at church. It’s just ingrained in him. That discipline and that way of thinking are not something he turns on and off. Our kids would tell you the same thing. If they want the best advice, they go to their dad.
“He’s fair, he’s steady, and he brings a level-headed, reasoned perspective to everything, whether it’s family decisions or bigger life conversations.”
His son Will admitted that things didn’t always go to plan, noting, “We used to have to call into the office when we got in trouble and tell Shelly, his secretary, what happened. Then we had to explain it to Dad.”
Q: What qualities do you see in him at home that show up in his leadership at Morgan Corp.?
“His honesty and his ability to see the bigger picture. He has this way of stepping back and looking at things from a 10,000-foot view, especially when others are too close to it. He brings balance and reason into every situation. He’s fair, but not a pushover. And above all, he loves his family deeply.”
“I’m proud of the way he’s grown alongside the company, from something small into something much larger, while still maintaining that family feel.”
“He really values building people too, developing leaders, mentoring younger generations, and pouring into them. That’s something that’s always mattered to him.”
“There have been good years and lean years, but he’s always had a long-term outlook. He understands that construction and the economy come in cycles, and he never lost sight of that. When you look at it, it’s actually pretty rare.”
To put it simply, “Jay has stayed the course.”