The Loyola Effect

Striving to be men and women for others is a key tenet of Jesuit education, and 43 years of Jesuit education and instruction have directly shaped Harry Bruns’ life and personal philosophy. Harry attended Jesuit High School and Loyola, and he travels each December to Convent, Louisiana, to participate in a three-day retreat at the Jesuit Manresa House of Retreats. At Manresa, men engage in silent reflection and prayer guided by Ignatian religious instruction, and Harry has attended every year since the age of 20. Harry has heeded the Ignatian call to develop one’s talents and use them in service of justice and the marginalized. BY TONYA JORDAN-LOHT

26 Harry enrolled in Loyola’s College of Arts and Sciences as an English major in 1980—the era of feathered hair, cassette tapes, aerobics, and the advent of music videos. As an undergraduate, he formed a life-long friendship with Dr. Marcus Smith from the Department of English. Smith taught at Loyola from 1970 until his retirement in 2009, and he conducted Harry’s senior thesis on the work of Flannery O’Connor. According to Smith, his greatest delight as an instructor was challenging and engaging his students in debate, and in turn being challenged by them. Harry still speaks with Dr. Smith weekly and says this friendship has endured for over 30 years due to a “shared mix of healthy cynicism and hopefulness.”

Harry’s friendship with Tom Greene is another hallmark of his time at Loyola. The two attended high school together and remained close at Loyola. They both attended law school after graduation, but Tom then chose a different path. He attended the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, became an ordained Jesuit priest, and co-founded the Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University New Orleans in 2007. Fr. Greene is the incoming Provincial Superior for the Central and Southern Jesuit Province in 2020, and he and Harry are still good friends today.

After graduating from Loyola, Harry attended Duke University School of Law and then worked in the cellular technology industry for 14 years, serving as President of Alltell Communications retail services nationwide. In 2007, he co-founded Chocolates for Good with his wife. The company is a gourmet chocolatier which donates a portion of all profits to selected charities.

Harry now considers himself “retired,” but he actually works full-time as part of his personal mission to give back to his native city. New Orleans Habitat for Humanity named Harry Director of Retail Operations in spring 2019. He chose Habitat for Humanity as his main vehicle for service because of its unique non-profit model. “It offers a hand up, not a hand out,“ says Harry. “This is consistent with the discipline I learned from the Jesuits. We don’t just build houses at Habitat for Humanity. We also help our partner families build financial literacy, self-reliance and community.” Partner families invest 350 hours of sweat equity—either as volunteers at Habitat’s ReStore retail outlets or on house builds. They also receive training in financial literacy, saving, budgeting, and rebuilding credit. With these skills, they are able to re-pay the zero-percent house mortgage secured by Habitat for Humanity. Harry delights in witnessing the increased selfconfidence that self-sufficiency imparts to Habitat family members.

Harry runs New Orleans Habitat’s two ReStore retail outlets. ReStore receives furniture, décor, and artwork from commercial renovations, and surplus building materials from construction vendors. Armchairs, sofas, loveseats, artwork, and more are sold at a discount, with all profits going toward the construction of new homes. Harry describes ReStore’s work as a “virtuous cycle,” wherein furniture is saved from landfills, lowincome families have access to quality affordable furniture, and revenue is raised for new homes. ReStore also provides meaningful employment opportunities to members of marginalized communities.

He served on the College of Business Visiting Committee for six years and organized the Class of 1984’s 30 th reunion. His daughter attended Loyola as well. Harry has formed ties with Loyola students from the streaming and social media generation in recent years by bringing his business experience into the classroom. He is passionate about helping students in the College of Business understand that they can be competitive capitalists without compromising Jesuit values, and this work is particularly rewarding for him on a personal level.

Harry taught the College of Business Senior Capstone Course two years ago. His students applied their business education in service of local business Bellegarde Bakery, the only bakery in the Deep South that mills its own flour. It also sources its grains sustainably. The bakery was successful, but transitioning to higher capacity while retaining the authenticity of its brand proved to be a challenge. Harry divided his students into work teams to address all major areas of the business, including marketing, accounting, finance, and management. The students developed plans for each area which, when implemented as a unified strategy, helped Bellegarde Bakery expand in a way that didn’t compromise the company’s core values. Bellegarde was eventually able to expand its workforce and open a larger production facility that features a small retail space.

Harry currently co-teaches a business ethics honors course with Dr. Nicholas Capaldi, the Legendre-Soule’ Distinguished Chair for Business Ethics. The class focuses on ethical leadership using the structure of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. “The goal,” says Harry, “is to teach students how to make thoughtful, collaborative, and mission-driven decisions in the business world.” He credits his eight years of Jesuit education, along with the annual retreats at the Manresa for his firm commitment to “capitalism with a conscience.” 1. Harry, outside one of New Orleans Habitat’s ReStore retail outlets. 2. Harry with College of Buisness students.