Melissa Alexander

Not long after being welcomed to the team as an Administrative Assistant, it was clear that I had found my passion. I found the loan process in its entirety intriguing. From the start I took advantage of every opportunity presented to me as an opportunity to grow. When combining my new found passion and work ethic with my can do attitude and maximum effort, very little time passed before I stepped in to a Loan Officer Assistant/Loan Partner 1 role. While reporting directly to the Branch Manager and supporting Processing teams, the responsibilities I carried, included but were not limited to:

• Managing the Branch Managers calendar, building in the time to meet with current and past client, realtors to strengthen current relationships and build a strong foundation with Realtors that we would like the chance to work with, scheduling local events with the goal of increasing productivity for the branch, as well as booking meetings with leads and planning the next steps towards achieving their personal homeownership goals.
• Analyzed credit reports to assess risk and determine applicants' ability to repay loans.
• Tracked loan status and updated applicant information to inform lenders of changes to applicants' financial situation.
• Prepared professional business correspondence on behalf of loan officer to obtain information and facilitate processing steps.
• Worked with Loan Officer to create application profile in system and review key information at various stages within process.
• Monitored key dates to obtain information by deadlines.

I applied everything I learned along the way in to my daily workload and my time as an LOA came to an end as I graciously accepted the opportunity as the Production Manager with The Lehman Group. Every step forward came with great reward, but the new found level of responsibility increased exponentially and was never far behind. Being a small branch, my strong work ethic, ability to prioritize the workload given accordingly combined with my positive mindset and attitude often took the lead and the results of my work were a direct reflection of the strengths that I am able to implement on a daily basis.

When committing to the role of Production Manager, I managed to remain in control of and responsible for the responsibilities I previously held, while challenging myself by graciously welcoming the weight of my new role, such as:

• Direct submit Processing, working hand in hand with the Loan Officers, Realtors, Title and Escrow teams, Buyers, allowing me to work closely with Underwriters to close loans on-time, with as little stress as possible.
• Created strong working relationships with advisors, assistants and support staff.
• Handled any conditions sent from underwriting departments.
• Worked with customers in person and via telephone to answer questions, process transactions, and resolve issues.
• Coordinated closing process with attorneys, title companies, and government clerks.
• Prepared file for final clear-to-close by branch management.
• Resolved issues quickly to maintain productivity goals.

While working with The Lehman Group and gaining the knowledge that I carry with me today, I was able to learn the structures of various companies as we worked under SygneryOne Lending, Sun West Mortgage Company, MortgageOne and Secure Choice Lending.

• Oversaw day-to-day production activities in accordance with business objectives.
• Developed systems and procedures to improve operational quality and team efficiency.
• Collaborated with senior management to develop and execute long-term corporate goals and objectives.
• Achieved team goals through formalized training plans, coaching, and performance management.
• Mentored and coached team members to foster productive and engaging work environment.
• Defined, implemented, and revised operational policies and guidelines.