If you’ve ever skied in Colorado and driven through Idaho Springs, there’s a good chance you blinked and missed it. That’s where I’m from! A small county in the mountains that, while tiny, shaped me into who I am today. These days, I call Utah home, where I’ve been since 2007, and where I began my mortgage career at PRMI on February 19, 2008.
I came in fresh, with absolutely zero mortgage experience. My first lesson? That there was, in fact, a “t” in “mortgage.” (Game-changer, I know.) Back then, we still worked with paper files, meaning my job as a loan shipper involved stacking documents per the investor’s checklist, hole punching 150+ pages, Acco fastening them to a file folder, and shipping them off via UPS. If that sounds tedious, it was. But it was also my foot in the door.
After a few months, I moved into the collateral specialist role, where I handled original notes. I was trained that an original note was like a live check—if lost, the world would end. Naturally, you can guess what happened next. Yep, I lost one. The borrower’s last name is burned into my brain forever. Like any responsible employee, I immediately went dumpster diving in hopes of finding it, but luck was not on my side. Thankfully, the borrower was gracious enough to sign a new one, and—shockingly—I wasn’t fired! My manager and I met about this mistake and I learned a valuable lesson in how to handle employee mistakes with integrity and patience. Sounds fancy, right? It was the most sought-after post-closing role at the time, and I was thrilled.
From there, my journey took off. I worked with investors and branch partners, clearing loans for purchase. When my then-manager, Sarah, was preparing for maternity leave, she recommended me to take her place. I was honored to step up as team manager, and from there, additional teams were added under my leadership, leading to my role as Director of Post-Closing. I loved this role—it gave me insight into not just mortgages but also PRMI as a whole. It was here that I truly fell in love with this industry.
In 2020, I was promoted to VP of Operations, where I had the privilege of working alongside Ruth Green, PRMI’s SVP of Operations at the time. If you know Ruth, you understand when I say I hit the jackpot. We had big plans—improving efficiencies, empowering our teams, reducing costs, and delivering exceptional service to our partners. Everything was clicking into place.
Then, one morning, I got a call from Ruth. She was retiring. (Her word, not mine—she’s way too young for that!) My heart dropped. To me, Ruth was PRMI, and the thought of her leaving was terrifying. Then she said something I never expected: “I want you to replace me.”
My immediate response? Nah.
No one could replace Ruth, least of all me.
But after some reflection (and maybe a tiny pity party), I accepted the challenge. Three years later, here I am—SVP of Operations, 17 years into my homegrown PRMI career.
So why am I sharing all this? First, to introduce myself a little better. Second, to inspire at least one person reading this that growth and opportunity at PRMI are real—you just have to put in the work. And lastly, to say that while stepping into this role was scary, I am surrounded by an incredible team that pushes me to be better every day.
PRMI is home, and I am grateful to be part of its journey.
Cheers!