Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

A little about me -- I was born in Atlanta (East Point to be exact) but I moved to Carrollton, GA when I was young. Pretty much grew up in Carrollton and I now I live in Saint Simons Island, GA after living in Carrollton, Athens, and Columbus, GA since graduating from college.

I graduated from the University of West Georgia (BBA, Management) although most people think I went to UGA. I worked in Athens shortly after college and I worked as a volunteer for 5 years for the UGA Athletics Department. I follow most all UGA teams - mainly because I know so many of the people involved. I am in the banking business as a Commercial Lender. I like to stay busy and lately, I have been very busy. I like sports and outdoors as well. I really enjoy being at the beach and I am never too far from a Jimmy Buffett tune.

My career is at a crossroads. I have a lot of experience in many different area of business and I am not sure how to make a career transition at this age of 33. I am currently in the banking business and I really need a change. Before you ask, I will explain briefly how I got here – I finished my degree in August 2000 after a great last year of college (successful full-time internship in the summer and fall of 1999 and 8 great classes in spring and summer 2000). I had a number of options after graduation and I took a 100% travel audit/consultant job. After traveling the US for 7 months, I was offered a client service position in Columbus, GA within the Synovus/TSYS family of companies. 8 months later, I accepted a position in a Management Associate program with another company with the Synovus/TSYS family. Things were good and I was on the move. After completing the one year program, I was promoted to a Relationship Manager position with a lot of growth potential. In June 2004, I was given some really bad news – my father was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. My father owned a very profitable and small property management company. When he got sick, I left the banking industry and took over the company. I was very successful in running the business. My father passed away in January 2006. I consulted with my mother and sister about the future of the business. I had grown the value of the company by more than 30% and had potential buyers very interested. We agreed as a family to sell the company. I don’t regret the decision as my mother is taken care of financially. I went back into banking in Carrollton, GA with the local Synovus-owned bank. After a year of working both the property management company (up until the sale closed) and the bank, I decided to move to Coastal Georgia to be closer to family. I took a position with a community bank. I never expected to be in true "community banking" but that is where I am now. I am looking to make a career change. I really would like to find a position that allows me to use my communication and business skills at a high level. Project Delivery, Consulting, Training are areas I would like to move into - and I wouldn't mind staying in the financial services sector. I have a lot of different experience and I would like to share that with everyone.

http://www.bwknews.com/GIM/Nov_Dec08/gim_50.pdf

Work History

• Southeastern Bank
• AVP/Lender
• August 2007 to Present

• Consult with clients to determine unique financial needs and proposes effective solutions for C&I, real estate, and construction needs. Review and analyze financial statements to determine creditworthiness; prepare production memos and generate renewal loans. Manage loan portfolio between $10M and $16M. Present detailed product presentations and articulately address questions. Draft various correspondence and credit memos. Reach out to clients with overdue accounts. Conduct prospecting activities to generate new clients. Assist with day-to-day branch management and supervision of Lending Assistants

• CB&T of West Georgia
• Commercial Banker
• July 2006 to August 2007

• Interacted with existing and potential clients to secure new business and generate revenue. Oversaw C&I, real estate, and construction client accounts. Created production memos, processed new and renewal loans, and followed up with overdue accounts. Spearheaded marketing activities to attract new clients. Held responsibility for loan portfolio valued up to $15M. Assisted with daily supervision of Lending Assistants.

• Summerhill Properties, LLC
• Site Manager/Co-Managing Partner
• July 2004 to July 2007

• Held full responsibility for operations management of HUD-certified property firm. Directed day-to-day activities, strategic planning, and P&L / accounting. Managed HUD tenant certification process to ensure appropriate subsidy payments. Liaised with parent company representatives. Communicated with tenants to address issues. Selected and managed all vendors and suppliers. Maintained thorough files and records encompassing accounting reports, monthly activity reports, resident files, and waiting lists.

• Athens First Bank & Trust
• Relationship Manager
• December 2001 to July 2004

• Oversaw all aspects of client relations and business development for real estate, auto, unsecured, and commercial loans. Conducted cold-calling to generate new leads. Managed and trained up to 8 Customer Service Representatives and Bank Tellers.

• Vital Processing Services
• Client Services Rep.
• April 2001 to December 2001

• Managed relationships with client banks to address daily operational issues, including researching and resolving rejects and charge-backs, performing system accounting for out-of-balance issues, and addressing clearing and settlement issues with clients and creditors. Escalated issues as necessary. Provided general customer service to ensure continual satisfaction.

• Business Strategy, Inc
• Staff Auditor
• September 2000 to April 2001

• Traveled to and participated in on-site audits for Accounts Payable departments at multiple locations to identify duplicate payments, pending refunds and discounts, and other anomalies

Education

• University of West Georgia
• BBA, Management
• 1995 - 2000