What drew you to banking?

I love math and solving equations, which goes hand in hand with the complexity of the work my team does with loans. I love the challenge that each day brings working in banking.

What recent professional challenge taught you an important lesson, and how did you overcome it?

The longtime leader of our retail loan operations team – and a mentor to me – recently passed away after a long health battle. There’s nothing that fully prepares you for a loss like that, but rallying as a team to continue operating at a high level to support our front-line bankers and customers is how we build upon her dedication and the impact she made.

How do you stay innovative and forward-thinking in an ever-evolving industry?

The world of financial services is constantly evolving. We have to keep looking forward and prioritize creating efficiency in our processes. Increasing efficiency and speed of delivery benefits our customers and our teams within the bank.

In your opinion, what is the most exciting trend or development in banking right now?

There’s a lot of discussion around artificial intelligence, and from a loan operations perspective, I think there will be some exciting enhancements down the road that could add a lot of efficiency to our processes. We have an AI Committee at Lake City Bank that is dedicated to studying and identifying potential AI-driven solutions that can help us across the bank. Obviously, with anything related to AI, we have to approach these solutions carefully and conduct our due diligence before implementation.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in banking?

Learn as much as you can from those around you. Working with an experienced team is one of the great things about Lake City Bank, as we have team members who have been with the bank for 20, 30 and even 40 years in some cases. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for the time I spent learning from those more experienced colleagues in the bank.

If you weren’t a banker, what would you do for a living?

I’ve always thought being a plane pilot would be a lot of fun, but realistically I think teaching math would be a very fulfilling career.

Who or what inspires you?

I would say my team since I strive to support them and be the best leader I can be for them. Great leaders must genuinely care about the success of everyone on their team, and I want to show my team every day that I care about their success. My team truly inspires me to be better every day. I would also say that most recently, my previous boss made a significant impact on my life and I always try to make her proud. She was an amazing person. And as always, my family makes a big impact on my life.

What is the thing you have done/accomplished, professionally or personally, that you are the most proud of?

It seems rather simple, but I’m most proud of helping my team members grow professionally. We have a very supportive culture at Lake City Bank, and a big part of that is ensuring our team members have opportunities to grow. Ultimately, when we’re all growing and getting better in our roles, it allows us to better serve our customers and communities.

How do you define success?

Again, it seems like a straightforward answer, but success is processing loans efficiently for our front-line bankers and customers who applied for the loans. They’re counting on us to deliver in a timely manner and ensuring we meet that expectation is always our goal.

What are you reading or listening to?

Re-reading one of my all-time favorite book series called “Cinder.” Nothing like a spinoff of Cinderella who is a cyborg. And you can always catch me listening or singing to Taylor Swift. I might be her biggest unknown Swiftie!

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Anything with peanut butter and chocolate. Sometimes you just need a spoonful of peanut butter.    

What do you do for fun when you’re not working?

I love a good board game or card game. And I’m pretty competitive!