Embrace Employee Spotlight: John Bronson and Marsha Ferreira
There’s a lot to love about Embrace Home Loans, but one of our strongest assets has always been our employees. We have teammates who have been with us for 10, 20, even 30+ years. And we’ve also been hiring new employees at a furious pace recently — new employees that many of us haven’t met yet as we continue to work remotely during the pandemic.
In this Employee Spotlight, we’ll be featuring two Embrace teammates — one new employee, and one employee who has already been with us for a while. Each will give different perspectives on the Embrace experience and a little more personal info so you’ll be able to get to know them better.
Want to nominate someone to feature in a future spotlight? Email Mary Mack at [email protected]
MARSHA FERREIRA, Mortgage Loan Associate
What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace?
My official title is Mortgage Loan Associate; I am working toward being a Mortgage Loan Officer. I assist borrowers with their refinance and purchase needs by helping them understand the process and meet their financial goals.
What made you want to work at Embrace?
I had heard really positive feedback about Embrace and really wanted to progress my career. I was looking for a new challenge and I feel like I have learned so much since starting here. I enjoy the culture and the supportive team environment.
How has it been starting a new job during COVID? And just working for Embrace in general?
I was working from home since March of 2020 and when I was hired, I had to start coming into the office. It was
nice to be back in an office environment while staying within necessary precautions.
I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone — working with Sean as our trainer, and management such as Julie, Jared, and Buddy, as well as my fellow loan associates, has been a very positive experience. They really invest so much time into making sure you are able to be productive and successful in your role. The training courses, such as Engaging Your Customer, Beyond Grit, and Aslan Training have really been a huge benefit and added to my prior knowledge.
What did you do for a living before you came to Embrace?
Before I came to Embrace, I worked at Santander Bank as a HELOC Specialist. I started my sales role at Citizens previously within home equity sales as well. Prior to that, I was in various management capacities within consumer lending and mortgage processing at Santander.
We’d love to get to know you a little better! Tell us about yourself.
I am a mother of two beautiful little girls. I have an older brother, three nephews, and a niece. I grew up in East Providence, RI, and moved to Bristol, RI once I graduated college. I attended Roger Williams University and RIC where I received my bachelor of arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology.
I enjoy running and bike riding and staying active. I love being outdoors, going to new places, and doing new things. Spending time with my family and friends is what I like to do in my free time. My goal is for my girls and me to go on new adventures and travel to as many destinations as possible.
JOHN BRONSON, Business Analysts Team Leader
What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace?
Business Analysts Team Leader. I like to see our group as the connective tissue of Embrace. We are involved in many major initiatives across the organization, as well items that result in technical changes and maintenance/enhancements. We try to understand and support all business groups as well as translate those needs to our technical teams. Our role is to ensure we have a well-thought-out plan, comprehensive requirements, understand and account for potential impacts in all areas, and help with implementation and communication.
How long have you worked for Embrace?
I have been with Embrace for almost 18 years…I started at 12 years old. 🙂
What made you want to work at Embrace?
At the time, I was unsure of the direction my life was headed, at least professionally. I knew I wanted to be in this area. My future wife was establishing a career here and I grew up in the area. Being close to family was a priority so I was searching for employment nearby. Some acquaintances from my childhood worked at Embrace (at the time it was Advanced Financial Services) and recommended that I apply. I came onboard and truly enjoyed the culture and the people and ended up finding my niche within the company.
What’s one of your favorite Embrace memories?
There are many little stories that come to mind but the most meaningful is the support I received during a very high-risk pregnancy for my wife. Thankfully, it resulted in my son seven-year-old son but it was an extremely stressful and emotional time in our lives. I was the National Processing Manager at the time. Claudia, Kurt, and everyone at Embrace were tremendous in their care for my family and me. We had what felt likely daily doctors’ appointments and constant work disruptions. I never felt any resentment or pressure to make decisions like attending an appointment or missing a meeting. That understanding and teamwork meant so much to me and my wife and I will forever be thankful for that.
How has it been working from home for most of this year? Has Embrace made it easier for you in any way?
Working from home has been good. I have school age kids so their schedules presented the only challenge. When they were distance learning or had days at home, it became a little crazy here. The pandemic presented many challenges with scheduling and school but if that was the worst that I had to confront because of COVID then I consider myself very fortunate.
We’d love to get to know you a little better! Tell us about yourself.
As I have mentioned, I am married with two kids, 12 and 7. We live in Portsmouth, RI. I also grew up in Portsmouth after we settled here when my father retired from the Air Force. Outside of work, I spend a lot of time coaching youth sports. Currently, my kids are involved in some mix of soccer, baseball, softball, and basketball and I have some measure of coaching responsibilities in all four. It is great to get back out there and watch them play and have fun with their friends. I still play men’s league soccer, too. Wish me luck avoiding injury this spring!