Embrace Employee Spotlight: Lucas Mariani & Ainsley Perry

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 this year — 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 each week — 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]

LUCAS MARIANI, Mortgage Loan Associate

What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace? 
I am on the new Mortgage Loan Associate (MLA) team. I recently became licensed on a national level and I’m working toward passing all my state licensing courses. Right now, I am assisting an experienced Embrace loan officer with data collection for current files and learning as much as I can about the products and computer systems for when I begin working as a loan officer.

What made you want to work at Embrace? 
I was contacted about an opportunity to go through a training program to become a licensed loan originator. The ability to be trained fully and become licensed in a finance field was a big selling point, and after my interview and doing a job shadow, Embrace seemed like a great place to start a career. Having a job that would be challenging but fulfilling was something I was looking forward to when I accepted the offer to start here. 
 
How has it been starting a new job during COVID? And just working for Embrace in general?
Starting a new job during COVID has been challenging in some ways, but also having the ability to be hired somewhere during a time where a lot of companies were experiencing layoffs and instability gives me great confidence and security for my future at Embrace.

So far my experience with Embrace has been great, especially with the team being led by Sean Delaney who has so much experience — he has been instrumental in my success so far. Being the first person hired to the MLA team has had its challenges, but what I’ve found is there is always someone willing to help and I’ve never felt lost or scared to ask for help if I’ve needed it.  
 
What did you do for a living before you came to Embrace?
Before Embrace I worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Having a degree in Criminal Justice but wanting to work in a business-related field is so difficult with no experience, and working at Enterprise gave me the experience I was missing.  I learned and implemented skills in customer service, marketing, and using all types of computer systems and technology on a daily basis.

It came to the point where I wasn’t enjoying work and understood Enterprise was a job — not a career. Unfortunately, I had no direction with what I really wanted to do or was qualified to do until I was contacted about Embrace and this opportunity. It’s proven to be an extremely beneficial decision for me.  
 
We’d love to get to know you a little better! Tell us about yourself.
I am originally from North Kingstown, RI but currently live in downtown Newport, RI with my girlfriend, Ali. I graduated from Mitchell College in New London, CT where I also played baseball. I enjoy a lot of outdoor activities like mountain biking, kayaking, fishing, and paddleboarding. I am also a member at Peace Dale Shooting Preserve in South Kingstown where I go to shoot sporting clays. Another thing I enjoy is traveling — my girlfriend and I try to take as many long weekend vacations as we can to visit breweries, wineries, and any other attractions that seem fun. Most recently, we visited Nashville, Long Island’s wine country, Rangeley, Maine, and Martha’s Vineyard.

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AINSLEY PERRY, Loan Officer – Financial Institutions Group (FIG)

What is your official title and what do you do at Embrace? 
I am a loan officer for the Financial Institutions Group. I work with Ameriprise Financial advisors to assist their clients with any mortgage needs. Once I have established a relationship with the financial advisor based on trust and top-notch service, they refer their clients to me to be their trusted mortgage partner.
 
How long have you worked for Embrace?
I started at Embrace in March 2016 on the Direct platform and left for another opportunity in July 2019. I came back to Embrace in March 2020 to join the FIG division, as I previously worked closely with financial advisors at JPMorgan Chase and really enjoyed it. When the opportunity presented itself to again be able to work with financial advisors, I jumped at the chance.

What made you want to work at Embrace? 
Being a mom of two kids (ages 8 and 9), having an employer that is family-focused is a top priority. The number one reason I chose to work at Embrace is their family-centric philosophy.
 

What’s one of your favorite Embrace memories?
My favorite Embrace memory so far has been the days that the amazing HR and Marketing teams put together for the bring your kids to work day. My kids had so much fun at the office participating in the different activities, meeting all of my co-workers, and feeling that they too were a part of the Embrace family.
 

How has it been working from home for most of this year? 
I feel beyond lucky and grateful to be able to do my job from home and to work for a company that supports a work-life balance given the times we are facing right now. My son is in second grade and my daughter is in third grade, so to say that working from home while helping kids with their virtual learning/Zoom classes is a challenge would be an understatement! Embrace has given us working parents so many tools, benefits, and overall understanding and support to make this tough time as manageable as possible. The priority for me is making sure my kids are happy, healthy, and getting the education they need. Embrace has made it possible for me to work from home and keep focused on my job while being able to ensure that I am there for my kids when they need me (which is often!)
 
 
We’d love to get to know you a little better! Tell us about yourself.
I am a local! I was born and raised in Middletown, RI, and graduated from Middletown High School in 1999. I went to Bryant College and graduated there in 2003. In 2005 my now husband and I moved to New York City where we lived for ten years. In NYC I started my career in Advertising and then moved over to the mortgage world where I began working at JPMorgan Chase. I lived in the Upper East Side for five years and Brooklyn for five years in the most amazing little Italian neighborhood called Carroll Gardens.  

My husband and I got married in 2010 and soon to follow were our two kids! My husband and I are high school sweethearts, we started dating in 1997 at 16 years old and have been together ever since. We moved back to Rhode Island in 2015 but we sure do miss NYC, there’s nothing like the energy of the city!
 
My hobbies include working out each day with Anne Marie Cazzarro via Zoom (Embrace underwriter/trainer extraordinaire! Another amazing benefit of Embrace) and beaching it during the summer. The best days are spent with my husband and two kids, out in our yard around the fire pit with the music blasting and s’mores cooking.