LESLIE PRATER
PONTE VEDRA,FL
Summary
Results driven financial professional utilizing skills in data analytics, internal and external customer relationship management, credit investigation, and income, asset and financial analysis, to drive company volume and profitability in the retail mortgage lending space.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
SENIOR MORTGAGE LOAN PROCESSOR
RENASANT BANK
11.2022 - Current
- Recruited to increase productivity in the Atlanta-area and Memphis-area markets
- Collaboratively worked with loan officer and underwriter to close new builder construction, construction to permanent, Jumbo, Conventional, self employed, investment, condo, FHA, USDA and VA loans
- Experience with down payment assistance programs like Tennessee Housing Development and Mississippi Home Corp, and 3rd party lenders Nations Direct and American Financial Resources
- Closed loans in as little as 6 days through high efficiency and high productivity business model
- Average closings 25 loans per month.
RETAIL MORTGAGE LOAN PROCESSOR
GUARANTY HOME MORTGAGE
10.2020 - 11.2022
- Began my mortgage processing career in 2020 in the Nashville market processing Conventional, FHA, USDA and VA loans
- Average closings 20 per month
- Recruited to develop a training tool and process flow for Processors who wanted a career path to Underwriting
- Began training in 2022 to underwrite Conventional loans
- Certified Master Loan Processor NAMP-CMLP 2021
BUYER
STEIN MART, INC
06.2019 - 08.2020
- Recruited to help launch $21M Kids business in 280 stores plus Ecommerce
- Collaboratively developed and executed financial strategies to achieve KPIs
- Recruited and developed the Assistant and Associate Buyer.
BUYER
CHARMING CHARLIE
03.2018 - 01.2019
- Recruited to help successfully guide the brand out of bankruptcy effective May 2018
- I collaboratively developed and executed financial strategies to drive store growth post-bankruptcy to $24M
- Renegotiated terms and allowances post-bankruptcy with suppliers to help put the company back in a positive cash flow position and become profitable again by Q4
BUYER II
ALTAR'D STATE
06.2012 - 01.2018
- Recruited to develop a complex Jewelry and Accessory business, where I planned and executed financial strategies to drive growth from $2.2M to $26.7M in 87 stores plus Ecommerce
- Won back to back Chairman's Awards for driving total company top volume businesses
SENIOR ASSISTANT BUYER
JCPENNEY, INC
05.2005 - 04.2018
- Responsible for a $98M business in 1036 stores plus Ecommerce
- Effectively sourced a balanced assortment of national and private brand suppliers to grow profitability year over year by negotiating better costing on top volume programs.
BUYER
GOODY'S FAMILY CLOTHING, INC
10.1998 - 05.2005
- Recruited to build and source the Junior Plus business and specialize it from Missy Plus Size, thus being one of the first retailers to offer the size range ahead of market competition in all 371 stores
- Drove top line growth of all classifications of Junior from $10M to $23M in under 2 years, while increasing profitability by 250 basis points by sourcing national brand and indirect suppliers with maximum cost savings.
CREDIT INVESTIGATOR
Vanderbilt Mortgage And Finance Inc.
01.1993 - 01.1996
- Investigated history and credit standing of prospective mortgage clients applying for manufactured housing loans
- Processed credit applications, pulled credit reports from all major credit sources, calculated debt ratio, verified employment and credit checked existing financial history in order to assess and reduce lending risk for credit manager.
Education
B.A., COMMUNICATION -
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TNSkills
- Data-driven decision-making
- Analytical mindset
- Underwriting knowledge
- Customer Communication
- Desktop Underwriter
- Credit Verification
References
References available upon request
Timeline
SENIOR MORTGAGE LOAN PROCESSOR
RENASANT BANK
11.2022 - Current
RETAIL MORTGAGE LOAN PROCESSOR
GUARANTY HOME MORTGAGE
10.2020 - 11.2022
BUYER
STEIN MART, INC
06.2019 - 08.2020
BUYER
CHARMING CHARLIE
03.2018 - 01.2019
BUYER II
ALTAR'D STATE
06.2012 - 01.2018
SENIOR ASSISTANT BUYER
JCPENNEY, INC
05.2005 - 04.2018
BUYER
GOODY'S FAMILY CLOTHING, INC
10.1998 - 05.2005
CREDIT INVESTIGATOR
Vanderbilt Mortgage And Finance Inc.
01.1993 - 01.1996
B.A., COMMUNICATION -
University of Tennessee