Many clients come to The Trust Company initially because of our expertise--that “book knowledge” and experience that comes with years in the business. We are very proud of the breadth and depth of expertise that our staff possesses. But I think what keeps clients here are the friendships we genuinely develop with them along the way. The president of our firm has a saying, “Not all of my friends are clients, but all of my clients are friends” —and I couldn’t agree more.

As I have matured both in my personal life and in my career, I have found it is relationships with others that drive and motivate me.  That characteristic has also given me such a passion for my work as a Trust Officer. I can do my absolute best for my clients when I know what truly matters to them, and many times that doesn’t have a thing to do with money or finances—the expertise that brought them to me in the first place.

While I develop my relationship with my clients, it is always my desire to know their entire family because many times I will be working with them when my clients pass from this world.  I never want to be the “suit” that walks into a family meeting to tell them how it’s going to be now that their loved one is gone, and I now have the power as the Trust Officer who is administering either the trust, estate or both. I want to be that compassionate friend who is going to hold their hand through a very emotional time in their lives. 

My clients share many things with me that they may not necessarily share with their children or other family members.  I certainly don’t take that lightly, so it is imperative that I not only build a relationship of trust with my client but also with their family so they can be assured that I am doing exactly what my clients want, in their hearts, amid those gray areas of the legal instrument that I am bound to by law. 

Seriously, the absolute BEST part of my job is the relationships with my clients.  But because of that, the absolute WORST part of my job is when they leave from this earth and I have to say good-bye to a valued friend. 

There has been more than one occasion when I have left for the day after receiving that news, and have had to go for a really long walk or just shut my door and cry it out because I too will miss them so much. My heart does ache, but after I take time to reconcile my heart and mind with the loss, I pull myself together and jump into action doing exactly what’s needed to settle their financial affairs. After all, that is what they have entrusted me to do—all while caring deeply for their loved ones along the way.

I LOVE my job because in the end, it’s not a job at all but an opportunity to care about people who allow me the opportunity to do so...and I’m honored!