Dr. Cheryl Travis-Johnson
As COO of Vendor Resource Management, an end-to-end mortgage services solution provider based in Texas, Dr. Cheryl Travis-Johnson not only runs a staff of 200 employees, but also works with clients to mitigate losses associated with non-performing loans, while preserving communities. When Cheryl joined VRM 11 years ago, she brought with her 18 years of mortgage expertise and executive leadership skills gained from her tenures at World Savings and Freddie Mac.
Having assisted hundreds of clients in navigating through the historical challenges associated with the 2008 economic downturn, Cheryl serves clients with a deep appreciation for the importance of protecting their real estate assets and the skills to design mortgage solutions for even the most complex situations. “I’ve worked for the clients that I now serve at VRM, and I know what it’s like to be a corporate service provider, so I can align myself with their needs,” says Cheryl.
Cheryl’s broad range of expertise fit perfectly with VRM’s unique design that services clients through the entire mortgage lifecycle, from origination to REO to managing foreclosed assets, all with the aim to reduce risk and cost to their clients. To support the company’s commitment to performance excellence, VRM enlists a supplier network of more than 3,000 real estate professionals, over 6,000 property vendors, and VRM Real Estate Alliance, a partnership of six companies specializing in mortgage services to provide holistic, best-of-the-best solutions.
Deeply committed to community and to inclusion and diversity, Cheryl found VRM a natural ally. The company was built 12 years ago with these two guiding principles at its core, and it embodies these beliefs in its corporate design, business approach, and community involvement. For its employees, VRM offers a leadership certification class for diversity and inclusion and one of the largest training programs in the industry to help agents when dealing with corporate sellers.
In addition, VRM has the largest number of subcontractors that are veteran owned, minority owned, and women owned, and it supports communities through a local approach to choosing vendors, using professionals in a particular community rather than a regional player, whenever possible. Last month, the company launched its Vendor Resource Management Investor Insurance Agency, which provides online insurance for property owners who are investors, and created insurance for individual contractors, which allows them to purchase insurance comparable to workers’ insurance or workers’ compensation insurance.
“In some sense, you could say that we’re leveling the playing field for individual property owner-investors, independent professionals, smaller companies, and underutilized businesses,” says Cheryl. “At the same time, we’re strengthening our company while providing our clients with an invaluable range of perspectives and talent that helps them succeed.”
Cheryl’s dedication to helping minorities and underserved communities succeed extends to her work outside of VRM. She founded Council for Inclusion in Financial Services four (4) years ago with this in mind. The council offers financial literacy training for underserved communities promotes efforts to increase the number of women, millennials, and minorities in the financial services industry and creates access to solutions to help small- and mid-sized companies grow. “Diversity and inclusion is an economic strength. We want to teach people – all people – how to grow wealth. As one person prospers, so, too, do communities, as do we all.”
Cheryl Travis-Johnson
Chief Operating Officer – Vendor Resource Management
Instagram: councilforinclusion.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctravisjohnson/
Facebook: VRMmortgageservices