Carrie Cimler, Senior Mortgage Loan Representative at Marine Credit Union (MCU) grew up in the suburbs of Milwaukee. She attended the Milwaukee Area Technical College after high school and earned a degree as a paralegal. After a short time working at a law firm, Carrie worked with her husband in the restaurant/bar industry until she said they had kids and the work became “no more fun,” and added with a smile, “The party was over.” She started her career doing loans in 1999. “I’ve been doing loans for a long time. I’ve always been in the service industry,” Carrie continued. “I’ve had a passion to help people for a long time.”
The year 2014, brought a lot of change for Carrie. “At the end of 2014, I had just gotten diagnosed with uterine cancer. I had a quick hysterectomy. It hadn’t spread. I was technically not a cancer patient anymore. The same year, Carrie’s best friend was killed in a car accident. Her interview at MCU was two days after the fatal accident. “After hearing how they helped people … this job was great,” Carrie shared. “Everything kind of fell into place.”
At MCU, she said that it was “different” and “out of the box” from what she had experienced previously in large banks. “The job was created for me,” she said. “I like being a thinker and helping people. People have situations. If they didn’t have a perfect credit score, guess what … they were not getting a loan. That is where MCU stepped in and helped people.”
“You have to know their dirt,” Carrie shared. “It’s really building a relationship with a person.” As a bartender in the restaurant/bar business, it was “Tell me your troubles,” she explained. And she is doing the same now with members. “Everyone’s got a story,” she added.
“It’s nice to be able to wake up and actually like your job,” she continued and shared a story about a couple MCU was able to help. “A couple came into the office crying. They had adopted all nine of their kids … some with special needs. There was teamwork involved and we got MCU to say “yes” for the loan. We are still with them,” Carried explained saying they have taken the family clothes, met them for lunch and taken them to the zoo. “They are very nice people,” she added.
“Mom always told me I had a good heart,” Carrie shared. “I like helping people. I have compassion for people who go through tragedy. Tragedy,” she added, “changes you and makes you a stronger person. Everyone goes through them … life events … that’s what makes a person.”
Carrie said she feels her communication skills she developed through her career have “come in handy.” She said she has learned what’s okay and not okay to say. She tells members, “I’m here to help you. Take a deep breath. Start from the beginning and I’ll do what I can to help.” She said people are “very appreciative” of her caring nature and even extends that compassion for helping people to animals. “I’ve helped a lot of animals too,” she added.
Where does she get that caring nature? Carrie said that it comes from her mother. “Mom is the sweetest person,” she shared. “She is so helpful to people. Such a kind-hearted person. She is always helping her kids and grandkids. She is 81 years old and still watches kids sometimes,” Carrie added. Carries mother worked at a bank for 36 years.
