10 Years
Elsa Grullon
Bank Officer & Appraisal Procurement Supervisor
On a cloudy day in Maspeth, people at the Loan Center are looking at Elsa Grullon’s shoes. That’s because they remember the day the Fashion Institute of Technology grad wore plastic bags over her canvas shoes to deliver checks to the law office in the pouring rain. “Everyone was like ‘What are you doing?!’ I said, ‘Hey, I have to do what I have to do to get the work done!” Ever since then, her colleagues check to make sure she’s wearing boots—not bags—when it rains. If Elsa spots a problem, she fixes it. That’s the crux of her role in Appraisal Procurement: reviewing appraisals for errors and compliance before they go into Underwriting. People often comment on her tidy, fashionable outfits, reflecting an eye for detail that’s helpful in her work. But despite her proclivity for the role, banking was not part of Elsa’s original career plan. After graduation, she worked as an assistant buyer at Fortunoff’s, selecting seasonal furniture styles. When she became a parent, she turned to banking for more flexibility. After nine years at Capital One supervising the tellers, she worked several interim roles before applying to MFS in 2015. “When one door closes, another one opens,” she says. “I never thought in a million years that I would end up in this field.” Seeking a change once again, she transferred from Telling into Servicing a year later. From there, she set out to obtain her appraisal license by taking the arduous Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP®) exam—her proudest accomplishment. “No one told me I needed to get it. I wanted to do this for me to gain a better understanding of the field, so when I’m doing a report, I understand what I’m doing.” Elsa encourages newcomers to stay on top of things and always look for something to improve, emphasizing that everyone’s experience is different. She remains grateful for the mentorship of Ignacia Salazar. “She’s a big influence and a great mentor, the best I could ever have here at MFS.” Today, the avid salsa and fitness enthusiast is plotting her next move, perhaps into Underwriting to round out her appraisal acumen. “I’m a driven person,” says the lifelong Long Island resident. “The commute can be difficult, but when you like what you do, I believe there’s no obstacle.”
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