Sue Goodrich has been with the same company for most of her career. As the company has grown, so has she – as a manager and a mother, a loan officer and a leader.
Goodrich graduated from Bryant College in 1991; her father worked for General Motors in finance and helped her get an interview at GMAC mortgage, where she was hired as a loan originator. She did that for about a year before moving into operations.
In 1999 two coworkers, Sarah Valentini and Keith Polaski, approached her with an idea. They were going to start their own company and they wanted her to come with them. She went, and was made a minority partner at the company, radius financial group, in 2012.
“I’ve worked with Sue for 24 years and her knowledge of mortgage banking is extraordinary,” Valentini, principal – and former Women of FIRE award winner – said in her nomination of Goodrich. “She handles extraordinarily busy and stressful times with an even-keeled manner. She rolls up her sleeves and does whatever is needed to get the job done. We wouldn’t be where we are today without her and I truly cannot think of a more deserving individual. She works tremendously hard and does so behind the scenes.”
Goodrich didn’t have any training in management when she started at radius, which at the time wasn’t a problem because she had no one to manage. The company grew slowly, but steadily over the years and she learned along the way. Today she manages 30 employees.
“The hardest part is, every day I am faced with making decisions that affect many people’s lives, as well as the health of radius financial group,” Goodrich said. “Those decisions can keep you up at night.”
Polaski, radius’ principal and COO, called Goodrich one of the most highly regarded underwriting/operations mortgage professionals in the country.
“Her reputation with our counterparts like Chase, Wells Fargo and Citi is unequalled. Sue has lead our company’s underwriting policies and decisions in such a way that many, many Massachusetts and New England homeowners have achieved the American Dream because of her work,” he said in his nomination.
Another of her nominators – she had eight in total – credited Goodrich with helping carry the company through the recession.
“It’s no secret that the last 10 years have been incredibly challenging for mortgage companies,” Loan Officer Bob Melone said in his nomination. “radius financial group has not only met these challenges head on but thrived, due mainly to [Sue’s] tireless work ethic, unrivaled passion and leadership. Every day Sue comes to work ready to set the example. She is the leader her operations teams looks up to, emulates and performs for.”
Masterful time management is necessary for Goodrich – she puts in long hours at work and is a single mom, so there isn’t room for much else.
“If I’m not at work, I’m with my daughter. She keeps me busy every night,” Goodrich said. “When I retire maybe I’ll take up golf.”
