Click Here To Listen Nashville Business 100 Leading Women Joan Fleming
There is a relatively small segment of leaders in the business world; individuals who seem to able to build relationships, trust, and rapport with almost anyone, and then have the ability to translate their financial needs into plausible solutions.
Joan Fleming-Ridley is one of those rare people who has developed solutions in a challenging industry and produced results through her expertise, commitment and relationships. As a senior manager in the mortgage industry Fleming radiates a sincere passion for delivering value and benefits to her customers with an enthusiastic and genuinely friendly attitude.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Fleming professional career began in 1995, when she joined SunTrust Bank in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1999 she joined GMAC Mortgage Corporation as a Government Specialists in Mortgage Loan Origination; she was the top producer for the next six (6) out of seven (7) years. After working on both the retail and wholesale side of mortgage lending Fleming started her own mortgage company (Creative Vision Mortgage) in 2006. Fleming not only started her own mortgage company she also used her expertise and contracted with other small lenders to become approved with the different agencies such as Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and FannieMae. Citizens Savings Bank and Trust was one of her clients.
In August 2010, Fleming was ask to join Citizens Savings Bank & Trust Co. to rebuild and lead the bank’s residential mortgage division. She was delighted at the opportunity to join the oldest African American Bank in the Country. Since then, she has redeveloped the mortgage lending division making them one of the lead competitor’s in the Nashville market.
Working her way up through the ranks, Fleming-Ridley now holds the position of Vice-President of Residential Mortgage Lending for Citizens Bank and is responsible for all mortgage operations including originations, processing, underwriting and the administrative function. Fleming is also responsible for leading the bank’s initiative on homebuyer education and financial literacy.
Helping others on the path to homeownership is only one of her many passions; Health wellness and fitness is what fuels her energy. Fleming-Ridley co-founded p31 by JoPa; a women’s workout clothing line designed to make all woman feel great about how they look while working out. The name is derived from Proverbs 31 and is intended to display the strength, dignity and beauty of a woman.
Of all her achievements the one disappointment was not earning a college degree. At 40, Fleming-Ridley decided to return to school to earn her degree. She is currently a junior at Tennessee State University majoring in business administration while simultaneously working on her graduate degree from Barret School of Banking in Memphis Tennessee. Balancing her work schedule, managing her clothing line and school can sometimes become a bit hectic; when asked how she manages, She replies “I have the best cheerleaders a woman can ask for!”
Fleming is parent to Jasmine Fleming who is currently a junior at Howard University studying legal communications. Jasmine is not only her daughter; she is one of her biggest cheerleaders, her best friend and travel buddy.
