My role consists of many various tasks and responsibilities. As an executive assistant I support Rick Warren, a senior managing director and the head of real estate capital markets. In addition to Rick, I support the production and credit teams in our Irvine office. On the production side I am involved with coordinating local conferences such as CMBA and CREF and I provide regional level support with MBA and NMHC. I appreciate the opportunity to travel to different cities across the country, meet new colleagues and support the conferences we attend. The support I provide to the credit team involves processing deal related invoices for third party reports.
As the office manager, I make sure the Irvine office runs smoothly, making for a comfortable and informative workplace. The office culture has changed in recent years (since COVID) as most employees now work three times a week in the office. My role includes making sure mail and packages are distributed, equipment is functioning, the kitchen is stocked, and working with property management. I will be the liaison between corporate management and property management, contractors, and various vendors during an upcoming office “facelift.” Whatever needs to get done – bring it on.
I’ve been at Lument for 14 years—that says a lot. At many companies, executive assistants and office managers tend to get lost in the shuffle. At Lument, however, they really care about employees as individuals. The culture is also very collaborative, when a challenge arises, everybody comes together to find a solution. I take satisfaction from my job in different ways and am proud that I keep the trains running on time. People know that I’m always there to lend a helping hand. I try very hard to make everyone feel welcome, comfortable, and well equipped to get their jobs done.
Forging relationships with colleagues is one of my favorite parts of the job. I love the camaraderie that develops from our in-office social events for various holidays throughout the year. For the big holiday parties, I’ll often do the cooking and decorating the office myself.
As more people work remotely, it can be harder to feel connected, particularly if you’re new to the company. We try to gather at least once a month for an in-office lunch. These meetings give us a chance to talk more casually about both how work is going and about our lives in general.
Giving back to local communities is another part of the Lument culture. Our office participates in the local Habitat for Humanity projects, and we are active in local community service engagements.
