SitusAMC Power Pro: Kathy Vandeventer

Name: Kathy Vandeventer 
Title: Vice President Strategic Initiatives 
Location: Remote 

Day-to-day: I am a product owner for our two Acuity teams, which is the SitusAMC document management platform. We offer automated document classification and data extraction. So, every day I’m trying to organize the backlog of shifting priorities for the clients so the company can move forward with the top priority initiatives. These can change over time in the mortgage world, and they can change quickly. I’m also conducting analyses to help people understand what work needs to be done to achieve success.  

Biggest mentor: A prior leader who I worked with over the span of 15 to 20 years believed in my ability to lead and gave me that opportunity well before my resume or job experience warranted. I learned so much because I was surrounded by seasoned mortgage professionals and that provided me with invaluable experience. That mentor was the person who always encouraged me to question existing processes and procedures and empowered me to make change to improve employee experience and the company’s bottom line.  

Traits needed for the job: In order to do my job well you need the ability to communicate with leaders, team members, and clients, as well as being able to be flexible throughout change. I expect change to occur, and I try to help team members work through those changes with as little friction as possible.  

Best advice: Make the best decision you can with the information you have available but don’t hesitate to revisit that decision and to revise it as you have new information.  

Lessons from mistakes made: One of the things I’ve learned is that if you call out your own mistakes to your team, they are much more comfortable coming forward with their own mistakes. I’ve learned the same lesson with my kids who are 9 and 12 years old. I make mistakes daily and they need to see that I make them and own up to them! It’s not about the mistake -- it’s about how you move on from it.  

Hometown: I grew up in a small town in northern Iowa with a population of 6,000 at the time. It was one of those towns where you knew all your neighbors and they knew you and kept track of your comings and goings. It gave me the opportunity to get involved in many different activities. I played sports, and was active in the church, band and choir.  

Current home: Today I live in Des Moines, Iowa and I love it. I’ve been here for about 25 years, and in that time the downtown has been revitalized, and now we have so many events and concerts that I love to take advantage of. But in the mile radius of my house you can still see corn growing in the fields, and horses and cows grazing, so it still has that midwestern feel. I love that you get all the different benefits of city and country combined with accessibility and a low cost of living. 

Fondest memories: My dad liked to take us fishing when we were kids. Once, when I was 10 or 12 years old, we went trout fishing on a little stream and we had on these big rubber boots and I stepped in the mud and got stuck and I remember us laughing and laughing about that. I loved wandering around the woods and following these little narrow streams and just having a wonderful peaceful time in nature. It was just so special. 

Downtime: I play volleyball with my sister and some ladies that I’ve known since I’ve gotten out of college which is super fun! Some of the ladies are now in their 60s and one of them is in her 80s, which is so inspiring. I want to be like her. She taught me how to play pickleball and she participates in the senior Olympics. I also coach softball for both of my girls. It's challenging but also rewarding to help the teams improve their softball IQ, while also teaching girls how to pitch underhanded, while some of them are still learning to throw overhand!  

Person I admire: I look up to my sister. She has four very different kids who are all into their own thing, whether it’s theater or sports or working to make and save money. And I’ve just always admired how she and her husband support them on whatever different paths they’ve decided to take.  She’s been working as a personal trainer for 25 years and still has some of the same clients she started with. That says so much about what a fun and kind person she is!