Meet VanDyk’s Fantastic Four

Karen, Jon, Kelly, and CR Round Out Our Mortgage Team 

Here at VanDyk, we have a whole Stark Tower full of great people who swoop in to save the day when our clients need to buy a home or refinance.

Today, I want to introduce you to our Fantastic Four: Licensed Loan Officer Assistant Karen Ferranti, Junior Processor Jon Lescisin, Lead Transaction Coordinator Kelly Sweeney, and Assistant Transaction Coordinator CR Marciano.

You may have met one or two of our team members if you’ve worked with us on a loan, but I promise this article will still be full of surprises.

 Karen Ferranti: Our Resident Healer
You’ll never meet another person like Karen in the mortgage business. Before she started in this industry in the early 2000s, she owned three businesses and worked in the construction, insurance, finance, child care, health and wellness, and substance abuse industries!

That diverse experience makes her a great licensed loan officer assistant, because she has something to talk about with every client. Her favorite parts of the job are helping people buy their Florida dream homes and working with the rest of our team.

“Every person who works here is dedicated to making sure that loans close on time, as smoothly as possible,” she says. “We are big on communication so there’s no one left wondering what is going on at any given moment.”

Karen works “at Mach 10” for us every day, and she also has a side hustle — she’s a life coach/energy practitioner after work, leveraging her degrees in psychology and integrative health and healing.

When she’s not helping our clients or coaching hers, you might see her reading, riding her bike, going to the beach, or spending time with her dogs, a 2-year-old cocker spaniel named Fiona and an almost 19-year-old pomapoo named Bentley.

 Jon Lescisin: The New Kid on the Block
Okay, I called Jon “the new kid” but really, he isn’t — he’s just new to our branch. Before starting with our team as a junior processor about seven months ago, Jon worked at a different VanDyk branch out of Punta Gorda. He was a transaction coordinator, loan officer, and processor there for five years and brought all of that experience with him.

“My favorite part of my job at this branch of VanDyk is helping people out,” he says. “Everyone on this team is willing to go above and beyond for our clients.”

Jon is a great junior processor because he’s really organized and takes a structured approach to each day. That helps him knock out his tasks quickly and leaves plenty of time for his after-work hobbies: fishing, camping, and exploring the outdoors with his dogs, Layla and Autumn.

 Kelly Sweeney: Our Adventurer
Kelly Sweeney’s owned and worked as a consultant for a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio where she gained many talents that complemented her final employment opportunity working in the mortgage industry.

“I thoroughly enjoyed this stage in my work career as I learned so many aspects of customer service and building trust within families of customers. Teaching young women, their mothers as well as their grandmothers, specific techniques on how to apply makeup to enhance their own beauty, was very rewarding to me. As their families grew so did my customer base,” Kelly shared.

But it wasn’t long before she found her real calling in the mortgage industry! During her final year of pursuing a business degree in Computer Programming and Business Development, Kelly became a licensed loan officer. Now, fast forward almost 30 years she relocated from Williamsburg, Virginia, to SWFL. Browsing Facebook, she ran across one of the best processors she ever had while originating in VA. One conversation led to another, and she was referred to and recruited by VanDyk Mortgage.

As our lead transaction coordinator, Kelly manages our lead retention program by communicating with administrative staff on the branch level, our loan officers and buyers and their realtors. She thoroughly enjoys her job and the many facets that this position supports.  

Outside of work, Kelly and her husband and mother like to explore Florida from the west coast to the east coast.

“Making décor out of fallen palm fronds and attending art classes at Art at the Cape has been a great experience,” she says. “We have made a charcuterie board, a few tabletops and several wall décor items with acrylic paints and embellishments to decorate our new Florida home. The Dirty Pour is my favorite style of art; you never know what you will get once it settles and dries!  

We love to venture out while boating, jet skiing, kayaking and just about anything that involves the water! No regrets on our 1,000-mile move south and having the opportunity to join an amazing team and mortgage company!

 CR Marciano: Our Sports Fanatic
After Jon, CR is the newest member of the Fantastic Four. He has been our assistant transaction coordinator for about nine months, and this is his first foray into the mortgage business after spending years in the metal industry. He’s a young guy who brings a fresh perspective to the team.

“The two things I enjoy most about this job are the people I work with and how I can help our clients get into new homes,” CR says. “We always do our best to not let the loan process become an inconvenience in any way, and we are always friendly so it becomes stress-free for them.”

Like me, CR is a huge sports fan and one of his favorite things to do after work is watch football in person or on TV.

“I go to work, do my best, go home, and enjoy the company of my family with sports and hobbies I enjoy,” he says. “I spend time with my wonderful fiancé and family, watch FSU and the Broncos play, and play video games to pass the time and keep my brain working.”

CR would end this article with his personal signoff: “GO NOLES and May the Force be with You always!” but I have to say GO GATORS!!