Guaranteed Rate Expands Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives and Leadership

CHICAGO, April 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Guaranteed Rate, one of America's top 5 retail mortgage lenders, is advancing its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts with the addition of two new roles. These positions will focus on amplifying the company's goal of further diversifying its workforce and engaging the broadest range of home-buying communities through national partnerships and initiatives.

Valenthia Doolin joins Guaranteed Rate as Community Outreach Manager, and Turquoise Peart joins as Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Doolin and Peart, both of whom have significant experience in the housing industry and DEI, will help Guaranteed Rate provide more education and engagement opportunities to the widest range of borrowers and communities.

"Guaranteed Rate is invested in ensuring that our workforce better reflects the diverse communities we serve," said Guaranteed Rate's National Diverse Segments Director Camilo Escalante. "I'm excited that we're driving change by helping to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive housing industry, and these two new roles will make a real difference in those efforts." 

"People need to know, 'We see you and we are here to serve your communities," said Doolin. "We are closely examining the data to identify how we can best affect real change."

As Community Outreach Manager, Doolin will use her community organizing and mortgage experience to build partnerships between Guaranteed Rate and grassroots organizations across the country to promote financial literacy and homeownership awareness in diverse communities. She will lead initiatives designed to help Guaranteed Rate continue addressing borrower needs, including the development of educational kits to reduce and remove barriers to homeownership for underserved populations.  

"Guaranteed Rate is taking its mission to the next level by unifying our workforce and our communities," said Peart, who has more than a decade of experience working at the strategic and tactical levels in various sectors including financial services and marketing. 

In her new role as Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Peart will focus on promoting a diverse culture within Guaranteed Rate through its existing employee resource groups, which help transform the mortgage industry by building future minority leaders through recruiting, outreach and training initiatives. She will also work to enhance minority awareness by using community relationships to promote education around financial literacy and homeownership.

Peart will develop more in-depth career-pathing opportunities through her work with Guaranteed Rate's ERGs: Leadership, Equity and Development (LEAD); PROUD, aimed at promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance in the workplace; and the Guaranteed Rate Organization of Women (GROW). She is also leading "Safe Zone Trainings" to provide employees with a positive environment in which to learn and express themselves.

Guaranteed Rate Companies, an Equal Opportunity Employer, continues to hire across the U.S., with many open positions in a variety of exciting and rewarding roles. To learn more, please visit rate.com/careers. 

About Guaranteed Rate Companies

The Guaranteed Rate Companies, which includes Guaranteed Rate, Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 10,000 employees in over 850 offices across the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Companies is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States, funding over $73 billion in 2020. Founded in 2000 and licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate, Inc. has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. 2017 marked the launch of Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and @properties, one of the nation's largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the Guaranteed Rate Companies have earned honors and awards including: Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; HousingWire's 2020 Tech100 award for the company's industry-leading FlashClose SM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Chicago Agent Magazine's Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

SOURCE Guaranteed Rate Companies