Meet the Newest Hires at GoPrime!

Donella Fugate
Loan Officer – Roseburg, OR

Donella has lived in Oregon her entire life. She began her career in finance in 1997 to set an example for her three daughters about how important a strong work ethic is. Her foundation in the financial industry drove her interest in mortgages and the housing industry. She took a manager training course with 20 other mortgage professionals and finished at the top of her class, something she felt great pride in. This accomplishment solidified that she was headed in the right direction with her career.

By the time 2000 rolled around Donella was a mortgage broker. In 2002 she joined a small mortgage company and spent the next five years building strong relationships in the industry and local community. That company grew from two employees to seven, including four Loan Officers she trained and watched grow into highly successful workers.

A master of multi-tasking, she remembers in the beginning carting her children around the grocery store while simultaneously taking a mortgage application – young and full of energy Donella was excited about the future. In 2007 she became a part of a net branch, eventually climbing to a management position. She was ecstatic to be the leader of a bigger team and opening the door for more opportunities for her borrowers.

Having spent the majority of her early days dedicated to learning about the industry and specializing in first-time homebuyers, Donella cultivated a passion for teaching new buyers about the process of procuring a mortgage – she even taught education courses! She loved the feeling of pride she gained from bringing these clients to the closing table and handing over the keys to their own home.

Now working with VA, FHA, USDA, and Conventional loans, Donella works hard with each individual client to find the loan that fits their needs and goals. She prides herself in being creative and figuring out how to find a solution for specific situations.

When she is not working, Donella loves to spend time with her three successful and hard-working daughters. She enjoys gardening, taking walks outside and attending family functions.

Adam Van de Bovenkamp
Loan Officer Assistant – Roseburg, OR

Adam joined the Roseburg, OR branch as a Loan Officer Assistant in December and has hit the ground running. Having previously worked in retail banking and taking a brief hiatus, he is excited to have found his way back to the financial industry with GoPrime.

Just last year, Adam and his fiancée were approved for their first mortgage. With help and knowledgeable guidance, they were able to land their dream property. This process gave him firsthand experience to see the importance of working with a quality team. He recognizes now that this is an essential part of the equation when looking to make homeownership dreams come true.

Searching for the right opportunity to get his foot in the door as a Loan Officer Assistant, he was not willing to settle for anything less than the level of expertise that had helped him close his loan months earlier. When he saw the listing for a Loan Officer Assistant at GoPrime he jumped at the opportunity. He is looking forward to helping clients secure the mortgage that fits their unique circumstances and helping to walk them through the process step by step. He can’t wait to share in the joy of bringing homebuyers to the closing table.

In his free time, Adam loves to spend time outside. Some of his passions include surfing, gardening, hiking, camping, and traveling. When he needs to take a deep breath, he loves to sit by the wood-burning stove and read a book with some hot tea and enjoy the cool, wet Pacific Northwest weather. He is very connected to his community and loves to support local business by eating and shopping local, gardening at the community garden, and connecting with members of his church.

Adam’s favorite quote speaks elegantly to the career he is embarking on,

“In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jason Steenblock
Compliance Manager – Apex, NC

Jason has joined GoPrime as our newest addition to the Compliance Department. Working as the Compliance Manager, he is excited to exercise his skills in attention to detail, workplace problem-solving, and educational engagement. Starting his career in the mortgage industry as a Loan Officer focusing on home purchase and refinance loans for FHA, VA, and Conventional mortgages, Jason is no stranger to the process of getting to the closing table.

After a small break, Jason was drawn back to the mortgage industry and compliance world because he believes that his strengths and interests are best suited for the “second line of defense”. He prides himself in assisting to make the process easier for the client.

Jason loves to put his energy and mind to work solving puzzles. Each day he is faced with a new challenge and thrives on the fact that not one day or challenge will be the same.

In his time off, Jason likes to work out and spend time with his family – his wife of nine years and three kids. He enjoys staying active by coaching his kids’ sporting activities. He loves working with all the kids and helping them to learn valuable lessons early on in their lives through good sportsmanship and ensuring they have a great time on the field.

His favorite quote is something that he works to live by every day:

“You don’t have to be fearless, just don’t let fear stop you.”
Charlie Day

Jacob Lilley
Loan Officer Assistant – Bozeman, Montana

Jacob Lilley has recently joined GoPrime as a Loan Officer Assistant in our Bozeman, Montana branch. He made his way West back in 2014 after growing up around Charleston, South Carolina. He was drawn to the open space and wild country of the state and spent about four seasons working with the Forest Service performing trail maintenance throughout Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. He also spent time guiding in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Working in hospitality for three years after his “rambling days”, Jacob was looking for a career change. When he saw the job posting for GoPrime Mortgage, he was excited to apply. Just the year before he and his partner bought their first home together, and they enjoyed their experience so much working with Caroline Roy, Branch Manager of the Bozeman, MT branch, that he jumped at the opportunity to work with her.

Jacob was so pleased with the way Caroline and GoPrime walked him through every step of the mortgage process in a mindful and understandable way, that he felt driven to work on her team and help provide the same level of service to her other clients.

In his spare time, Jacob enjoys birding, backpacking, and trail running in the beautiful summers of Montana. In the winters he loves to go cross-country skiing and read. This year he is excited to try backcountry skiing.

Hollie Mathes
Closer – Apex, NC

Hollie prides herself in her sense of discipline and following a structured workday, perhaps due to her two years serving as a Correctional Officer for the State of Arizona. She was challenged daily in her position, and eventually decided to try a different career path. She wanted to find a job that was both stimulating and fulfilling and was led to take the leap into the mortgage industry. She now has been processing, closing, funding, and underwriting for the past six years. She was excited to take the next step in her finance career and has recently moved into a Closing position with GoPrime Mortgage.

She has spent the majority of her life on the West Coast specializing in Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and Jumbo loans. She has worked in closing for the past four years and finds that many of her talents and skills are transitioning seamlessly to her new position.

Hollie loves being a mother and spends much of her free time with her family. They like to explore the outdoors through camping, traveling, and spontaneous trips. She also enjoys working out at the gym.

Martin Ford
Chief Lending Officer – Apex, NC

With a long history of working in the financial industry that has spanned many operational functions for several large organizations, Martin wanted an opportunity to expand his career and focus his expertise in a smaller, more personal company. He felt there is more to offer to an organization whose employees are not “just a number.” With his experience in lending, operational risk, overall process improvement, and business optimization, the opportunity at GoPrime seemed a perfect fit.

Prior to his transition to GoPrime, Martin worked for another independent company. During his tenure, he completely restructured their underwriting and credit process, directly contributing to revenue growth from two billion to seven billion. His team not only aimed for growth in today’s environment, but for the future.  A major focus for Martin is to be an approachable resource as sales partners and Loan Officers move through the loan process. Martin, along with his team, strive to make the entire lending experience easier for everyone involved, and he feels great pride that there are processes he designed years ago that are still in use today.

Martin really shines in a collaborative environment where he not only has insight into the company, but the chance to provide input and help grow the business. He enjoys finding the directional lens of where he wants to see the company go, and to develop future plans to achieve those goals along with his peers.

Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Martin lives with his wife of more than 20 years and his two children they adopted from Guatemala. He loves sports, specifically football (go Bills!) and hockey. He credits his sense of teamwork and discipline to his time playing junior hockey. He has proudly coached his children’s extracurricular activities including Baseball, Cub-Scouts and many other events. Over the years he developed a passion for missionary work, rebuilding dilapidated churches in poor areas across the world. On one of these rewarding missions, he traveled to Africa and showed a village how perfect their land was for growing coffee beans. His group taught them how to plant, grow, and create a marketplace to purchase the beans from the community and sell them in the US, with the money coming back to help the local families.

We excitedly welcome Martin to the GoPrime team and are looking forward to the innovative ideas, selfless support, and endless ideas he brings to the table.