Meet the Lender: Mary Byrnes

Mary Byrnes cares deeply about many things in life, including her work at Lincoln Federal Savings Bank. "My work is my passion, and my passion is my work," Mary says. "When I combine passion in anything I do, I perform better and I give better service to those I am privileged to help." Her warm and enthusiastic personality lets everyone know that she is on the journey with them, step by step, as they tackle the complex mortgage loan process.

The confidence Mary exudes comes from almost 40 years of experience in the mortgage lending business, including management and underwriting. You might say that her illustrious career actually began when she was quite young, observing her parents as they bought and sold real estate. So it wasn't surprising to them when at the tender age of 5 years old Mary proudly proclaimed to her dad that she wanted to be a real estate lender. Mary went on to receive her undergraduate degree and a Masters degree from the College of St. Mary in Omaha. Her desire to learn has continued over the years as she pursues her doctorate in education.

Mary joined the Omaha branch of Lincoln Federal Savings Bank in 2016 as a Mortgage Loan Officer. In 2017, she was promoted to Vice President. A typical day for Mary involves extensive networking within the community to promote mortgage loan programs to first-time home buyers, builders, those refinancing or remodeling, real estate investors and basically anyone that needs a loan. "My job is to put Lincoln Federal on the map by promoting all of the services we have to offer as a lending institution."

According to Mary, with the housing shortage happening in the Omaha area, it can get challenging. "You have to be ready and provide answers in a timely manner," she goes on to say. "I strive to respond to emails promptly. When I'm on the grid, I'm on it constantly." She is very passionate about women-based companies and colleges, and focuses a lot of her energy in targeting first-time home buyers, especially women buyers because she knows that 73% of home buying power rests with the women, regardless of whether they are part of or totally all of the decision-making process.

Mary's job doesn't stop there. She continually networks with her Omaha Chamber members, real estate agents throughout the metro area, and B2B opportunities. Her marketing strategy is to leave one business card at a time everywhere and with everyone. And she finds ways for the Omaha branch team to be involved in community events that support others and bring awareness to Lincoln Federal. Serving others is a way of life for Mary. She is a member of the Omaha Board of Realtors and the Nebraska Realtors Association, and is often seen providing educational seminars on lending for realtors, faith-based groups, and other organizations. Outside of her work, Mary is involved with several non-profit organizations that benefit children and First Defenders, including serving on the Advisory Council at Offutt Air Force Base working with active military and veterans.

With all that Mary has going on in her professional life, she still makes time for her family. She is married to Dr. Robert Byrnes, a physician in Omaha, and they have two children: son Kent who is a police officer in Ft. Collins, CO at the University of Colorado, and daughter Elizabeth who is a sophomore at UNL.

Mary is someone that invests her knowledge and abilities so that her clients have a successful lending experience. Home ownership is very important to her and she wants to ensure that her clients understand everything, every step of the way. "My clients become my family. They call and tell me about their family's happenings for years after. It is much more than a business relationship to me -- I love what I get to do every day at my job. As a result, it's the people I get to help that makes my job so rewarding."