If Tracy Bellavance’s colleagues could sum up her disposition in one word, it would probably be “passionate.”
“She is such a hard driver. My first impression of Tracy was, she fights for her clients and she works hard to make sure they’re in the best position possible. That’s your first take,” said Bob Driscoll, senior vice president of residential lending at Blue Hills Bank.
Before she wound up at Blue Hills Bank, Bellavance had worked for Iron Mountain in Boston and for Allied Security in the Southeast and California. She eventually returned to Boston and landed in the mortgage industry when it was booming in 2002. Driscoll met her when she was working as a correspondent lender, and when he heard that she might be leaving her job at Poli Mortgage Group, he knew he had to have her on his team.
Working with Bellavance has only increased his admiration for her.
“Whether it’s fundraising for a cause, or advocating for a loan, or being a mom, she does it all with the same amount of passion,” Driscoll said.
Talking with Banker & Tradesman, Bellavance described the mortgage process itself as “fairly rote.” What she relishes is helping people get into homes, working with their unique needs and celebrating with them when they get that mortgage or refinance their home.
“It’s helping people manage their lives,” she said.
But the mortgage business has given Bellavance much more than a livelihood. Because of it, she can give back to a cause that’s been near to her heart since she was an undergrad at Boston College: helping the homeless.
“I help people every day get houses who are able to,” she told Banker & Tradesman. “But then it’s very apparent to me that a home is a stabilizing factor in people’s lives and to their happiness and their families. It’s completely evident when somebody doesn’t have a home, how disruptive it is.”
When Bellavance returned to Boston and started making real money in the mortgage business, she knew she was in a position to give back, and she promptly cut a check to HomeStart and later joined the organization’s board.
“I’m a very lucky person. I’ve been lucky enough to have great opportunities presented that I can leverage,” she said. “Not everybody has that, so I’m happy to share my blessings, really.”
What free time she has, she spends with her 6-year-old son – often playing baseball or golf or making art. Bellavance is also an avid gardener.
And while Bellavance said she certainly felt honored to be named a Woman of FIRE, what meant the most to her was knowing that her colleagues wanted the distinction for her.
She said, “The true honor is to have your colleagues who work beside you every day shower you with some grace. It’s really lovely.”
