Royal American’s Leading Women Week 2

This Women’s History Month, we’re excited to highlight the voices and experiences of women in leadership across Royal American.

Throughout the month, we’ll share personal stories from several of our female leaders as they reflect on their paths, challenges, and inspirations.

Tune in throughout the month as we celebrate the women who help lead this company—and discover the inspiration their journeys offer.

KRISTY COBB, DIRECTOR OF COMPLIANCE

RAM CORPORATE

Starting Date / Position:

May 2022; Director of Compliance

Kristy Cobb & Family, L-R: Michael (husband); Kristy Cobb;   Emily (daughter); CJ (son); Lilyann (daughter)

IN HER OWN WORDS

1. What originally drew you to the field of LIHTC/Compliance, and what key experiences shaped your journey to where you are today?

I wandered into Tax Credit by accident when I was just 20 years old.  I had a student housing background and had never heard of Affordable Housing.  I stumbled into a job as a leasing specialist and quickly caught on to what I needed to do in my role to income qualify a household but did not know the why’s.  A couple of months in, I went to my first Compliance training.  I started connecting those dots and was hooked on the Compliance piece of it.  The regulation and rules definitely appealed to my type A personality and problem-solving nature.  I continued to work on sites for almost 2 decades, jumping from one “new challenge” to another.  I would tackle the task, get the job to where it was wasn’t as challenging and then would grow restless, so I was always actively look for that next challenge.   In my career in Property Management, I have worked in many positions and on many different types of properties but never landed in a spot that felt just right.  Finally, around 8 years ago, I was offered a position in Compliance and it felt like I landed on my home planet.  I get to problem solve every day and while this position is not easy, it definitely keeps me engaged.  Every day in Compliance is a “new challenge.”

2. What strengths or perspectives do you feel women bring to this type of role that help drive meaningful impact?

You know that saying, “my brain has too many tabs open”?  I believe that this is what 99.9% of women’s heads are like.  We have an innate ability to handle so many things at one time.  This is one of the biggest skill sets required for a role in Compliance.   As the Director of Compliance for Royal American, I am often presented with overlapping deadlines and 100 little fires outside of my normal job duties.   I need to be able to multi-task and pivot.   I need to be adaptable to the changing needs of my company and my team. I also feel that as a woman my nature to be empathic, supportive, and purpose-driven and my emotional strength helps me to be an effective leader for my team.  Property Management is a high stress industry.  There is not much downtime, and we are continually moving from one project to another.  I work hard to ensure my team knows that they can come to me whenever they need and I will be a support for them, whether that support is assistance, guidance or just a listening ear.

3. Every career comes with hurdles. Can you share a challenge you’ve faced and how it contributed to your growth as a professional?

Coming to Royal American was a huge hurdle in my career, in the best way possible.  I came to this company as the Director of Compliance.  There is a lot of responsibility in that role.  Not only was this a new position for me, but at a brand-new company (to me).  I had to prove myself not only as a new employee, but also as a whole team’s new supervisor.  I remember working 60-70 hours per week that first year.  I was always so worried that I was going to mess up not only my own reputation, but Royal American’s.  My supervisor kept breathing confidence into me.  She kept pushing me, and her push kept me going.  Three years later and now I am more grounded and comfortable in my role, and I believe our department is in a better position today than it was 3 years ago.  I feel proud to have been a part of that growth and am so excited to see the progress our team makes over the next 3 years.  That first year taught me that every obstacle, no matter how overwhelming, can be overcome.  It also showed me that as a supervisor, it is so important that I am there as a support for my team.

4. What hobbies, interests, or activities help you recharge and stay balanced?

My family keeps me balanced.  My husband, Michael, and I have been married for 10 years this May.  We have 3 kids-Emily, CJ and Lilyann.   We love spending time outside.  We like to go camping, boating, and side-by-side riding with friends.  We also have a lot of family game nights, whether that is traditional board games, hide and seek or having nerf gun wars around the house.

5. What message would you share with young women in our organization who aspire to leadership roles or want to break into fields where they may not always see themselves represented?

I would say that absolutely anything is possible if you work hard and stay focused.  I tell my kids all the time that whether they think they can do it or think they can’t, they’re right.  The path to getting from where you begin to where you want to be all depends on how bad you want it and how much you are willing to work for it.