This November at Doma we’re highlighting some of the outstanding military members who make this company run.
In third installment, Angela D’Ercole speaks with Kristin Coderre to hear about how her military experiences during periods transition prepared her to take on the future of title and escrow.
Angela D’Ercole: Hi Kristin thank you so much for lending me your time. Can you tell me a little bit about which part of the military you joined and why?
Kristen Coderre: I was in the Army – and let me tell you my family was surprised their cheerleading daughter signed up. And I’m so glad that I did. It helped me fund my education, it got me out of my hometown, and it showed me the melting pot of background and experience that is truly American.
[The army] helped me fund my education, it got me out of my hometown, and it showed me the melting pot of background and experience that is truly American.
Kristen Coderre
AD: And what did you do during your service? What was your experience like?
KC: I was a Personnel Services Specialist – you can think of it like an HR role – but I mainly focused on helping the military switch from pen and paper to digital records, all while stationed at one of the more complex military bases in Alaska.
AD: Do you have a favorite memory from your time there?
KC: Marrying my husband on a random Tuesday in a Chinook over the Arctic Circle is one! We saw the Northern Lights and a herd of caribou fighting from the opened floor of the helicopter. The other is from my first temporary duty assignment. I got stationed with an infantry unit in Sinai, Egypt which was rare because females were not assigned to, or even with infantry units in the 90s. But I was the first and I will say I was curious how it would turn out, the first female, the ONLY female assigned to a unit… To this day, those men are some of the most important people in my life: I could call any one of them right now and they would pick up. They are my framily, that’s what we call friends who have become family in the military.
AD: Wow – Alaska and Egypt! So… I have to ask how did you find yourself working for a title and escrow company?
KC: It was all happenstance! My role in the military was being eliminated and I had reached my retirement point. Coincidentally my husband and I had just had a great experience selling our house and the real estate agent who helped me asked if I’d join her team doing operations and HR. I helped her franchise, then moved to a title company where I focused on eliminating redundancies and centralized operations; and now I’m at Doma working on the team that oversees all local branch operations.
AD: What do you like about working at Doma?
KC: “Architecting the future” sold me. I love that we are taking a clunky process and making it better for our customers. It’s shocking how similar the Army and title and escrow are: they both have foundations but need to constantly change to adapt. I see so many similarities from when the Army changed from paper to digital records, fortunately I don’t have to fight tooth and nail here to make things better – there’s a hunger for it. DEI is also something unique about Doma: I was a leader in the Army when Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed, which opened my eyes to a very different experience than my own. I’m grateful that Doma has so many DEI groups that allow me to continue learning.
AD: Thank you so much for your time today, sharing your stories and your service.
KC: Thank you for having me!
