One of Us

Joe Bryant

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Tell us a little about your professional background and how it led to the career you have today.

I’m an accountant by training but couldn’t stand working with numbers all day long. I then moved over to the residential mortgage business where I had a great career with GE Capital, Travelers Insurance, Prudential Insurance and Long Island Savings Bank. Eleven years ago, I met two partners that had started an appraisal management company right before the mortgage meltdown. Best move I’ve ever made. I’m president and partner with Triserv Appraisal Management Solutions, one of the industry’s largest appraisal management companies.

What do you like best about what you do?

Interacting with senior executives in the banking, credit union and mortgage banker world.

What are some of the challenges in your industry, and how do you meet them?

As most people know, the residential real estate market is in hyper-drive. This has created significant challenges for the industry, as it’s taking much longer to get an appraisal assigned and completed. On top of that, we have most properties selling for much more than the list price. Many people can’t understand that under appraisal guidelines that the sales price is not the appraised value.

You are also chairman of The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach board of directors. How did you get involved with the center?

Most people don’t realize that our largest program is the Sounds Connections Music Therapy Outreach Program, which is music therapy for children with special needs. I attended two classes and saw the phenomenal impact this program does for these wonderful kids. We are currently providing this program in five different St. Johns County schools, working with over 300 children with special needs. St. Johns County doesn’t have the budget for a program like this, so The Cultural Center funds this all-important program through our outreach efforts in the community.

Tell us a about the importance of having such an organization in our community.

The Cultural Center is the cornerstone in our community to create, understand and experience the arts. We do this through exhibitions of local, regional and national artists in a variety of media as well as having exciting events for the community and through quality arts classes, lectures and workshops.

Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Ponte Vedra?

I’m originally from Nashville, Tennessee, and as a corporate guy I moved all up and down on the East Coast. I spent 10 years on Long Island before moving here in 2003.

What do you like best about living here?

PVB is a unique place. It’s in the most beautiful area of Florida and has a quaint, laid-back lifestyle.

How do you like to spend your spare time?

I’m addicted to reading. Long story about speed-reading classes in high school. I love dining out very frequently, and along with my “amigos” I love to travel.