Rina Aponte, senior operations manager at Priority One Financial Services, is celebrating a quarter-century of working at the RV, marine and trailer finance company.
“Priority One’s quality relationships with dealers, standards of professionalism and level of service are unequivocally part of Rina Aponte’s unique mark on the company and industry,” said Heather Mariscal, president, Priority One.
Aponte joined Priority One in 1998, 12 years after the company’s founding, when Priority One had 13 total employees.
Today, the finance company employs over 70, and Aponte oversees over 40 employees in her division.
“Over the years, I have learned how to sell the ‘why’ and trained my team to do the same,” Aponte said. “Now, we have a system of leaders and mentors that extend that training to newer employees.”
Under Aponte, the operations division has won several awards, most notably for its specialty in serving credit-challenged customers, and for equipping customers with extended service contracts to fit their needs. A veteran of the Navy and the recreational industry, the company said Aponte leads the team to communicate clearly and effectively with dealers and their customers.
“My leadership evolves every year that I am with Priority One,” she said. “I try to be intentional, take a break and care for my team. That is just as important as the work itself. People stay around for people – anyone at Priority One will tell you that’s part of what makes us special.”
In 2021, Aponte was named to Boating Industry’s list of “Women Making Waves,” awarding women who make significant contributions to the marine industry.
