Melanie Joy
Melanie Joy brings over 25 years of commercial real estate lending experience to her current position as senior vice president of commercial banking at United Bank in Glastonbury. Created in 2014 through a merger of United Bank and Rockville Bank, United currently has over 50 branches in Connecticut and Massachusetts, with more than $6.3 billion in assets.
Joy began her banking career soon after graduating from the University of Connecticut, where she majored in finance with a concentration in real estate studies. Her first job with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. sent her to Atlanta, Georgia, which she recalls as an “eye-opening” experience in which she relished the opportunity to learn, be on her own and explore. She eventually returned to the New England area to join Liberty Bank, where she became senior vice president and resort finance manager, after many years as a commercial real estate team leader.
“It wasn’t until I left real estate lending that I realized how much I liked it,” she said, referring to a five-year stint in time-share lending. While she enjoyed that opportunity, it helped her to recognize her true passion in commercial real estate.
At United, Joy is responsible for originating investment grade loans on properties in the northeast part of the country. This frequently sends her on the road, traveling on average once per month all over New England, throughout New York and Pennsylvania, and as far south as Virginia. She supports the largest portfolio in the bank, with $670 million in real estate loans.
She is also an advocate for affordable housing, and has served on the board and as committee chair for Middlesex Habitat for Humanity.
“I like their concept, the element of sweat equity, people working together to help a family get a house,” she said. “It’s a concept I believe in – providing decent, affordable housing for everyone.”
With her knowledge of both banking and real estate, she has become a resource for both customers and colleagues.
William H.W. Crawford IV, CEO of United Bank and United Financial Bancorp, pointed to Joy’s leadership in the commercial real estate division as a significant contributor to the bank’s successful growth
“Melanie truly embodies our vision to achieve excellence in everything we do,” said Crawford. “The reputation she’s earned for being among the best and the brightest in the banking industry, and in the communities we serve, as well as the admiration her teammates and customers have for her, extends beyond Connecticut into the entire Northeast region.”
