Women Acquiring Assets

Women Acquiring Assets Episode 17: Reverend Cerita Battles

September 16, 2020 Anika Jackson Season 1 Episode 17
Women Acquiring Assets
Women Acquiring Assets Episode 17: Reverend Cerita Battles
Show Notes

Reverend Cerita Battles is an itinerant deacon at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, St. Augustine, Florida under the pastoral leadership of the Reverend Ron Rawls.  At St. Paul A.M.E.C., she leads the Financial Health & Wellness Ministry; she is the adult teacher for Bible Discovery Hour and leads the worship service.  Cerita answered God’s call to ministry in 2011.

Cerita is a native of St. Augustine, Florida where she currently resides with her husband Ronald Battles and their beautiful 16-year old daughter, Myka Renae.  She graduated from the University of Phoenix where she earned her Bachelor’s in Business Management.  Cerita has been in the financial industry for over 31 years and 23 years specifically dedicated to mortgage.  

Cerita recently rejoined JPMorgan Chase as Managing Director, Head of Affordable Lending where she is responsible for leading the execution of strategies to help address historic barriers to homeownership among minorities and low-to-moderate income borrowers and communities.  Prior to rejoining the firm, Cerita was the Senior Vice President and Head of Retail Diverse Segments for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage for over 9 years. While there, she was responsible for establishing the company’s strategic plan and lending goals to increase and enable sustainable homeownership among low-to-moderate income homebuyers and communities as well as ethnic minority homebuyers across the full economic spectrum.

 Before joining Wells Fargo, Cerita worked for Bank of America as the Centralized Sales Site Executive and a Business Development Executive for 5+ years.  And, as a former JPMorgan Chase employee, Cerita spent 8+ years as a Business Development Executive with JPMorgan Chase Home Finance. She was responsible for the development, implementation and execution of Multi-cultural and Affordable Lending strategies within Retail, Wholesale and Correspondent channels.

She’s affiliated with several corporate boards within the mortgage industry such as, Freddie Mac’s Advisory Housing Council, Fannie Mae’s Affordable Housing Corporate Board, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals Corporate Board of Governor, National Association of Real Estate Brokers and the Asian Real Estate Association of America’s Housing Advisory Boards and Wells Fargo Home Lending Diversity & Inclusion Council.  In 2012, she was recognized by the Florida Diversity Council as one of the Most Powerful and Influential Women in the state of Florida.

She’s also a member of several local boards and affiliates.  Cerita is a lifetime member of Ft Mose Historical Society where she sits on the Advisory Board.  She’s a charter member and president of the First Coast Chapter of the Charmettes, Inc., which is a 501c3 national organization focused on cancer research and building the health and viability of our community. In 2018, Cerita was inducted into the St. Augustine/Ketterlinus High School Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame.  

Finally, Cerita is a licensed Zumba instructor and lives by this quote “God created me to serve Him; therefore, what I do personally and professionally can be summed up into one word --- Ministry.”