Robin WellingsLoftus and Donna Friery celebrate their awards at the Chamber of Commerce annual banquet in February. WellingsLoftus, left, won the 2012 Professional Woman of the Year Award.
Robin WellingsLoftus has been in corporate America for 28 years, working for credit companies and a major bank, but it wasn’t until she came to Fuquay-Varina that she felt she could really contribute.
A member of the Professional Women Leadership Association for three years, WellingsLoftus was named the 2012 Professional Woman of the Year on Feb. 15 at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet.
WellingsLoftus is a financial advisor for Edward Jones. She moved to Fuquay-Varina in 2008 on the suggestion of her son-in-law, another Edward Jones employee.
She was tired of making money for corporations; instead, she wanted to give back to her community.
“I love coming to work every day,” WellingsLoftus said.
Plus, she loves the opportunity to enjoy her family. She has two sons and a daughter, a granddaughter, grandson and another grandson on the way.
WellingsLoftus also has been happily married for 31 years. She said she couldn’t have taken on the Edward Jones position if it hadn’t been for her husband’s support.
The job was challenging when she first started five years ago, but she has made it her mission to educate women on finance. Instead of allowing their husbands to deal with all of the financial planning, like she did for many years, she wants women to be active in creating their futures.
“I want women to embrace the finances,” she said.
She shares her own experiences to help not just women, but multiple generations in families.
“We want to help women and their children and their parents and their grandbabies,” WellingsLoftus said.
One of the ways she does that is teaching the basics of finance at Fuquay-Varina High School twice each school year. She uses her trusty Daisy Mae and Victor cows to explain how money works – a sign of her background.
“I’m from Michigan,” WellingsLoftus said. “I’m from farm country.”
If she can make a difference for just one or two students, she feels accomplished.
WellingsLoftus also works with Dress for Success, helping women learn to budget and teaching the pros and cons of taking Social Security on early retirement.
She feels honored to get a referral from a client.
“It’s my pat on the back,” she said.
So, when WellingsLoftus received the Professional Woman of the Year award, she was completely surprised.
A pseudo-Southerner, WellingsLoftus is just happy to be a part of the community that she has grown to love so much.
“Once I got off the plane, I said, ‘I’m never leaving.’”
WellingsLoftus is a member of the choir at St. Bernadette Catholic Church. She is on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as well.
“I think it’s [Fuquay-Varina is] just an ideal place to be,” she said.
Contact Kelly Griffith at kgriffith@civitasmedia.com or 919-552-5675.
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