Meet Norma Arias, Vice President of Professional Services!
When it comes to working hard and having fun, no one does it better than Norma Arias. In her role as VP of Professional Services, Norma works tirelessly to manage Tamarack’s fast-growing professional services team. Outside the office, she enjoys supporting her community, moonlighting as a musician, and becoming a citizen of the world.
Why did you make the move to Tamarack?
I first met Dan in the early ’90s when he worked for Solifi (formerly IDS), and I worked for one of Solifi’s clients. After Dan formed Tamarack, I continued to engage his support at several other companies because of his commitment to clients.
I was excited to join Tamarack in 2020 to continue working with Dan and his team.
Why did you choose to spend your career in equipment finance?
In the early ’80s, I worked at a leasing company in San Francisco while in college. I enjoyed the industry and have stuck with it in it ever since.
What does life look like for you outside of Tamarack?
I’ve moonlighted as a singer in the San Francisco Bay Area since the early ’90s. I’ve performed with five different bands, two of which I led. The groups ranged in size from a duo to the largest group being thirteen pieces. I’ve also been fortunate to sing various genres including folkloric Mexican, Latin rock, Afro-Cuban Latin jazz, and jazz standards, as well as to sing in English, Spanish and French (I try). My experience over decades led me to meet many musicians, record on three albums, and perform for many special events. Covid has unfortunately interrupted this schedule, but I hope to get back to my jazz duo project in the near future.
When not playing music, I like to travel as often as I can and spend time doing community work, whether that’s running coat drives, the soup kitchen, or other local efforts. I enjoy doing things that allow me to meet lots of different people. Covid also interrupted these activities, but I hope to get back to them soon.
Where have you traveled?
So far, I have traveled to 27 countries. I try to visit one new location every year, apart from going to France. I went to Paris for the first time in 1998 and quickly fell in love with the architecture, the music, the food, the people, and the culture.
Do you have any interesting stories from your travels?
A while back I was supposed to spend Christmas in Paris with some cousins. Plans were made and tickets were purchased, but my cousins had to unexpectedly cancel. I had tickets that I decided to share with whomever I found at various venues. When Christmas Eve rolled around, I stood in front of the Palais Garnier opera house with two extra tickets for the ballet, “Cinderella.” I ended up encountering a couple who spoke English and invited them to the show, which they accepted. It turned out that they were Parisians who had the day off and decided to take a walk with no specific plans. After the ballet, we had dinner, and they invited me to their apartment on Christmas Day for a gathering with friends. We spent a good amount of time together during that trip and have become good friends. We stay in touch, and I enjoy spending time with them when I visit Paris. I hope to see them soon.