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By Glen Baity
The Dispatch
 “The desk is more of a formality,” says Linda Rankin, sitting down briefly in her office on LSB Plaza .
As the real estate department manager for Brinkley Walser law firm, Rankin often finds herself out of the office acting as a de facto investigator: When a client of the firm is ready to purchase a piece of property, she conducts a thorough inquiry to make sure there are no hidden problems.
Those problems can take several forms: outstanding court judgments, civil actions, tax liens — the list of potential sticking points might seem endless to the layman, but Rankin, now in her 20th year with the firm, has it well in hand.
A major contributing factor to her effectiveness on the job, she said, is the autonomy with which her superiors have entrusted her over the years. If a problem arises, Rankin said she takes pride in presenting as many feasible solutions as possible to all concerned.
A native of the Richmond , Va. , area, she started with Brinkley Walser after earning her realty license from Central Piedmont Community College and her paralegal degree from Davidson County Community College .
She applied that expertise as a real estate paralegal when she came to Brinkley Walser in August 1987 from Billings , Burns and Price, a Winston-Salem bankruptcy firm.
When she’s not vetting land interests for Brinkley Walser clients, the lifelong fitness enthusiast teaches spinning courses at the J. Smith Young YMCA. Rankin, a frequent jogger and biker, has been involved with the YMCA since she became a member in 1989, having spent several years as an executive board member.
Both she and her husband, Donald, like to keep moving, she says, which feeds into another activity the couple share: At night and on the weekends, the Rankins participate in several ballroom dance organizations.
It was a longtime interest of Rankin’s and one that the couple embarked on a few years ago. For stress relief and exercise, Rankin said, there’s nothing better.
“When you’re dancing, you forget everything and have fun,” she said.
As it turns out, her enthusiasm for the activity is contagious. Every Friday at 2:30 p.m., Rankin dashes out of the office and heads to North Davidson High School , where she and Donald volunteer as instructors for the school’s Strictly Ballroom Dance Club.
“They’re so eager, they’re ready to go,” says a smiling Rankin of her students. She hopes to soon become a certified instructor, the better to teach young people about the joys of dance.
It should come as no surprise: The common thread running through Rankin’s personal and professional lives is a palpable zeal for showing others the way. Whether in the field or on the hardwood, the story is the same.
“I love being able to work with people,” she says.
Glen Baity can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or glen.baity@the-dispatch.com. |
