Associate Property Agent Christopher Adriano displayed his business cards among the brochures and other materials while representing CalVet’s Home Loans Division at the California State Fair last month.

A woman, donning a United States Forest Service shirt, stopped by the booth, read the card, and said, “Are you Chris? You did our home loan.”

That is how Iraq War veteran Adriano finally met Army veteran Kimberly Hill who, along with her husband Jacob Fadley (Navy), was among Adriano’s first loan clients after he joined CalVet’s staff in November of 2022.

Kimberly and Jacob worked with Adriano entirely by phone or online when they purchased their home with spectacular views in Tuolumne County. Rarely does the opportunity present itself for him to meet clients face to face, like their per chance encounter at the fair. Kimberly just happened to be on a break from staffing the Forest Service’s booth when she came upon CalVet’s booth.

“I get to meet maybe five percent or less (of my clients) personally,” Adriano said. “Mostly, the ones who come into the office because they are not tech savvy.”

Thus, Adriano enjoyed a gratifying moment in a world where a “howdy” by phone is far more common than a handshake.

“Since I got out of the Army, I was looking for a way to give back to other veterans,” Adriano said. “CalVet gave me that opportunity. I served, and now I’ve gone full circle. It’s very rewarding.”

Originally from Hawaii, Adriano joined the Army’s 82^nd Airborne Division in 2004. His four-year enlistment took him to Iraq—he served at camps Speicher and Taji—before he separated from the service honorably in 2008.

He used his GI Bill education benefits to earn his undergraduate degree from Sacramento State in 2011, then worked in the private mortgage industry before joining CalVet Home Loans Division.

The loan he handled last year for Hill and Fadley closed in about 30 days—quickly, easily, and remotely. While CalVet loan agents routinely stay in touch with their clients throughout the life of a loan, that, too, is usually by phone or email.

So, when he finally got to meet Hill in person at Cal Expo, it’s “fair” to say he was elated.

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This is one of a series of CalVet Connect posts introducing you to CalVet employees who are veterans of the United States Armed Forces—thus “Veterans Serving Veterans.”

For more information on obtaining a CalVet Home Loan, visit www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/home-loans or call us directly during regular business hours at (866) 653-2510. We are happy to help.

Would you like the opportunity to serve veterans in your work? Join the CalVet team! We are dedicated to ensuring that veterans from every era, along with their families, receive the state and federal benefits and services they have earned and deserve due to their selfless and honorable military service. At CalVet, we prioritize serving veterans and their families with dignity, compassion, and a commitment to helping them achieve the highest quality of life. See our current job openings at www.calvet.ca.gov/jobs.