2015 Women of Influence by HousingWire

36 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

HE DATA ON EXECUTIVES in banking and financial sectors reveals a striking lack of women in the C-suites. In 2014, only three women led major U.S. banks, while just 17.6% of Fortune 500 companies had female CEOs and only 11.4% had female CFOs. Which makes HousingWire’s list of the 2015 Women of Influence even more amazing. Our editorial team’s original idea to feature 30 women was immediately shelved given the number of outstanding nominations we received. We increased the number to 40 as an absolute cut off, lamenting the tough choices we were still faced with. Our list is full of executives — from CEOs and CFOs to presidents and executive directors. Many of the women who are helming companies founded or co-founded them, with stunning results. But mere stats don’t tell the real story of these outstanding leaders. They represent the whole spectrum of the housing economy, from real estate agents to originators to nonprofits. They lead companies, mentor others and give back to their communities. And each one is inspiring. Even a quick look at some of our winners, pictured left, illustrates their high level of leadership. Renee Glover serves as chairman of the board for Habitat for Humanity International, sits on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and works as CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority. Julian Grey, a vice president at CoreLogic, launched the company’s HPI Indexfor lenders in 2007 and is now driving the Index’s expansion into stress-test scenarios for compliance. And Deborah Jenkins, senior vice president of multifamily lending and national head of underwriting and credit at Freddie Mac, who in the last 12 months has helped to transform the GSE into one of the largest issuers of structured credit in the U.S. (Jenkins also made our list in 2013). HousingWire is proud to recognize the 2015 Women of Influence for their accomplishments, their passion and their leadership as they drive the housing economy forward.

HONOR EES Min Alexander

Lisa Bolelli

Deborah Jenkins

Tawn Kelley

Nicole Brown

Meg Burns

Jennifer LaBud

Erika Lance

Jennifer Creech

Sheila Crowley

Kimberly Lanham

Debbie Lastoria

Casey Cunningham

Marcia Davies

Katherine Le

Suzy Lindblom

Donna DelMonte

Dana Dillard

Paulina McGrath

Beth Mlynarczyk

Michelle Esterman

Melanie Feliciano

Caroline Reaves

Val Scott

Cheryl Feltgen

Deborah Garcia-Gratacos

Amy Swaney

Vicky Thompson

Cathleen Schreiner Gates

Renee Glover

Adrianne Todman

Trixy Weiss

Julian Grey

Marcia Griffin

Ginger Wilcox

Carla Wise

Jennifer Harrison

Amanda Howard

Jamie Wunder

Sue Yannaccone

At left, from the top: Renee Glover, Julian Grey, Nicole Brown and Deborah Jenkins. HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 37

Min Alexander

Lisa Bolelli

SVP, Real Estate Services

Senior Director, Product Management

A LTISOUR C E P OR TF OLIO SOLU TIONS

C L OSING CORP

IN ALEXANDER was promoted to senior vice president, real estate services in March 2015. In this position, Alexander oversees a portfolio of more than 50,000 residential assets annually and plays a key role in Altisource’s growth plans. Alexander oversaw the expansion of the Altisource national brokerage from 34 states in 2012 to 50 states plus Washington, D.C. in 2015. Altisource now ranks #7 on the 2014 RIS Media Power Broker national ranking for transaction volume. Under Alexander’s leadership, Altisource currently lists, markets and sells an average of more than 28,000 residential units per year. Alexander developed and launched Altisource’s institutional short sale program, which increases the final sale price over an initial offer for 56% of all enrolled sales, resulting in an average increase of $20,000 in sales proceeds for the borrower and investor. She also developed and launched Altisource’s asset renovation program for banks and servicer clients while working to expand FHA finance-eligible listings and increase homeownership opportunities. As a first-generation American, Alexander has a keen interest in advancing homeownership opportunities for women and minorities and has led partnerships with HomeFree and the National Community Stabilization Trust. In addition, Alexander’s community service and volunteer leadership activities include participating as a Duke Start-Up Challenge judge, working as a member of the Isle Maligne Leadership Society through the Duke University Fuqua School of Business, serving on the Leadership Council with Duke University’s Young Alumni Council and serving on the Alumni Admissions Council at Duke University.

HROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR, Lisa Bolelli has worked closely with customers and senior management at ClosingCorp on enhancements that will comply with new disclosure requirements to migrate the company’s existing SmartGFE solution to the new Lumen Risk Management Suite (LumenRMS). Bolelli has not only helped develop a number of technology products and solutions, but has also spearheaded their application and worked to create industry standards that would ease the development and implementation of new solutions. Bolelli has participated in MISMO and implemented versions going back to MISMO 1.X, and she currently holds a seat on the MISMO 2015 Council representing title insurance. Bolelli has more than two decades of mortgage industry experience, including e-commerce management, platform development, and client and vendor integrations. She has worked for a lender and for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Bolelli has built and managed nearly a dozen enterprise technology programs, including the development of eClosing solutions. “Lisa is a proven senior product management, mortgage solution strategy and technology leader who evolves complex products through the lifecycle, from ideation and initial product launch into maturity,” her nominator wrote. Bolelli has been an advisory member to the MBA board of directors technology steering committee for a one-year term, providing technology policy guidance to MBA’s board on matters that affect the residential real estate finance industry. Bolelli is also on the American Land Title Association (ALTA) committee and is heavily involved in the MBA fee workgroup.

ALEXANDER OVERSEES A PORTFOLIO OF MORE

BOLELLI HAS NOT ONLY DEVELOPED A NUMBER OF

THAN 50,000 RESIDENTIAL ASSETS ANNUALLY AND

ENTERPRISE TECH PROGRAMS BUT ALSO CREATED

PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN ALTISOURCE’S GROWTH.

INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

38 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Nicole Brown

Meg Burns

SVP, Global Strategy and Operations

Managing Director

N ATIONSTA R MOR T G AGE

THE COLLINGWOOD GR OUP

ICOLE BROWN is the head of Nationstar’s enterprise project management office and global offshore delivery. She has been instrumental in the company’s growth over the past two years and is responsible for teams based not only in the U.S., but also in India and the Philippines. After March of 2014, when she took over these functions, Brown reduced Nationstar’s offshore operation costs by 20% and increased production performance by an additional 5%, compared to the prior year. These operational improvements were completed by Brown while she was also establishing an offshore delivery framework and application to ensure that data was measured and reported in a consistent manner. Additionally, she has created a formal data reporting structure for the company. The standardized operational processes she created have increased project delivery by 40% as of April, compared to last year. “Nicole’s knowledge of multiple components of the business is amazing. She understands servicing, originations, and shared service functions at the individual level and how they all fit together for the benefit of the customer, shareholders and associates,” her nominator wrote. Before working at the enterprise project management office and global offshore delivery, Brown worked at Nationstar establishing a standard framework that ensured consistency in operational delivery and data management. Prior to working at Nationstar, Brown was a key leader at Homeward Residential, where she established an enterprise compliance model for servicing operations. Brown also volunteers at organizations committed to the development of young women, including Girls Inc and Girls on the Run.

EG BURNS was appointed the managing director of the Collingwood Group, based in Washington, D.C., in 2014. The company identifies and secures business opportunities with the federal government and the GSEs, helping financial services companies comply with, interpret and operate effectively within the ever-changing regulatory environment. As managing director, Burns engages in a broad array of policy discussions and advocates for Collingwood’s clients on many different fronts. “Meg is one of the most influential women in housing because of her depth of knowledge into complex housing policy issues, her strong relationships with public and private sector decision makers, and her experience managing large government programs at both FHFA and FHA,” her nominator wrote. Over the course of her career Burns has been a key player in extensive housing policy dialogues and has shaped some of the industry’s most notable policies. Prior to joining Collingwood, Burns served as a senior associate director at FHFA. While at FHFA, she served as a key policy official in the development and implementation of several high-profile government initiatives. These initiatives included improvements to the Home Affordable Refinance Program, the REO-to-rental pilot, the servicing alignment initiative, and the new representation and warranty model. Burns not only managed three divisions responsible for single-family, multifamily and counterparty policy, but also served as FHFA’s spokesperson. Her position as a spokesperson required her to present information on GSE programs and policies to Congress, federal regulatory agencies and interagency working groups, and industry mortgage market participants.

BROWN HAS REDUCED NATIONSTAR’S OFFSHORE

AS MANAGING DIRECTOR, BURNS ENGAGES

OPERATION COSTS BY 20% AND INCREASED

IN AN ARRAY OF POLICY DISCUSSIONS WHILE

PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE BY 5%.

ADVOCATING FOR COLLINGWOOD’S CLIENTS.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 39

Jennifer Creech

Sheila Crowley

President

President and CEO

INHOUSE, INC .

N ATION A L L OW INCOME HOUSING COA LITION

N THE PAST 12 months, CEO Jennifer Creech has grown InHouse, Inc. by roughly 50%, expanded its technology offerings, increased its nationwide footprint and extended its reach into a new market. Creech identified and secured outside investment for InHouse from NAS and orchestrated the acquisition of two regional AMCs, which expanded the company’s west coast presence. Since taking the helm at InHouse in 2009, Creech recruited, hired and coached the company’s national sales director and created the company’s first board of directors. She then restructured the company’s internal technologies to achieve virtually unlimited scalability to support its growth. Creech also spearheaded the development of the company’s new commercial technology, including branding it and developing its pricing structure. Her efforts make InHouse the only U.S. organization to provide both residential and commercial appraisal management technologies. “Jennifer takes initiative, identifies opportunities, makes decisions and executes strategies that increase volume, generate revenue, and reduce unnecessary costs,” her nominator wrote. “Her impact is not limited to her own actions, however. She consistently identifies and coaches key employees, encouraging them to set and achieve goals that improve their professional and personal lives. Her impact isn’t limited to professional promotions and pay increases. It includes completion of college degrees, higher quality family connections, and a friendlier, more supportive work environment.” In addition to InHouse, Creech has also held executive positions with Deep Green Financial, RBC Mortgage and Washington Mutual/ PNC Mortgage. She also speaks regularly at numerous industry events and conferences.

S PRESIDENT of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Sheila Crowley led a nationwide effort to secure funding for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), the first dedicated resource for the production of new housing affordable to the lowest income people.In December 2014, after substantive meetings with Crowley and other partners, the FHFA lifted its suspension, and funding to the NHTF is scheduled to begin in 2016. Crowley and NLIHC are educating and training state and local advocates so that they can impact how states use the funds when they start to flow in 2016. “Sheila is considered the ‘conscience of the housing industry’ – trusted by Congress and the administration, by officials across the political spectrum, and by other industry leaders, for using rigorous research and data, and for being a reasoned, informed advocate for policies that benefit extremely low income households,” her nominator said. Crowley has been the leading force behind the United for Homes campaign to make changes in the mortgage interest deduction that would provide millions of additional low- and moderate-income homeowners a tax break while generating new revenues to end homelessness. She has served on the boards of the National Housing Trust, Enterprise Community Partners, the Technical Assistance Collaborative, the National Housing Conference and the Coalition on Human Needs. Crowley has been a key player in numerous legislation and regulations related to public housing, including housing choice vouchers, project-based rental assistance, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, and much more. She is also a founding member of the Virginians Against Domestic Violence and the Greater Richmond Coalition for the Homeless.

CREECH HAS GROWN INHOUSE BY 50% IN THE LAST

CROWLEY LED A NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO SECURE

YEAR AND EXPANDED BOTH ITS TECHNOLOGY

FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND

OFFERINGS AND NATIONWIDE FOOTPRINT.

FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

40 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Casey Cunningham

Marcia Davies

CEO and Founder

COO

XINNIX

MOR TG AGE BANK ERS A SSOC IATION

ASEY CUNNINGHAM founded XINNIX, The Mortgage Academy, in 2002. This year, Cunningham has led the XINNIX team to strategically help 167 mortgage companies refine their growth plans, strengthen their sales and leadership teams and recruit new associates to our industry. In the last calendar year, Cunningham and the XINNIX team have introduced two new programs for experienced loan officers who are looking to increase their production — the ELITE Program and IGNITE. After its pilot in the fourth quarter of 2014, IGNITE increased loan officers’ monthly closings by an average of 108%. One aspect of Cunningham’s business model ensures that mortgage companies across the nation have a vehicle to successfully develop brand new sales professionals. Over the past 12 months, more than 2,500 new mortgage professionals have entered the industry and embraced XINNIX to receive business development training. “XINNIX employees respect Casey as a mentor and embrace her as a friend. Her ability to lead and understand people has helped her create an organization with employees who would do anything for her,” her nominator wrote. In addition to her company, Cunningham is deeply committed to her dream of building a XINNIX Ranch, a nonprofit organization she and her husband hope to open in the future. The mission of the XINNIX Ranch will be to create a permanent home to serve the needs of children displaced from fractured families. Cunningham also serves on the board of directors for Mary Hall Freedom House, an Atlanta nonprofit organization that helps women rebuild their lives and become reunited with their children.

S THE COO OF the Mortgage bankers association, Marcia Davies has been a key player in bringing renewed energy and prominence back to the MBA. In the four years since joining the MBA, Davies has retooled the look, feel, and quality of conferences and helped lead the development of new conferences, such as the Diversity and Inclusion Conference. She also led the rebranding of the association, as well as the website redesign. “Marcia has been critical to the revival of the MBA with everything from a new vibrant conference schedule to a complete re-branding of the association,” her nominator wrote. “Marcia is the second highest executive in the MBA and is critical to helping lead these efforts which have helped elevate the MBA to its prominent role in housing where it stands today.” Davies has helped create an environment that enables MBA members to invest in communities and achieve their business objectives by developing innovative business tools, educating and training industry professionals and providing a gathering place for the sharing of ideas. The MBA acts as the industry’s voice on legislative and regulatory issues and works to develop open and fair standards and practices for the industry. Davies was a leader in the creation of the MBA Open Doors Foundation, which sponsors philanthropic activities focused on home and community support. The foundation’s first initiative makes mortgage and rental assistance payment grants to parents and guardians with critically ill or injured children, allowing them to take unpaid leave from work and spend time together without jeopardizing their homes. Prior to her position at the MBA, Davies served in key positions at both the FHA and Freddie Mac.

CUNNINGHAM HAS HELPED 167 MORTGAGE

DAVIES HAS RETOOLED THE LOOK, FEEL AND

COMPANIES WITH TWO NEWLY IMPLEMENTED

QUALITY OF MBA CONFERENCES AND LED THE

PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE PRODUCTION.

REBRANDING OF THE ASSOCIATION.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 41

Donna DelMonte

Dana Dillard

SVP Product Development

EVP and Chief Customer Officer

STREE TLINK S LENDER SOLU TIONS

N ATIONSTA R MOR T G AGE

INCE JOINING StreetLinks in 2010, Donna DelMonte has worked extensively to improve StreetLinks’ technology offering through products like LenderX and StreetLinks QX, which resulted in the creation of important partnerships with top nationwide lenders. StreetLinks was acquired by Assurant in 2014, and DelMonte has proved to be a crucial leader during this time of transition.Now, as part of Assurant Mortgage Solutions, her leadership has enabled LenderX and StreetLinks QX to triple clients and overall revenue in the last 12 months. Under DelMonte’s team leadership, StreetLinks successfully introduced its automted appraisal review tool, StreetLinks QX. After more than 1 million internal reviews, StreetLinks QX has since improved the company’s collateral underwriting efficiency by 40% and is utilized by top lending institutions nationwide. DelMonte continues to bring innovative solutions to an industry that currently faces more regulation than ever before. “As a new member of the Assurant team, she seeks to challenge the status quo and create products that are better than those currently available,” her nominator wrote. “Finally, she truly listens to the customer to see where we can improve and follows through — all in an effort to create a better StreetLinks.” In addition to leading her team at StreetLinks, DelMonte uses her leadership skills to maintain safety throughout her California community, working directly with neighbors and local law enforcement on a neighborhood watch group. This role requires her to be the main representative for her community and a source of information for her neighbors.

S NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE’S executive vice president and chief customer officer, Dana Dillard leads the company’s efforts to create “customers for life.” To this end, Dillard has implemented programs which reward employees for being customer heros, and driving down complaints to less than 500 per month. Dillard’s team uses data and root-cause analysis to understand how issues start so the source of the problem can be eliminated. A newly created team of subject matter experts helps identify emerging issues and work directly with the business units to escalate problems properly. Dillard led the outreach efforts at HOPE NOW from 2008 to 2010, traveling across the country talking with hundreds of struggling families. For her contributions, Dillard received the Five Star Institute’s Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2009. Dillard continues her relationship with HOPE NOW and other community partners to help homeowners in areas of the country hardest hit by the mortgage crisis. Marisa Barker, vice president of communications outreach, credits Dillard with operationalizing Nationstar’s community engagement efforts. “Dana is always looking for opportunities to be proactive and take positive steps,” Barker said. Toby Gallegos, SVP of customer relations, credits Dillard with bringing accountability to the organization. Under her leadership the program has been embraced by the highest executive leadership, which Gallegos believes is due to reporting that is shared across the organization in a weekly scorecard. Another program that Dillard has embraced, in collaboration with HOPE NOW, is an industry-wide initiative to create better and clearer communications for delinquent customers.

DELMONTE HAS HELPED LENDER X AND

DILLARD’S WORK WITH HOPE NOW HAS HELPED

STREETLINKS QX TO TRIPLE CLIENTS AND OVERALL

BRING TOGETHER SERVICERS TO TACKLE THORNY

REVENUE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

INDUSTRY ISSUES FOR CONSUMERS.

42 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Michelle Esterman

Melanie Feliciano

CFO

Chief Legal Officer

A LTISOUR C E P OR TF OLIO SOLU TIONS

DOC M AGIC

N THE LAST three years as CFO of Altisource, Michelle Esterman has led the company through periods of record growth, executing an M&A strategy to advance Altisource’s strategic growth initiatives to diversify its revenue and customer base. In the past 12 months, Esterman was at the helm during Altisource’s best quarter in company history (Q2, 2014), guiding the business on the path to success. In Q4 2014, Esterman was instrumental in changing Altisource’s cost structure in response to the shifting focus of the company. While managing a team of close to 200 people, she led the restructuring to position Altisource for long-term earnings growth. In the second half of 2014, Esterman led the research phase, strategy development and execution of two major industry acquisitions: Mortgage Builder and Owners.com. These two strategic acquisitions have added considerable value to Altisource, advancing Altisource’s position in the online real estate and mortgage industry. Over the course of her career, Esterman has demonstrated strong leadership skills, rising through the ranks at Deloitte and then her appointment as the CFO of Altisource, a publicly traded company. During her tenure at Altisource, she has been very involved in the strategic growth and direction of the company. Esterman played a key leadership role in the creation, development, capitalization and spin-off of Altisource Residential Corporation (RESI), a publicly traded real estate investment trust. In addition, Esterman is a senior leadership member involved with Housing Source.

VER THE LAST YEAR, Melanie Feliciano, the chief legal officer at DocMagic, Inc., has worked to understand the inner workings of the CFPB’s TRID rule, and has been instrumental in helping successfully implement the new rule for all of DocMagic’s clients. She continues to work with Richard Horn, the former CFPB senior counsel and special advisor who actually led the CFPB rule integrating the mortgage disclosures under TRID. In order to implement the rule, she successfully grew DocMagic’s compliance department by 50%. “Melanie has been very effective in handling all legal matters involving DocMagic, from negotiating, drafting, reviewing/revising contracts with its vendors, handling the day-to-day legal affairs of the company, to ensuring that DSI’s products are compliant with applicable law,” her nominator wrote. “In short, she is the straw that stirs the drink for legal and compliance matters at DocMagic.” Other notables that Feliciano has achieved in the last 12 months include being invited to serve on the board of directors of the Electronic Signatures and Records Association, developing DocMagic’s Compliance Edge brand and spearheading a contract process between prospects and DocMagic, consummating over 350 contracts in the last 12 months. Feliciano has also served as editor-in-chief of DocMagic’s Compliance Wizard newsletter, a monthly electronic publication addressing compliance and other regulatory issues for the mortgage lending industry, for more than 10 years. She also successfully implemented both RESPA 2010 and TILA/MDIA 2011 and has implemented many loan programs, including FHA’s 203(k) and the Texas home equity loan program.

IN THE LAST YEAR, ESTERMAN LED THE RESEARCH

FELICIANO SPEARHEADED A CONTRACT PROCESS

PHASE, STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION

BETWEEN PROSPECTS AND DOCMAGIC THAT

OF TWO MAJOR INDUSTRY ACQUISITIONS.

RESULTED IN 350 CONTRACTS IN THE LAST YEAR.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 43

Cheryl Feltgen

Deborah Garcia-Gratacos

EVP, Chief Risk Officer

President and CEO

A R C H MOR T G AGE INSUR A NC E COMPA N Y

DE VA L

HERYL FELTGEN is executive vice president, chief risk officer of Arch Mortgage Insurance Co., a newly formed private MI company that provides mortgage credit default protection. Since joining the company in mid-2014, Feltgen has been instrumental in developing Arch MI’s enterprise risk management system, including a risk appetite framework and implementing a key risk indicator program. Additionally, in early 2015 Feltgen helped launch a new Arch MI insurance company, Arch Mortgage Guaranty, for mortgage loans that originators intend to retain in their portfolios or include in private securitizations. She also developed the new company’s underwriting guidelines and portfolio risk parameters. Throughout her career, Feltgen has held leadership roles with women’s networks, including GE Women’s Network and Fifth Third Bank Women’s Network. In these organizations, Feltgen demonstrated her commitment to returning the guidance and mentoring she has received throughout her career and helping other women develop the confidence and courage to try new things in risk management positions. “Cheryl Feltgen has devoted her professional career to roles of increasing responsibility in risk management in a wide range of businesses, from rail cars to mortgages,” her nominator wrote. “At each of her organizations and industry trade groups, she has given back to the community and helped promote women within the risk management profession. She is committed to cultivating the next generation of leaders within the industry.”

EBORAH GARCIA-GRATACOS operates the only nonbank loan servicer in the nation owned by a Hispanic woman. Born in Puerto Rico, Garcia-Gratacos is an attorney with a background in real estate and finance, including originations and underwriting. She decided to start DEVAL after the financial market turndown and today the company is licensed to conduct loan servicing activities nationwide, including Puerto Rico. Since its inception, DEVAL has competitively received more than $100 million in contracts to provide financial services and employs more than 130 people in four locations. One of Garcia-Gratacos’ primary goals is advocating for underserved Hispanic communities. During the past 14 years, DEVAL has serviced more than 725,000 loans, and Garcia-Gratacos has worked to make sure loan documentation is available in Spanish and transparent to Hispanic consumers. “For the past 10 years, Debbie has been advocating for increasing homeownership and providing housing counseling to the Hispanic community,” her nominator wrote. “Her experiences as a minority woman in the housing and finance industry allows her to share her ideas and provide advice to the Hispanic community on key issues pertaining to homeownership growth, home retention, and access to capital.” Garcia-Gratacos operates a successful nationwide financial advisory firm, working with many federal agencies, including HUD, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of the Interior, the General Services Administration, the Department of Agriculture and the FDIC. Prior to founding DEVAL, she worked as a consultant at Arthur Andersen.

FELTGEN LAUNCHED A NEW COMPANY AND THEN

SINCE GARCIA-GRATACOS STARTED DEVAL, IT

DEVELOPED THE COMPANY’S STANDARDS TO HELP

HAS COMPETITIVELY RECEIVED MORE THAN $100

INCREASE RESPONSIBILITY IN RISK MANAGEMENT.

MILLION IN CONTRACTS.

44 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Cathleen Schreiner Gates

Renee Glover

EVP, Sales and Marketing

Chairman of the Board

ELLIE M AE

H A BITAT F OR HUM A NIT Y INTERN ATION A L

ATHLEEN SCHREINER Gates oversees all sales, marketing, client management, professional services, customer support and training for Ellie Mae. In her position Gates oversees a team of more than 200 people that helps more than 120,000 individual Encompass users. As mortgage volume fell 38% industry-wide in 2014, Ellie Mae’s revenues actually grew 53%. In the first quarter of 2015, Ellie Mae achieved record quarterly revenue of $54.2 million, a 68% increase from Q1 2014. When Gates joined the company in 2012, Ellie Mae was trading at just $9 a share. In May, the company’s stock hit a record $667. “Over the past year, Cathleen has been a driving force behind our company’s phenomenal growth and performance,” her nominator wrote. “Without Cathleen’s expertise in SaaS-based delivery models, or her acumen for building high quality sales and customer service teams dedicated to exceeding client expectations, it is unlikely Ellie Mae could have achieved such results.” During Gates’ tenure, Ellie Mae has been named to the 2014 HousingWire HW Fast50 and HW TECH100 lists, winning the “Market Influence” category, Deloitte 2013 Technology Fast 500, Forbes Magazine’s Best Small Companies, and Mortgage Technology Magazine’s Lender’s Choice Award in 2014. Gates has specific expertise in managing sales of SaaS-based technologies and has also leveraged her experience at Clickability, MarketTools, Inc. and Keynote Systems/Vividence. Over the past year, Gates helped grow the number of active online users of Encompass by 33% and Ellie Mae has slashed the average implementation time for enterprise users of Encompass to under 100 days, while reducing support response times to under two minutes.

ENEE GLOVER serves as chairman of the board of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat for Humanity International is the world leader in addressing issues of poverty housing, serving more than 300,000 families annually both in the United States and in 70 countries. Glover also serves on the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. As president and CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority, which is the sixth-largest housing authority in the country, Glover has transformed the public housing industry in Atlanta. Glover brought a fresh and somewhat revolutionary approach to public housing: Tear down the projects, develop mixed-use mixed-income housing and give vouchers to those most in need. Her expertise was instrumental in helping formulate the Bipartisan Policy Center Commission’s recommendations for addressing the supply of affordable rental housing. Glover’s leadership and commitment to housing helped the Commission’s report, Housing America’s Future: New Directions for National Policy, remain relevant beyond its initial release. Glover took responsibility for identifying opportunities to educate colleagues and stakeholders on the recommendations the commission produced, as well as for advocating the bipartisan principles for housing policy laid out in the report. “Renee Glover shattered the glass ceiling for women in housing, making way for the next generation of young women to pursue leadership positions in the housing arena,” her nominator wrote. “Renee is widely recognized for her business acumen and soft spoken manner and she is nationally recognized for her role in transforming U.S. urban policy.”

GATES HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND ELLIE

GLOVER’S WORK WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

MAE’S PHENOMENAL GROWTH OVER THE LAST

HELPS TRANSFORM HOUSING FOR MORE THAN

YEAR, WITH REVENUE GROWING 68%.

300,000 FAMILIES ANNUALLY.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 45

Julian Grey

Marcia Griffin

VP, Product Management, Capital Markets and Mortgage Credit Risk Products

President

HOMEFREE-US A

COREL O GIC S VICE PRESIDENT of product management for capital markets and mortgage credit risk products at CoreLogic, Julian Grey is responsible for the general management and strategic direction of the company’s capital markets solutions. This position includes credit risk management solutions, real estate analytics suite (comprised of the CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indexes, CoreLogic HPI and CoreLogic HPI Forecasts), RMBS analytics, business intelligence solutions and integrated data assets. These products serve the secondary markets as well as the mortgage, government and financial services industries. Over the past year, Grey has played an integral part in enhancing the CoreLogic HPI and introducing the expanded CoreLogic HPI Forecasts to help banks comply with Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) and Dodd-Frank Act Stress-Testing (DFAST) requirements. The new CoreLogic Stress-Testing scenarios consist of three sets of five-year house price forecast scenarios: CCAR Baseline, CCAR Adverse and CCAR Severely Adverse, which are generated by CoreLogic and are available to meet the Federal Reserve’s national standards. In addition, the expanded CoreLogic HPI Forecasts can be used to run CBSA and ZIP-code level stress tests to help banks comply with the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act for company-level risk assessments. Grey also led the launch of CoreLogic Market Condition Indicators. After joining CoreLogic in 2007, Grey drove the launch of the most geographically comprehensive and current home price index available—the CoreLogic HPI (formerly the LoanPerformance HPI) — its rewrite in 2010, and the integration of the Case-Shiller Indices into the CoreLogic product suite.

S FOUNDER and president of HomeFree-USA, a 501 nonprofit organization that specializes in homeownership development, foreclosure intervention and financial empowerment, Marcia Griffin has helped thousands of Americans become homeowners. Griffin creates programs and educational opportunities for people to learn how to better manage their money, become first-time homebuyers and maintain their homes successfully. Under Griffin’s leadership, HomeFree-USA has helped families that have gone through the organization’s pre-purchase counseling program enjoy a 0% foreclosure rate. The HomeFree-USA network helps more than 40,100 homebuyers, homeowners and other consumers each year. HomeFree-USA is both a Freddie Mac Borrower Help Center and a Fannie Mae Mortgage Help Network agency. In 2013 Griffin received the community service award from the National Bankers Association, a consortium of 30 national minority- and women-owned financial institutions, and in 2014 she was named to the new Mortgage Bankers Association’s Consumer Affairs Advisory Council. Under Griffin’s direction, HomeFree-USA is preparing the next generation of homeowners through Shaping Outstanding Adolescents for Results. SOAR provides underserved urban youth in middle and high school with money management skills and leadership development tools to prepare them for future success. “Marcia Griffin is on a mission to strengthen people, elevate her partners, and enhance communities across America through homeownership,” her nominator wrote. “Serving as a bridge between financial institutions and the community, Marcia addresses the needs of homebuyers and homeowners with targeted education, distinctive marketing strategies and lender advocacy.”

GREY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ELEMENTS OF

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF HOMEFREE-USA,

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT INCLUDING GENERAL

GRIFFIN HAS HELPED THOUSANDS TO ACHIEVE AND

MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION.

RETAIN THE DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP.

46 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Jennifer Harrison

Amanda Howard

SVP, Surveillance

Founder, CEO

C L AY T ON

AM ANDA HOWARD RE AL E STATE

ENNIFER HARRISON provides oversight, leadership and strategy for Clayton Fixed Income Services, the surveillance business unit within Clayton Holdings. Harrison oversees teams of more than 200 people that perform detailed reconciliation of loss charge-offs and recoveries, valuations, and cash flows at the loan level, deal level and bond level. In addition, her teams verify adherence to servicing standards and governing deal documents related to servicing resolution/disposition. At the same time, they seek to resolve systemic servicing issues and affect appropriate best practice change at the policy level. Through its surveillance activities, Clayton actively monitors loan-level activity within 670 separate RMBS transactions and whole loan pools. They validate that servicers and their third-party providers have adequately implemented strategies to adhere to servicing policies and procedures and mitigate risk. Harrison and her teams engage with numerous industry participants and both government and non-government agencies. Since 2012, Clayton has performed more than 150,000 reviews of assets to assess compliance with representations, regulatory and legal requirements, investor guidelines and settlement agreements. Harrison joined Clayton in 2003 as senior manager of Clayton Fixed Income Services; and was promoted to director, vice president and, most recently, senior vice president. Under her leadership, the company has developed new applications for surveillance, adding more transparency to asset and counterparty performance. “Jennifer is a significant leader within the mortgage surveillance industry. She has made surveillance and mortgage analytics more proactive, transparent and actionable for investors,” her nominator wrote.

MANDA HOWARD IS THE CEO of Amanda Howard Real Estate, which The Wall Street Journal has ranked as 42nd in the list of the nation’s real estate teams, putting it in the the top 1% of agencies in the country. Howard has also gained the endorsement and approval of Barbara Corcoran. During her first full year of real estate in Huntsville, Alabama, Howard closed 77 homes as a single agent before she branched out in November 2009 and opened Amanda Howard Real Estate as an independent agency. In 2014 Howard’s agency served 517 families, totaling more than $97 million in gross sales volume. Howard is also an active member of both the Vistage CEO group and the Huntsville Crime Stoppers Board. She serves on several panels, including Radio and Television Experts (RATE) and the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commercehosted “Ignite” entrepreneur mentorship program, and as a coach under Corcoran Coaching and Consulting. As a coach, Howard works with several real estate firms throughout the country and oversees their day-to-day operations with weekly calls and meetings. She also works with local charities, including as recently as January 2015, when she won the Celebrity Chef Competition at Cheeburger Cheeburger, which helped raise $1,500 to benefit the families of Imperial Gardens Apartments in Huntsville. “Amanda holds team members accountable as she is genuinely interested in their well-being,” her nominator wrote. “She sets high standards for her team in order for their clients to receive the very best service.”

HARRISON HAS WORKED TO MAKE SURVEILLANCE

HOWARD’S REAL ESTATE AGENCY RANKS IN THE

AND MORTGAGE ANALYTICS MORE PROACTIVE,

TOP 1% NATIONALLY, TOTALING MORE THAN $97

TRANSPARENT AND ACTIONABLE FOR INVESTORS.

MILLION IN GROSS SALES VOLUME IN 2014.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 47

Deborah Jenkins

Tawn Kelley

SVP, Multifamily, Head of Underwriting and Credit

President

FREDDIE M AC

TAY L OR MORRISON HOME F UNDING

S HEAD OF UNDERWRITING AND CREDIT for Freddie Mac Multifamily, Deborah Jenkins has helped to transform one of the industry’s largest financiers of multifamily loans to become one of the largest issuers of structured credit in the U.S. Jenkins manages the underwriting and credit approvals for all debt investments for the multifamily division (more than $28 billion a year), including all conventional loan products for both portfolio and securitization, targeted affordable and bond credit enhancements, structured debt products, seniors housing, student housing, small balance, manufactured housing and tax-exempt loan products. In the last four years, she has overseen the underwriting of more than $100 billion in loans at Freddie Mac. And thanks to her focus on maintaining credit quality in a competitive environment, these loans have resulted in zero credit losses to Freddie Mac and have given the company one of the industry’s lowest delinquencies — about 3 basis points. “Debby’s signature has been enhancing the company’s underwriting process to support its K-deal securitization program, reflecting her expertise in commercial origination and capital markets alike,” her nominator wrote. Jenkins manages a national underwriting and credit staff of 150 people and is a member of the 36-person Freddie Mac management committee comprised of the CEO, EVPs and SVPs. In the last year Jenkins has participated in her division’s rollout of more than 30 product and process enhancements . Jenkins is also a member of National Multi-Family Housing Council Board of Directors, Urban Land Institute, Mortgage Bankers Association and Commercial Real Estate Finance Council.

AWN KELLEY is the president of Taylor Morrison Home Funding and Mortgage Funding Direct Ventures, the vice president of Taylor Morrison, Inc. and the Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Mattamy Home Funding, which specializes in production and homebuilder relationships. Combined, these companies offer financing in 16 different markets nationally and closed about $1.3 billion in purchase money mortgages in 2014. Kelley started Mortgage Funding Direct in 2001 with three employees in Maitland, Florida. Today she has grown that number to 185 people nationally. “Through hard work, dedication and a commitment to the customer, her vision of the future has successfully provided security for the company,” her nominator wrote. “Tawn truly puts the well-being of her employees and client-base first and recognizes the social responsibility of providing homebuyers with financing that is in their best interest.” Kelley’s philosophy of doing things the right way filters through all levels of the organization. Her passion for helping families is prevalent in a unique service she created, which she offers free of charge to her customers. Through Able Ready Own, a qualification improvement program, more than 500 families since 2011 have improved their financing qualification. Kelley has been a panelist and guest speaker for industry group, including Zelman & Associates’ Zelman Summit and Rymer Strategies, a Florida-based homebuilder and developer advisory group. Kelley is an active member of LBA’s Mortgage Finance Group, MBA and RESPRO.

JENKINS HAS OVERSEEN THE UNDERWRITING OF

KELLEY’S COMPANIES OFFER FINANCING IN 16

$100 BILLION IN LOANS AND IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST

DIFFERENT MARKETS NATIONALLY AND CLOSED

RANKING WOMEN AT FREDDIE MAC.

$1.3 BILLION IN PURCHASE MORTGAGES IN 2014.

48 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Jennifer LaBud

Erika Lance

Co-Founder and COO

CIO

OPUS C A PITA L M A RK E T S CONSULTA NT S

NATIONWIDE TITLE C LE ARING

ENNIFER LABUD is COO and co-founder at Opus Capital Markets Consultants, LLC (Opus CMC), a due diligence firm and one of a handful of RMBS rating agency approved due diligence providers. LaBud has transformed Opus CMC from a securitization due diligence specialist to a diversified risk-management provider with a suite of offerings tailored to meet the needs of participants across the mortgage continuum. “Jennifer’s commitment to transparency and her vision for delivering exceptional service has significantly broadened the company’s technology capabilities,” her nominator wrote. “She illustrates the ability for women in mortgage to lead business strategy, while fostering that leadership amongst colleagues, particularly women within Opus CMC.” Under her leadership, Opus CMC developed and launched OpusPanorama, a Web-based platform delivering transaction transparency to secondary market investors, and OpusFirst, a core due diligence system. LaBud has piloted the company through its most significant business transition since its inception in 2005 — the sale and integration of Opus CMC with its new parent company, Wipro Limited. She utilized global operations and IT capability, along with consulting expertise offered by Wipro Limited. Through the process, LaBud strategized ways in which the acquisition would benefit clients and the industry as a whole, thus creating a comprehensive plan that impacts loan quality and performance. Currently, LaBud is driving Opus CMC into new terrain. With support from its parent company, Wipro, she has enabled the creation of Servicing QC Solutions, which will help clients mitigate risk throughout the lifecycle of the mortgage process.

RIKA LANCE BEGAN her 11 years with Nationwide Title Clearing as the VP, Administration, over HR and then moved to SVP, Administration, which also encompassed an executive role over client relations. This gave her the tools she needed to move into the role of chief information officer in 2014. Since Erika started at NTC, the company has grown 300% in revenue, has doubled in size of staff to over 300 team members and expects to double in revenue again in 2016, according to the CEO. While overseeing the IT sector, Erika has had a hand in conceiving and building a new line of service for NTC’s portfolio — the Collateral File Audit Service — which has already accomplished audits on over 130,000 files. In May, the company received a perfect mark on its work from one of the nation’s largest lenders. As CIO, Lance has hired over 12 new software developers for NTC to originate a proprietary software infrastructure.The IT team has already improved as many as eight client-facing Web-based solutions since she started working there to create more efficiency for NTC’s clients. “Lance has been an instrumental force in the creation of NTC’s company and employee culture, which has won several industry and community Top Workplace Awards,” her nominator wrote. “The industry’s future and standards are being shaped by many of the programs Erika has generated right here at NTC. Thanks to her visionary contributions, some of the nation’s largest lenders and servicers have adopted and applied courses she helped devise for NTC’s training and technology products.” Lance’s leadership extends to the company’s Relay for Life Team, which in April raised over $12,000 for the American Cancer Society.

LABUD HAS PILOTED THE COMPANY THROUGH ITS

LANCE HELPED CONCEIVE AND BUILD A NEW LINE

MOST SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS TRANSITION SINCE

OF SERVICE FOR NTC’S PORTFOLIO, WHICH HAS

ITS INCEPTION IN 2005.

ALREADY AUDITED MORE THAN 130,000 FILES.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 49

Kimberly Lanham

Debbie Lastoria

VP Marketing

VP Business Development

DIGITA L RISK

NATIONWIDE TITLE C LE ARING

VER THE PAST year, Kimberly Lanham has made a significant impact on the mortgage industry through her execution of major project implementations. She was instrumental in developing Digital Risk’s groundbreaking Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) solution, a platform that meets all operational resilience and contingency planning needs of SIFIs. She also helped develop the company’s Quality Control Information Manager product, which enables management to analyze and solve for QC trends. Lanham has participated in several large-scale project implementations across Digital Risk’s origination, fulfillment, appraisal, due diligence and component servicing lines of business. “Her part in the sales, onboarding and project implementation for a new originations client resulted in one of the largest contracts in company history,” her nominator wrote. “Furthermore, her role in designing the company’s thought leadership strategy resulted in over 80 media placements. Both of these achievements led to the company’s significant increase in market share.” Lanham has led the charge on several symposiums, including the Women at the Forefront of Structured Finance Symposium and speaking as an RMBS industry panelist. She also organized a symposium surrounding Credit Risk Transfer Transactions with over 100 attendees. Currently, she is organizing a Millennial Homebuyers webinar, partnering with UCF School of Real Estate to introduce students to the mortgage finance industry, and designing an Executive Women’s Retreat for senior level mortgage industry businesswomen.

EBBIE LASTORIA has helped develop at least half a dozen lines of service that have brought millions of dollars in revenue to Nationwide Title Clearing. Most recently she has helped establish and implement the Custody Solutions Service, which will not only be a major contributor to new revenue for NTC in 2015 but also provide a low-cost solution to clients wanting to bundle their due diligence, collateral review and document preparation needs. In addition, Lastoria has developed the Assignment Verification Report, Collateral Review and Remediation Service, Exception Curative Services, Default Assignment Services and Customized Property Report Solutions. “Her uncanny foresight allowed NTC to stay ahead of compliance before many of its clients were even aware of the changes. Her passion for understanding and communicating all industry trends and regulatory requirements challenges her to understand the impact to her clients and NTC at the same time so that new solutions can be identified while old services are compliant from all aspects and on all levels,” her nominator wrote. For example, she was the first team member to identify the overall impact of the third-party oversight requirements, enabling NTC to stay ahead of the curve on this industry-wide hot-button issue. As established, this program not only netted NTC a perfect audit score, but has been modeled by several clients as a best practice. Lastoria takes pride in mentoring and training new members of the sales staff while also spearheading a client-facing management team. She extends this talent to also assist new clients in either new roles of responsibility or with new regulations from an industry and best practice perspective.

LANHAM’S PART IN THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

LASTORIA’S FORESIGHT ALLOWED NTC TO STAY

FOR A NEW CLIENT RESULTED IN ONE OF THE

AHEAD OF COMPLIANCE BEFORE MANY CLIENTS

LARGEST CONTRACTS IN THE COMPANY’S HISTORY.

WERE EVEN AWARE OF THE CHANGES.

50 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Katherine Le

Suzy Lindblom

President

EVP National Fulfilment

STE ARNS LENDING

ATHERINE Le’s vision and clarity of purpose have greatly contributed to Stearns’ growth in operations and performance this past year, including two record-breaking back-to-back months for funding in February and March of 2015. Under her leadership, Stearns has grown from an employee base of 30 employees to over 250 employees in under 10 years. Today, Stearns employs nearly 1,500 people and is licensed to lend in 49 states plus Washington, D.C. Over the past four years, Stearns companies funded more than $46 billion, representing more than 187,000 loans. “Katherine’s expertise and business savvy contributed to transform the delivery systems at Stearns into some of the best in the industry,” her nominator wrote. “Katherine’s 30 years of experience in finance and operations have defined her role as a core contributor to the success of Stearns. Her leadership skills provide an exceptionally broad experiential base, which has resulted in unprecedented growth in Stearns’ operations and performance.” Le’s journey to success started in Vietnam, where she was born, and included two perilous attempts to escape the Communist regime. The first attempt landed Le in a Vietnamese prison camp when she was 15, the second included being rescued from a fishing boat in the middle of the ocean. After enrolling in a California high school, Le learned English and went on to college. She began her career with Merrill Lynch and joined Stearns in 1995. In 2011 she was honored as the outstanding businesswoman/ most prominent female executive in the Orange County Business Journal. Le is also an active member of St. Vincent De Paul, a nonprofit charitable organization, as well as her family foundation, Companions In Grace.

S EVP OF NATIONAL FULFILLMENT at Stearns Lending, Suzy Lindblom led in the reorganization of Post Closing through loan delivery saving, which will result in over $15 million per year saved through efficiency and productivity improvements. She has also worked to improve the application to fund date while managing record processing and underwriting volume for Stearns. “Suzy has been instrumental in streamlining processes which assisted in doubling productivity and reducing turn-around times in loan delivery, which in turn has reduced shipping time and overall costs,” her nominator wrote. “She has managed to spearhead and implement these changes without decreasing head count and morale.” Lindblom currently sits on the Freddie Mac manufacturing operations advisory board, where she has influence over the loan delivery process to Freddie Mac. She also sits on the Fannie Mae risk advisory board where she works to ensure that loans purchased by the GSE are risk-free. Aside from overseeing fulfillment operations and recent productivity and efficiency improvements in Post Closing, Lindblom has a proven track record of achieving defined business goals and strategies in past roles. Prior to her tenure at Stearns Lending, she managed over 2,000 retail, wholesale, correspondent and reverse fulfillment employees, directly managed four division managers, and oversaw the migration of fulfillment from over 200 branch fulfillment centers to 30 self-contained fulfillment centers at MetLife Bank. She was also able to reduce manufacturing error by 50% while also increasing productivity during Metlife Bank’s transition to a fulfillment center model.

LE’S LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTED TO RECORD-

LINDBLOM HAS STREAMLINED PROCESSES WHICH

BREAKING FUNDING LEVELS IN FEBRUARY AND

HELPED TO DOUBLE PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCE

MARCH OF THIS YEAR.

TURN TIMES IN LOAN DELIVERY.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 51

Paulina McGrath

Beth Mlynarczyk

President, Co-Owner

VP, Policy and Strategy

REPUBLIC STATE MOR T G AGE CO.

T WO H ARBORS INVE STMENT CORP.

AULINA MCGRATH is president and co-owner of Republic State Mortgage Co., chair of the Community Mortgage Lenders of America and a board member of the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association. “Paulina understands firsthand what it takes to run a successful mortgage lending company. She has been an outspoken advocate for the industry and has led the CMLA to achieve a number of its strategic goals, positively affecting community based lenders’ ability to provide affordable mortgages and improve business profitability and operational efficiencies,” her nominator said. In October 2014, Paulina led a CMLA delegation meeting with White House staff and presented ideas for invigorating the residential mortgage market, key among them a reduction in the FHA premium — which President Obama announced in January 2015. In addition, as Congress considered the 2014 government funding bill in December 2014, CMLA was alone in opposing a proposed 4 basis point fee on FHA loans intended to fund new technology upgrades. Under McGrath’s leadership, CMLA was successful in persuading key Congressional members to eliminate the fee proposal – saving FHA lenders $100,000 for every $250 million in FHA originations. Another CMLA effort led by McGrath in 2014 was successful in reducing unnecessary repurchase demands on lenders from the GSEs, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. She has also been at the forefront of a debate over the recapitalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In April, McGrath testified on a panel before a House Subcommittee hearing on regulatory burdens on nondepository financial institutions and presented a series of actions to streamline regulations for community-based mortgage lenders, banks and nonbank lenders.

ETH MLYNARCZYK leads Two Harbors’ strategy for private industry innovation, incorporating public policy, efficient financing, risk mitigation and consumer benefits. Mlynarczyk previously worked for the U.S. Treasury Department, where she served in the capital markets group from 2010 to 2012, and as senior advisor to the counselor on housing finance policy from 2012 to 2014. At Treasury, Mlynarczyk coordinated financial reform rulemaking to implement the Dodd-Frank Section 941 asset-backed securitization risk retention rule. She led a team of professionals from six different agencies and regulatory bodies, which required the right mix of diplomacy to help a diverse group with varied objectives reach consensus. This rule helps to support more responsible securitization practices in the future and reduce the risk of a repeat of practices seen in the lead-up to the crisis. Through August 2014 she contributed to a plan to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including contributing to legislation passed out of the Senate Banking Committee in May 2014. “Beth has a unique ability to develop solutions that seamlessly balance the basic human need for housing with practical policy and financial market considerations. Her leadership skills carefully combine thoughtful problem solving, seeking out others’ expertise, and a strong drive to develop solutions for our housing finance system now and in the future,” her nominator wrote. In September 2014, Mlynarczyk joined Two Harbors Investment Corp. and has led their efforts regarding new product development. She has worked to identify gaps in the market, assisting to identify and develop origination guidelines to meet borrower profiles that are not well-addressed by the current mortgage market.

IN 2014 MCGRATH LED A CMLA DELEGATION

MLYNARCZYK COORDINATED FINANCIAL REFORM

MEETING WITH WHITE HOUSE STAFF, LEADING TO

RULEMAKING AT TREASURY BEFORE JOINING TWO

THE REDUCTION OF FHA PREMIUMS.

HARBORS IN SEPTEMBER 2014.

52 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Caroline Reaves

Val Scott

CEO

EVP, Technology

MOR T G AGE CONTR AC TING SER VIC E S

C LE A R C A PITA L

AROLINE REAVES was the driving force behind two of MCS’ most important strategic moves of the last 12 months: the expansion of the company’s operations center in Ruston, Louisiana, and the acquisition of the property preservation and valuations divisions of CoreLogic. The company had planned to provide 90 new jobs in Ruston within 5 years, but it reached that number in 15 months. Today, MCS employs more than 150 people at the Ruston site, which provides customer service support. Under Reaves’ leadership, the Collateral Solutions division of CoreLogic became MCS Valuations and expanded the MCS suite of mortgage services to include valuation products in both the default and loan origination sectors. The acquisition also represented a significant expansion of the company’s already strong representation in the property preservation industry. When Reaves was promoted to CEO in 2009, MCS employed about 250 people in Tampa, Florida, and Plano, Texas. Today, the company has nearly 800 employees in four cities. “Caroline has taken what most people consider to be the most difficult part of working in the mortgage servicing industry – the massive body of constantly changing regulations – and turned it to MCS’ advantage. Under her leadership, MCS has made massive investments in ensuring that their customers have the benefit of the most cutting-edge regulatory compliance infrastructure on the market. It will continue to be what sets MCS apart,” her nominator wrote. Reaves is the chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association P&P Work Group, a position that she has held for nearly 15 years. She is also active in the MBA’s Loan Administration Committee, Vacant Property Committee, Claims Committee and Fannie Mae Committee.

S CLEAR CAPITAL’S executive vice president of technology, Val Scott leads a team of developers, project managers, information management and information technology engineers, and architects, data scientists and statisticians. Scott led her team to successfully implement a customized version of Clear Capital’s valuation review product, ClearQC, on the ClearCollateral platform for Freddie Mac. This platform powers Freddie Mac’s collateral review of appraisals submitted through the Uniform Collateral Data Portal. Scott is also responsible for the release of the Home Data Index API, delivering current housing market trends to the mortgage industry in milliseconds. “Val possesses the technical expertise required to effectively build, manage and lead teams to build industry-leading, sustainable solutions that help participants across the market, including lenders, servicers, investors, real estate professionals and our own in-house teams,” her nominator wrote. “Her leadership inspires our teams to exceed exceptional performance and service levels for our customers.” Scott implemented the Scrum agile methodology in the company’s software development process to help teams quickly meet customer needs. Scott’s team released ClearRank 2.0, a proprietary methodology for comparable selection and ranking. The algorithm is used in virtually all of Clear Capital’s products. The 2014 update focused on further aligning Clear Capital’s automated comparable ranking algorithm with that of high quality human appraiser selections. In December 2014, Morningstar Credit Ratings assigned Clear Capital their highest residential vendor ranking of ‘MOR RV1’ and Stable Forecast based on the company’s effective technology architecture and systems infrastructure.

REAVES WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND TWO

SCOTT’S TECHNICAL EXPERTISE RESULTS IN

OF THE COMPANY’S MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGIC

BUILDING, MANAGING AND LEADING TEAMS TO

MOVES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

BUILD INDUSTRY-LEADING SOLUTIONS.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 53

Amy Swaney

Vicky Thompson

Government Relations Officer, Branch Manager

Founder, President

C IT Y WIDE HOME L OA NS

VA LUATION M A N AGEMENT GR OUP

MY SWANEY is passionate about the mortgage industry, educating lenders about state and federal regulations and advocating for them at every level of government. “Amy is smart, knowledgeable, articulate and seen as the go-to industry expert on both a local and national level,” her nominator wrote. “People trust Amy to give them the straight answer and to always play by the rules. People want Amy to be their voice due to her expertise and passion about the real estate finance industry.” In 2014 Swaney mobilized mortgage bankers from all over the western United States, presenting at state MBA conferences in Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, Kansas, Alaska and Hawaii. She has served as a member of the steering committee of MBA MORPAC, as well as chair for the MBA’s Action Alliance, where she grew membership by more than 100%. Swaney has been just as tireless in her work with real estate associations. In 2014 she gave live presentations to the real estate community on the impact of government regulations, involvement and raising the professional bar of the industry at seven different conventions. In addition to serving as the lender liaison for the Arizona Department of Real Estate Education Advisory Committee, Swaney was recently asked to join the Hispanic Association of Real Estate Professionals Board of Directors to assist them in growing their organization. As a graduate of the 2002 Class of the MBA’s Future Leaders Program and a 2005 recipient of the MBA’s Certified Mortgage Bankers designation, she openly pushes others to invest in their professional education. Swaney is committed to charitable work, and over the past 10 years she and her husband have collectively raised over $235,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

ICKY THOMPSON began Valuation Management Group in 2006 with a vision of partnering with community banks and other financial institutions to offer an independent and compliant appraisal process, with excellent turn times and quality. Thompson became a certified appraiser in 1994 and has more than 35 years of experience within the mortgage and appraisal industries. In 2013 VMG had a three-year growth of 525% and ranked 24th in the Top Real Estate Companies on the 2013 Inc. 5000 list. In the last year Thompson has adjusted to the increasing costs of originating loans by streamlining efficiencies and providing custom processes to save clients money. Under Thompson’s guidance, VMG increased the offering of collateral valuation reports, which it calls Concise Appraisal Report (C.A.R.), in certain markets. VMG also extended product selections for clients that wanted to utilize the company’s staff, which averages more than 16 years of appraisal experience for residential and commercial review only services. “Vicky Thompson is a driving force in the appraisal management industry,” her nominator wrote. “She is instrumental with hands-on, customer-centric experience in leading her business, finding solutions and sharing her knowledge.” Thompson writes weekly blogs and VMG’s monthly newsletter, which is distributed to more than 30,000 subscribers. She currently serves on the board of the YWCA of Northwest Georgia and has served as past president of the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women. She has also received its Member of the Year and Leadership Award. She is the past president of the Georgia Real Estate Fraud Prevention and Awareness Coalition and an active member of many industry organizations.

SWANEY HAS MOBILIZED MORTGAGE BANKERS

THOMPSON BEGAN VALUATION MANAGEMENT

AND GROWN MEMBERSHIP FOR THE MBA’S ACTION

GROUP WITH A VISION TO OFFER AN INDEPENDENT

ALLIANCE BY MORE THAN 100%.

AND COMPLIANT APPRAISAL PROCESS.

54 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Adrianne Todman

Trixy Weiss

Executive Director

CEO

DISTRIC T OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AU THORIT Y

GENE SIS AUC TIONS, GENE SIS C A PITA L

S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the District of Columbia Housing Authority, Adrianne Todman serves nearly 50,000 low-income District residents. Leading a workforce of over 700 employees, she oversees a real estate portfolio of more than 8,300 units and oversees administration of over 12,000 vouchers. The agency also has a financial interest in 23 mixed-income communities. Todman has steered the DCHA to accomplish major milestones in the last year. In real estate development, the DCHA opened the District’s first Affordable Assisted Living facility and collaborated with developers and city agencies to build more than 300 affordable housing units, new retail sites and a grocery store in what had been a “food desert.” In 2014 the DCHA also leveraged a $34.9 million HUD grant received in 2001 to attract public and private investment of more than $581 million, creating more than 1,700 affordable and market-rate rental and homeownership units, office and retail space, and a community center. And Todman helped secure $33 million in new markets tax credits to strengthen neighborhoods and create jobs. “Adrianne Todman is a savvy housing professional who believes that excellence in public service changes lives and that providing access to affordable housing is a critical part of that service,” her nominator wrote. “This belief influences her to approach real estate development as a tool to improve each community, family, and — ultimately — each individual.” Other accomplishments include helping to finance an apartment complex for female veterans and their families, as well as a 124-unit mixed-income apartment building that features 60 units of permanent supportive housing for veterans and 64 affordable and low-income units.

RIXY WEISS is the founder and CEO of two sister companies, Genesis Capital, LLC, a lending company, and Genesis Auctions, a real estate disposition platform. Both companies have seen tremendous growth in the last year. Genesis Capital reported a 625% increase in loan origination volume in 2014. “By focusing on providing solutions to the sophisticated real estate investor, Trixy has been successful in changing the way Fortune 500 institutions liquidate real estate assets and has helped move the US housing economy forward,” her nominator wrote. Genesis Auctions is an online sales platform that connects qualified real estate investors and homebuyers to a national network of properties. The company conducts market research on each property, provides shortterm financing through sister company Genesis Capital, and works with a third-party vendor to coordinate legal, title and rehabilitation. In the last year Weiss engineered a strategic partnership between Genesis Auctions and Hudson & Marshall to create the second most significant independent (not affiliated with a large servicer) auction provider in the industry. Over the course of her 15-year career, Weiss has been recognized for her involvement in the community and helping others. She currently serves on the board of trustees of the Audit Committee of the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Academy and board of directors of the March of Dimes, Greater Los Angeles Division. Weiss has also served as the founding member and president-elect and treasurer of the Rotary Club of Moorpark, California, and a member of the board of directors and advisory board of Yes U Can.

TODMAN LEADS A WORKFORCE OF MORE THAN 700

WEISS LED GENESIS CAPITAL TO A RECORD-

EMPLOYEES AND SERVES NEARLY 50,000 LOW-

BREAKING 625% INCREASE IN LOAN ORIGINATION

INCOME D.C. RESIDENTS.

VOLUME IN 2014.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 55

Ginger Wilcox

Carla Wise

Chief Industry Officer

EVP, Servicing

SINDEO

FREEDOM MOR T G AGE

INGER WILCOX has been developing products and services for the real estate industry for 15 years. In the last six months she has dedicated her time to building, launching and growing Sindeo, a mortgage marketplace startup that seeks to completely transform the mortgage experience. As Sindeo’s chief industry officer, Wilcox has been involved with almost every aspect of the business, including website development, hiring and recruitment, developing company protocols, implementing marketing strategy and running social media campaigns. “What Sindeo is today and will be in the future truly reflects Ginger’s expertise in the real estate industry, as well as her hard work and dedication towards a vision of disrupting today’s mortgage industry to create a better experience for consumers,” her nominator wrote. “Sindeo’s recognition in the industry in such a short time and success to date is due much to Ginger’s leadership.” Prior to her current role at Sindeo, Wilcox worked at Trulia, where she launched the TruliaPro blog and used the blog, social media and training platforms to increase agent and broker adoption of Trulia’s advertising solutions for real estate professionals. Wilcox also built and grew Trulia’s channel marketing and partnership programs, including Trulia Accelerate. Wilcox helped grow Trulia’s Data Connect program to more than 12,000 brokers and more than 100 MLSs. She also directed Trulia’s trade show and event strategy platform, overseeing more than 150 annual trade shows and events. In 2010, Ginger developed the e-PRO Technology Certification Program for the National Association of Realtors.

ARLA WISE is an industry veteran with more than 30 years of mortgage servicing experience. Wise joined Freedom Mortgage in September of 2012 and by July of 2014, Freedom Mortgage began servicing loans through a new national in-house servicing platform. Under Wise’s leadership, Freedom Mortgage has grown its servicing division from 71 members from that launch point in 2014 to more than 187 members in just 12 months. The company has successfully boarded more than 100,000 loans in that time, with an intense focus on customer experience. “Carla is constantly challenging and leading the group to identify ways to provide next level superior service,” her nominator wrote. “She has the ability to face tough challenges and make tough decisions, while not compromising on integrity. Her many years in the industry enables her to provide the voice for change where needed.” Wise has focused on fostering relationships with investors and business partners and has further developed the company’s relationships with Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae during her tenure. She has served as a president of the Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association and as a member of the Loan Administration Committee for the National Mortgage Bankers Association. Wise most recently received the Freedom Mortgage Executive Excellence award at the 2015 Freedom Mortgage Leadership Conference. “Building and then seamlessly shifting a top ten lender’s servicing to an in-house platform takes great vision and leadership,” her nominator wrote. “Carla is highly respected among her peers and leads with a kind approach, inspiring others to reach higher and seek their true potential.”

WILCOX HAS SPENT THE LAST SIX MONTHS

UNDER WISE’S LEADERSHIP, FREEDOM MORTGAGE

BUILDING, LAUNCHING AND GROWING SINDEO, A

HAS GROWN ITS SERVICING DIVISION FROM 71 TO

MORTGAGE MARKETPLACE STARTUP.

187 MEMBERS IN 12 MONTHS.

56 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015

Jamie Wunder

Sue Yannaccone

Co-Founder

COO

OS N ATION A L

ER A FR ANC HISE S YSTEMS

VER THE PAST 12 months, Jamie Wunder, co-founder of Atlanta-based OS National, has been instrumental in several noteworthy transactions involving single-family rental securitizations, including the first ever multi-borrower SFR that took place in April. Wunder and the OS National team coordinated all title duties for the $230 million deal led by B2R Finance, involving 144 mortgage loans secured by single-family residences, two- to four-unit properties, condominiums, townhomes, multifamily properties and mixed-use properties. Wunder has led title work for several other large SFR deals over the past year that collectively are helping to bring back Wall Street’s appetite for sound real estate investment opportunities. These include Progress Residential’s first REO-to-rental securitization, a $473.4 million offering backed by a loan secured by mortgages on 3,142 income-producing single-family rental properties, and Colony American Homes’ second U.S. SFR securitization, a project that consisted of more than 3,700 single-family assets located across multiple states. Most recently, Wunder and the OS National team helped orchestrate Invitation Homes’ third REO-to-rental securitization, which will be collateralized by a single $720 million loan secured by the mortgages of 3,750 single-family rental properties. Wunder has also played a key role in creating a unique platform for delivering title and settlement services for multi-state, multi-property deals. Because of her work, OS National is able to offer SFR participants a single point of contact for all deals, no matter how large, from simple single-site transactions to complex multi-state deals. “It’s a truly unique offering in the complicated world of real property assets, and it wouldn’t be possible without Jamie’s work,” her nominator wrote.

S THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER at ERA Franchise Systems, Sue Yannaccone leads all servicing and operations for the global real estate franchisor, including business consulting, field services, in-house call center, strategic initiatives and affinity groups. Yannaccone joined ERA in July, and will leverage new brand positioning to accelerate organizational and customer growth and market share through mergers and acquisitions, expanded lines of business and agent productivity. “She is articulate and analytical yet has outstanding people skills. She is an up-and-coming leader whose future is extremely bright,” her nominator wrote. Prior to July, Yannaccone served as senior vice president, network services, at HSF Affiliates, where she provided specific franchise services to almost 44,000 agents and 1,500 offices of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate brands. HSF Affiliates is a joint venture of which HomeServices of America is the majority owner. Yannaccone managed the service delivery for each of the brands — Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate — in accordance with the brand’s unique value proposition. She also oversaw the physical transition (physical building signage, collateral material, online and offline material conversion, etc.) of the Prudential Real Estate network to the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network over the past several years.

WUNDER COORDINATED ALL TITLE DUTIES FOR THE

YANNACCONE LEADS ALL SERVICING AND

$230 MILLION SFR DEAL LED BY B2R FINANCE ON 144

OPERATIONS FOR ERA FRANCHISE SYSTEMS AND IS

MORTGAGE LOANS.

CHARGED WITH ACCELERATING MARKET SHARE.

HOUSINGWIRE ❱ AUGUST 2015 57