MPAMAG.COM ISSUE 11.03
2018 These 70 women are raising the bar on gender equality in the industry
Congratulations to Jane Gershman Winner 2018 MPA Elite Women
Jane Gershman Senior Managing Director
Join the FGMC Team!
We strive to help you succeed in your career. When you succeed, so do we. Named to Inc. Magazine’s – 2014, 2015 and 2016, Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately-held companies in the United States, First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation® (FGMC), is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender, offering Correspondent and Retail residential loan origination channels. FGMC provides a full spectrum of lending products and services throughout the 47 states and the District of Columbia, where licenses are held.
Go to fgmc.com/joinus
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Go to goodmortgage.com/careers
NMLS ID 2917
Be inspired by 70 women who are blazing new trails in the mortgage industry THE HUNDREDS of nominations that flooded in this year for MPA’s annual Elite Women list made it clear that women have been making their voices heard in what was once a male-dominated field. While women continue to face unique challenges when building their careers, the mortgage professionals on the following pages have proved that climbing to the upper echelons of the industry is no longer impossible. Nearly a quarter of this year’s Elite Women hold C-suite or ownership roles, while several others serve as branch
managers or lead their own divisions at their respective companies. From the marketing experts building the industry’s best-known brands to the tech innovators shaping the digital age of home-buying and the loan officers helping meet their communities’ mortgage needs, these 70 women are shaping a new future for America’s mortgage industry. Their stories will undoubtedly help to encourage and empower all women who strive to be the industry’s next great leaders.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 ELITE WOMEN INDEX
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COMPANY
NAME
COMPANY
NAME
Academy Mortgage Corporation
Mary Keene
7
Lenders One
Lauren Ketchum
10
Academy Mortgage Corporation
Tyrell Hobbs
8
Level 3 Lending Inc.
Amy Holmes
4
Angel Oak Capital
Lauren Hedvat
5
loanDepot
Kelly Crowther
14
Renee Hodges
22
PAGE
PAGE
Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions
Alysse Prosnick
12
loanDepot
AnnieMac Home Mortgage
Christine Beckwith
15
Mason Knows Mortgages, a KTL Performance Mortgage team
Desteni Mason
12
Applied Business Software
Eddy Delgado
20
Arch Mortgage Insurance Company
Valerie Ausband
6
Mason Knows Mortgages, a KTL Performance Mortgage team
Alyssa Case
20
BCL of Texas
Jacqueline Jones
2
Maui Mortgage Team
Ginni Madsen
8
Blend
Sarah Elliott
4
Mid America Mortgage
Kara Lamphere
11
Caliber Home Loans
Patty Steele
8
Mid America Mortgage
Kristie Washington
7
Cloudvirga
Josephine Yen
17
Mortgage 4 U LLC
Jennifer Kim
11
CMG Financial
Michelle Limon
22
Mortgage Capital Trading Inc.
Rhonda Beck
18
Mortgage Solutions LLC
Alicia Taylor
18
Mountain West Financial Inc.
Tonya Todd
22
Mountain West Financial Inc.
Jill Burns
16
Movement Mortgage
Kelly Rogers
3
Movement Mortgage
Kim Winters
4
Credit Plus Inc.
Danette Conway
14
DocMagic Inc.
Melanie A. Feliciano
16
Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corporation
Abby Polin
Dyer Mortgage Group, a division of Primary Residential Mortgage Inc.
Bobbie Dyer
15
Nations Direct Mortgage
Aimee Quinn
16
Element Funding, a division of Primary Residential Mortgage Inc.
DeAnn Ellis
18
New American Funding
Patty Arvielo
13
Evans Home Loans
Michelle Evans
10
NFM Lending Inc.
LaTasha Rowe
4
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.
Melanie Galvin
15
NFM Lending Inc.
Pamela Knouse
11
The Federal Savings Bank
Jennifer Katz
10
Pacific Union Financial LLC
Kimberley Dailey-Torres
24
First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation
Primary Residential Mortgage Inc.
Laura Nagel
19
Jane Gershman
9
11
Karen Kreutziger
21
PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital company
Phyllis McDaniel
Flat Branch Home Loans Genworth Mortgage Insurance
MaryKay Scully
12
RCN Capital LLC
Erica LaCentra
3
Genworth Mortgage Insurance
Maureen Doherty
6
RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation
Dawn Adams
16
George Smith Partners
Katie Rodd
15
ServiceLink
Michelle Wilkes
14
Global DMS
Jody Collup
19
Simplifile
Toni Carroll
20
Melissa Bernard
8
14
Guaranteed Rate Inc.
Michelle Bobart
20
SunTrust Mortgage
Guaranty Trust Company
Retta Gardner
3
Supreme Lending
Randi Mills
24
Guild Mortgage
Jessica Balanay
12
Synergy Maven
Corey Trujillo
19
HQ Vendor Management, a division of Mortgage Quality Management & Research
Total Expert
Sue Woodard
19
Erin Harris
6
TRK Connection
Teri Sundh
7
Inlanta Mortgage Inc.
Yvette E. Clermont
23
Wallick and Volk Mortgage
Nikki Groff
10
International Document Services
Beckie Santos
3
Waterstone Mortgage
Jasmine Krnjetin
20
KTL Performance Mortgage
Kristina Heath
22
Waterstone Mortgage
Gail Hillman
18
LBA Ware
Lori Brewer
7
WebMax
Siera Smith
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JACQUELINE JONES Director of mortgage lending BCL of Texas
Armed with more than 25 years of mortgage experience, Jacqueline Jones is responsible for managing BCL of Texas’ NeighborhoodLIFT down payment assistance program for several counties in the Austin, Texas, area. From 2016 to 2018, the program successfully assisted 449 families. Jones is also charged with developing and marketing strategic lending products that extend BCL of Texas’ full-cycle lending partnership to current and new clients. Jones strives to ensure her clients can make informed decisions by imparting her knowledge of the mortgage industry, especially when it comes to understanding the refinance and purchasing finance processes. Prior to BCL, Jones worked with some of the top mortgage companies, title organizations and Realtors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She regularly lends her knowledge to educate clients associated with the Dallas Urban League, Dallas Housing Authority, Plano Housing Authority and Fort Worth Housing Authority. She also holds a Six Sigma Yellow Belt and is a member of the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Council of NAREB and National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers.
BECKIE SANTOS New product development manager International Document Services
As the new product development manager at International Document Services [IDS], Beckie Santos sits at the nexus of development, operations and compliance to help shape the direction of the Salt Lake City-based fintech firm’s product innovations. Whether it’s ensuring clients have ample time to review pending system changes or overseeing developments to aid in HMDA, ULAD and TRID compliance, Santos always ensures that customer satisfaction is at the forefront of her efforts. Since joining IDS as an entry-level developer in 2004, Santos has become the go-to person for tackling the firm’s most complex projects. She has played an integral role in enhancing IDS’ LOS integrations and directing the construction and delivery of the company’s hybrid e-closing solution. Her efforts have ensured that IDS’ product solutions meet the needs of both regulators and customers, and she was integral in the seamless rollout of new functionalities within idsDoc.
KELLY ROGERS
ERICA LACENTRA
Branch manager and market leader, Houston
Director of marketing
Movement Mortgage
As one of the top mortgage professionals in the Houston area, Kelly Rogers spends her days coaching, mentoring and training loan originators and real estate professionals to assist them in achieving their personal, professional and financial goals, and to meet the needs of their clients. Throughout her career, Rogers has been repeatedly recognized as a President’s Circle honoree, a Five Star Professional and a national top originator. Well known throughout her community for her involvement in charitable organizations, Rogers co-founded a community-based organization for professional women focused on building relationships, creating awareness and fostering community. She also serves on the board of directors for Meals on Wheels of Montgomery County.
RCN Capital
As RCN Capital’s director of marketing, Erica LaCentra is responsible for planning, developing and implementing the company’s marketing plan, as well as overseeing the marketing department. Since joining RCN Capital in 2013, LaCentra has led a strategic rebrand to position the company for nationwide expansion. Involved in every aspect of RCN’s marketing initiatives, including new program launches, the creation of traditional and digital media, and the coordination of trade-show sponsorships and event involvement, LaCentra’s ongoing efforts have elevated the company to a national brand and expanded its customer base. Outside of RCN, LaCentra serves as a member of the American Association of Private Lenders’ education advisory committee.
RETTA GARDNER President and CEO Guaranty Trust Company
Retta Gardner is only the second CEO in the history of Guaranty Trust Company, which assists more than 5,000 borrowers each year, closing in excess of $1 billion in annual volume. Gardner joined the Tennessee-based company in 1996, and through the years, she has held a variety of positions that have allowed her to build skills in management, marketing, sales, IT and human resources. Before being named CEO in August 2013, she served as executive vice president at Guaranty. In 2005, Gardner became a member of the adjunct faculty at Middle Tennessee State University [MTSU], where she taught courses in the management and marketing department for five years. Later this year, she will begin teaching mortgage banking classes for the MBA program. Gardner is the recipient of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business Exemplar Award, which honors her personal commitment to community service and her dedication to promoting a culture of social responsibility in the workplace. She also currently serves as the president for the Tennessee Mortgage Bankers Association and chair for the community impact committee for the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties, sits on the Rutherford County Read to Succeed board, and is a member of the MTSU Business College advisory board.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 SARAH ELLIOTT
AMY HOLMES President/founder
Head of compliance
Level 3 Lending
Blend
Amy Holmes is a veteran PLM with more than two decades of experience in the mortgage industry. She founded Level 3 Lending in 2005 as a brokerage focused entirely on doing the right thing for clients and employees by helping them realize their potential and dreams. Eager to pass on her industry expertise, Holmes developed training programs that have been adopted by multiple lenders and brokerages, and she spends most of her time mentoring newly licensed MLOs. Her commitment to customer service and developing her fellow MLOs is reflected in her training manual, “Dream Maker,” as well as the breakout success of Level 3 Lending, which was showcased at the 2017 NAMB conference in Las Vegas for successfully introducing the next generation of MLOs to the industry.
Sarah Elliott is head of compliance and a member of the executive team at Blend, a San Francisco-based technology company that’s transforming consumer lending through partnerships with some of the largest, most complex lending organizations. Elliott’s varied background – from her work as an attorney at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to her experience as an advisor at Promontory Financial Group to her tenure at Buckley Sandler – has made her a leader in regulatory compliance. Her experience in both the public and private sectors has given her a holistic view of the regulatory landscape and the implications for stakeholders in the housing economy.
KIM WINTERS Senior mortgage consultant Movement Mortgage
Kim Winters started her financial career in banking. During her seven years with First Union National Bank (now part of Wells Fargo), she served clients by focusing on financial planning, earning numerous awards along the way, including the Corporate Customer for Life Award, as well as President’s Club and MVP awards. Following a hiatus after the birth of her first child, Winters returned to banking with a focus on mortgage planning. Now at Movement Mortgage, Winters has successfully helped thousands of clients navigate the mortgage process, and she has been a President’s Club member every year since 2014. “With Kim’s career spanning 18 years in the mortgage industry, she has built a team that promotes and empowers women such as myself to succeed in the mortgage industry,” a peer says. “Her passion to help other women to grow and be successful in this industry has made an impact on so many lives. Her caring heart and tireless efforts to serve other women and her community set her apart.” Winters’ other accomplishments include serving as a past president and treasurer for the Mortgage Bankers Association of Western North Carolina, where she remains active on several committees. She is also an affiliate member of the Asheville Buncombe Board of Realtors, which awarded her with its Mortgage Banker of the Year Award in 2011. Outside of the industry, Winters is involved with Habitat for Humanity, Haywood Street Congregation Feeding the Homeless and the American Cancer Society.
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LATASHA ROWE General counsel NFM Lending
During her tenure at NFM Lending, LaTasha Rowe has been instrumental in reshaping the organization in myriad ways, including spearheading approval with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, as well as managing the rebranding of the company’s trade name to NFM Lending, making the organization more recognizable for its services in the industry. Women and minorities make up at least half of NFM Lending’s workforce, so Rowe knows firsthand that when diversity and inclusion are present, an organization can thrive. “Differing cultures and backgrounds are the foundation of our country,” she says. “I am proud that NFM Lending takes diversity seriously and creates an environment where the main goal is to be the best we can for our consumers. I firmly believe that we outpace our peers in serving women and minorities because our company very much looks like the communities we serve.” Currently, Rowe is working to establish a platform that assists and educates consumers in the Latin American market, and to establish a networking group for the women within the company. She is also an active participant in numerous industry-related associations, including the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Maryland Mortgage Bankers Association, where she is a member of the legislative action committee.
LAUREN HEDVAT Managing director Angel Oak Capital
As managing director of capital markets at Angel Oak Capital, Lauren Hedvat’s leadership has resulted in significant growth for the company. She led the Angel Oak non-QM securitizations following the inaugural transaction that closed in December 2015. In addition, Hedvat and her team established an innovative securitization capital structure solution for fix-and-flip loans. Prior to Angel Oak, she most recently served as a vice president on the residential mortgage finance team at Goldman Sachs and previously worked at Barclays/Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank. Outside of Angel Oak, Hedvat is an active member of the Structured Finance Industry Group, where she is participates on various RMBS 3.0 committees. She is also involved with her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, co-chairing the awards committee, the alumni class leadership committee and serving as director of the board for the Penn Engineering Alumni Society.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 VALERIE AUSBAND SVP national field sales Arch Mortgage Insurance Company
As senior vice president of national field sales at Arch Mortgage Insurance Company, Valerie Ausband is responsible for the largest contribution to the company’s top-line revenue. Her responsibilities also include managing 70 salespeople, profitability and budget, management of client relationships, and hiring and developing sales talent. With 20 years of mortgage insurance experience, Ausband has led both Arch MI and United Guaranty’s sales organizations to write historic levels of mortgage insurance and achieve extraordinary sales growth year after year. Ausband has spent her entire career in the mortgage lending and mortgage insurance industries. She started with a market share retail mortgage lender in Atlanta and also worked for a title services business prior to joining United Guaranty in 1998. She is also the creator of the Executive Women’s Conference, serves on the board of advisors for XINNIX The Mortgage Academy, is an active member of Hope’s Circle at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and is a participant in the Executive Scholars Program at the Kellogg School of Management.
ERIN HARRIS Manager HQ Vendor Management
As manager at HQ Vendor Management [HQVM], the vendor-management-focused arm of Mortgage Quality Management & Research [MQMR], Erin Harris sits at the helm of one of the industry’s most innovative and respected vendor management firms. Under her leadership, HQVM has completed thousands of vendor reviews that encompass several areas, including QC risk reviews, reviews of production and service-level agreements, financial assessments, and onsite vendor audits. Much of HQVM’s success in delivering comprehensive vendor management solutions to the mortgage industry can be attributed to Harris’ leadership and customer service skills, which she continues to hone as a participant in the MBA’s Future Leaders program. Prior to joining MQMR, Harris created, developed and implemented a full vendor management program for Churchill Mortgage Corp. Her practical knowledge of building and maintaining a vendor management platform, and the operational requirements needed to complete a thorough and sufficient onsite review, gives her a unique and dynamic perspective that she uses to assist both lenders and vendors.
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MAUREEN DOHERTY Regional vice president, north central region Genworth Mortgage Insurance
Last year, Maureen Doherty achieved $7 billion in new insurance written in her 11-state region, activated 200-plus new accounts and logged more than 7,000 sales calls. A 33-year veteran at Genworth, Doherty has dedicated much of her career to providing strong leadership and mentorship. She applies the same principle of personalized approach she uses with clients to her mentees by getting to know them on both professional and personal levels and customizing her mentoring and management approach. Her dedication to providing meaningful support for their advancement has led Doherty to become one of Genworth’s top managers, and many of her direct reports have been promoted to senior sales, operations and other commercial roles. Outside of Genworth, Doherty is deeply involved with and committed to volunteerism and community service efforts, particularly with Habitat for Humanity, where she coordinated and led the customer and Genworth team initiatives over the past year in her North Central US region. She also coordinated and led Genworth’s Michigan-based team to participate in the Pontiac Rock the Block initiative and to adopt two families during the holiday season.
MARY KEENE Producing branch manager Academy Mortgage Corporation
LORI BREWER Founder and CEO LBA Ware
The founder and CEO of LBA Ware, Lori Brewer has dedicated her career to developing software for mortgage lenders to maximize efficiency, automation and productivity. She is the original architect of the firm’s automated compensation platform, CompenSafe, and systems integration tool, LOS Talker. CompenSafe has calculated more than $1 billion in compensation for lenders, including six of the top 100 US lenders and eight of the top 75 independent mortgage banks. As a mortgage thought leader, Brewer devotes countless hours helping the industry address the challenge of rising costs and declining margins. She was a speaker at the inaugural NEXT Mortgage Conference for women in mortgage technology and is a frequent presenter on the topic of compensation at The Mortgage Collaborative events. She is also a scheduled speaker for the MBA’s upcoming HR Symposium. A fervent advocate for entrepreneurship and technology, Brewer serves on the boards of the Technology Association of Georgia, Stratford Academy and Middle Georgia State University’s School of Information Technology. She is also a member of the Advanced Technology Development Center, Georgia’s technology incubator.
With more than 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Academy Mortgage’s Mary Keene is a true advocate for her clients, especially first-time homebuyers. Keene has led efforts at the state and local level to implement programs focused on helping new borrowers who otherwise could not qualify for a home loan. She continually hosts first-time homebuyer seminars with her Realtor and homebuilder partners and is frequently invited to give presentations in her community on loan solutions that help put first-time homebuyers in the best possible financial position. Local housing agencies have come to rely on Keene’s expertise and dedication to bringing affordable housing to her community; she has served on Florida’s lender advisory board for more than two decades. Last year, Keene received Academy’s highest honor, the Duane Shaw Achievement Award, in recognition of her integrity, entrepreneurism, professional excellence and extraordinary commitment to her community. She is also a member of Academy’s President’s Club, which consists of the company’s highest performers, and she was chosen to be a member of Academy’s Leadership Academy, an internal executive management program for the company’s top leaders.
TERI SUNDH
KRISTIE WASHINGTON
CEO
Click n’ Close manager
TRK Connection
Mid America Mortgage
Though relatively new to the mortgage industry, Teri Sundh has made a name for herself in the mortgage QC space in less than three years. Sundh brings decades of executive management and development expertise at major corporations, as well as several successful tech startups, to her role as CEO of TRK Connection, where she is ushering in the next generation of mortgage QC technology. A serial entrepreneur, Sundh has applied her business savvy to the development of several industry-leading features within the company’s flagship QC audit platform, Insight Risk and Defect Management. Under her leadership, Insight RDM is rapidly gaining fans throughout the industry, including many of the top 100 lenders by volume. Last year, TRK increased its revenue by 300% while also doubling the number of Insight RDM users.
Kristie Washington is manager of Click n’ Close, Mid America Mortgage’s digital mortgage approval and closing platform, where she oversees a team of licensed loan officers and support specialists who manage the platform’s behind-the-scenes processes while delivering personalized customer service to each applicant. Her operations experience and customer service know-how have resulted in the Click n’ Close website generating a clickthrough rate of 0.98% – well above the industry average of 0.25% – and a 5.27% conversion rate. Since she moved to Mid America from law firm Robertson and Anschutz, Washington has paid her success forward by mentoring countless junior staff members, who have gone on to become some of Mid America’s top underwriters, closers, processors and loan officers.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 GINNI MADSEN Loan originator Maui Mortgage Team
In more than 12 years in the industry, Ginni Madsen has gained extensive knowledge in the areas of home loan origination, marketing and client services. Using her marketing experience, she has successfully established the Maui Mortgage Team brand, along with a radio segment, “The Maui Mortgage Minute,” which gives her opportunities to educate her community on the ins and outs of getting a mortgage in Hawaii. Outside of the office, Madsen has a passion for community enrichment and is dedicated to supporting local causes, animal rescue organizations and fellow small businesses. In 2015, Madsen was recognized as the Business Person of the Year (Under 40) at the annual Maui County Mayor’s Small Business Awards for her commitment to her community and clients.
MELISSA BERNARD Senior vice president, mortgage area manager SunTrust Mortgage
Melissa Bernard began her mortgage career in 1981, working part-time for Alliance Mortgage Company. In 1986, she left Alliance to co-found BancMortgage Financial Corporation, which grew to more than $3 billion a year in sales and was ranked among the top 10 lenders in Atlanta for 10 consecutive years. Two years after SunTrust Bank acquired the company, Bernard was asked to develop the strategic alliance division for SunTrust Mortgage. In 2009, the division became the fastestgrowing entity within SunTrust Mortgage, achieving more than 100 successful partnerships and production in excess of $500 million a year.
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TYRELL HOBBS Producing branch manager Academy Mortgage Corporation
When Tyrell Hobbs sets a goal, she hits it, as is evident in her year-over-year growth in total production volume. That growth is particularly significant, as she lives and works in a small market in central Oregon. A member of Academy’s President’s Club, Hobbs says her key to success is staying in front of her referral partners by being accessible, keeping in contact and providing absolute follow-through. Hobbs and her team are also dedicated to their community, volunteering for at least one service project each quarter and regularly donating needed items to a local homeless shelter. Hobbs also donates $100 of every loan closed to purchasing supplies for the shelter.
Bernard was promoted to mortgage production manager for Atlanta in 2011 and developed a robust relocation program and produced approximately $350 million in relocation loans. In 2015, she became mortgage area manager for Georgia and is now responsible for overseeing production managers, business development and relocation expansion, in addition to recruiting, coaching, and onboarding new hires and organizing volunteer events. Bernard is also a member of the Women’s Teammate Network and Professional Women in Building, and was guest speaker and expert panelist for Judge Penny Brown’s SisterTalk Women’s Empowerment Conference from 2014 to 2017. She was also recognized as one of the top 100 women in the mortgage industry in 2015 and 2016 by Professional Women’s Network Group and received Lender of the Year Award from Empire Board of Realtists in 2015 and from NAHREP in 2017.
PATTY STEELE Sales manager/loan consultant Caliber Home Loans
Since 1996, Patty Steele has built a successful career on the foundation of helping families and borrowers realize the dream of homeownership while providing outstanding customer service. She believes in making customer service her number-one priority by prioritizing fast responses, taking the time to explain different financing options and being the most educated mortgage banker in the industry. “I have been in the mortgage business for over 20 years, gaining the knowledge and expertise to help put clients at ease throughout the mortgage process,” Steele says. “My diverse experience in the mortgage industry allows me to better assist my clients and ensure a smooth process from origination through to closing,” she says.
JANE GERSHMAN Senior managing director First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation
As senior managing director at First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation [FGMC], Jane Gershman interacts with all levels of employees, numerous business units and many vendor partners to ensure the success of the fast-growing national lender. Aside from effectively leading FGMC’s servicing oversight and post-productions teams, Gershman has spearheaded some of the firm’s largest initiatives in 2018, including the consolidation of three sub-servicers into one and the subsequent transfer of more than $50,000 MSRs. Additionally, she seamlessly led a large post-closing outsource function and integration. Prior to joining FGMC in 2015, Gershman oversaw servicing, post-closing, the document custodial area, all MERS activities and investor reporting at SunTrust Mortgage. Her guidance led to the significant reduction of cost of servicing from 2011 to 2014. “Jane understands the big picture and is focused on the details,” a colleague says. “There is no doubt that she makes everything around her better.” Outside of the mortgage industry, Gershman is committed to mental health advocacy, as well as advocacy for the rights and humane treatment of animals.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 LAUREN KETCHUM Director, member experience Lenders One
Lauren Ketchum joined Lenders One from its parent company, Altisource, where she led marketing for eight origination business units. Immediately recognized for her impactful marketing strategies and client relations, Ketchum was tapped by Lenders One to serve as their director of member experience, responsible for overseeing all programming for the 230-plus members of the Lenders One Mortgage Cooperative. Since Ketchum joined in 2017, Lenders One had its strongest ever year for profitability and also celebrated its strongest year in membership growth with the addition of 31 new members. Ketchum has also been instrumental in
NIKKI GROFF Chief marketing and business development officer Wallick and Volk Mortgage
With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, Nikki Groff has been ranked among the top mortgage originators in the nation and has been recognized as a successful branch manager and thought leader on loan production and mortgage production systems. Her other achievements include being named a Distinguished Mortgage Professional and receiving NAWRB’s Roaring Thirty Award and the Duncan Group’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. She was also named one of So Scottsdale magazine’s People to Watch in 2018. In addition, Groff is the founder a nonprofit called Giving Back, which was developed to assist community heroes with the financial aspects of the home-buying process.
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increasing member engagement rates. She oversaw the launch of Engagement Returns, a benefit program designed exclusively for Lenders One members and preferred providers. She has also played a critical role in launching many of the proprietary technology offerings available to members, ensuring that the products solve critical member needs and are effectively rolled out to the cooperative. Ketchum actively promotes female leadership throughout the mortgage industry. She recently worked with MBA to launch a women’s networking event, mPower, at the Lenders One Winter Conference in March. Earlier in her career, she served in AmeriCorps for Teen Voices, an award-winning nonprofit news service covering issues that concern women and providing women’s perspectives on public policy.
JENNIFER KATZ Vice president The Federal Savings Bank
Finishing in the top five of her division since 2013, Jennifer Katz has closed more than $100 million in loans in the past three years and finished 2017 as number two in funded volume and units at The Federal Savings Bank. Katz is a former member of the US Army National Guard, making her an excellent fit at The Federal Savings Bank, a veteran-owned and -operated bank. After her time in the military, Katz volunteered with the Buddy Baseball Program, a nonprofit started by her father to allow handicapped children to play baseball in an organized league. Today, she continues to dedicate her time to local nonprofits, including the Ribbon Riders and Cats for the Cure. “Even though she is a single mother of two, she always manages to juggle her personal life and her professional life and excel at them both,” a peer says.
MICHELLE EVANS President/owner Evans Home Loans
Michelle Evans started Evans Home Loans in 2003 after seeing the need for more quality mortgage brokering services in Ohio. From 2013 to 2016, the company was named Small Business of the Year by the BG Chamber of Commerce. Evans is highly involved in her community, serving on the boards of ACT.BG, Alicia’s Voice and the American Cancer Society, and continues to inspire the women around her through her work ethic, positivity and consistent ability to rise to the occasion.
PAMELA KNOUSE Director of operations NFM Lending
KARA LAMPHERE Chief operating officer Mid America Mortgage
As one of the architects of Mid America Mortgage’s transition to e-closings and e-notes in its retail, wholesale and correspondent channels, Kara Lamphere’s vast knowledge of the digital mortgage landscape has been integral to the development and successful launch of Click n’ Close, Mid America’s lending platform that allows borrowers to complete the mortgage process entirely online. She also played a critical role in Mid America’s December 2017 acquisition of American Southwest Mortgage, as well as its recently announced partnership with Spectrum Mortgage Holdings to provide warehouse financing for seasoned and ‘scratch-and-dent’ loans through the firm’s whole loan trading program. During her 20-plus-year career, Lamphere has held a variety of executive compliance and correspondent lending positions and has overseen a mortgage subsidiary generating more than $1 billion monthly in mortgage loans. Her enduring passion for team-building, mentoring and communication has enabled her to train numerous successors. She is also active within the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association and serves on the Community Mortgage Lenders of America’s working group committee.
Pamela Knouse brings nearly 30 years of experience to bridge the operations and sales efforts at NFM Lending. Knouse started as a receptionist in 1989 without any background in the mortgage industry, and her then-branch manager took Knouse under her wing and taught her the business. Knouse’s first foray into operations was as a processor, and she was later promoted to team lead. She eventually joined a small, six-person broker shop where she managed the warehouse, licensing, correspondence and regulators/state audits. “I’ve done a lot of everything throughout
the years,” she says. “The mortgage industry is a self-taught business in a lot of ways. You succeed by doing.” Committed to streamlining NFM’s operations and advancing the interests of the company, its clients and its partners, Knouse single-handedly spearheaded NFM’s Encompass buildouts to gain efficiencies and was instrumental in the implementation and rollout of TRID. As a member of NFM’s executive team and a recipient of the President’s Award, Knouse has continuously demonstrated her motivation to excel and her dedication to the team. “Pam was pivotal in my training as a full-time processor,” says Kim Ralston, a member of Knouse’s team who has worked with her for more than 20 years. “She is a caregiver by nature, is wickedly smart and thinks quickly on her feet.”
JENNIFER KIM President Mortgage 4 U
PHYLLIS MCDANIEL Senior loan originator
PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital company
An experienced and dedicated loan originator, Phyllis McDaniel always goes out of her way to make the lending process accessible for clients of different backgrounds. She works tirelessly on each detail, carefully directing all parties to their next steps and advising them on the best way to get things accomplished to ensure on-time closings. McDaniel joined PrimeLending in 2015 after more than 16 years in the industry, including a stint as senior loan officer at National Bank of Arizona.
Jennifer Kim started her mortgage career in 2001 as a loan officer at NVA Financial in Annandale, Virginia. While there, she helped the company expand and open two other branch offices in Rockville, Maryland, and Virginia Beach, and was promoted to vice president within three years. Kim went on to work for a wholesale lender before retuning to the retail side as a loan originator at SunTrust Bank. There, she became a manager and the second best producer at her branch until she departed in 2012 to join Mortgage 4 U. Last year, when the founder of Mortgage 4 U stepped down, he offered Kim the opportunity to become its leader and 100% shareholder. Since taking the reins, Kim has become an inspiration and role model, earning the respect of her many colleagues from around the globe.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 JESSICA BALANAY Loan officer Guild Mortgage
Jessica Balanay has more than a decade’s worth of experience in the mortgage and finance industry. “What sets Jessica apart is her pure motivation help each client and utilize each team member to the best of their ability,” a peer says. “In this competitive market, her integrity shows as a professional who always focuses on long-term solutions and what’s best for each client.” Outside of her work at Guild Mortgage, Balanay is a member of Zonta International, a women’s organization focused on equality and opportunity for all women in various sectors. She has also served as a guest speaker at Remington College’s business department seminars.
MARYKAY SCULLY Director of customer education
Genworth Mortgage Insurance
ALYSSE PROSNICK Vice president of operations
Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions
Since she joined Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions, Alysse Prosnick led many initiatives that have propelled the company’s growth. Her contributions include implementing e-signature technology; applying TRID processes, systems and compliance checks; and spearheading and rolling out a new TPO connect portal, the system Angel Oak brokers use to maintain and service their client base. Prosnick also helped the company realize new opportunities for growth by adding four levels of correspondent lending offerings. Outside of Angel Oak, Prosnick is a past member of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association, a Senior Connections volunteer and contributor, and a supporter of Habitat for Humanity and March of Dimes.
DESTENI MASON Owner/loan originator Mason Knows Mortgages, a KTL Performance Mortgage team
Since being named one of MPA’s Elite Women in 2015 and 2017, Desteni Mason has continued to grow her company into one of the top USDA lenders in the states of Indiana and Ohio. She has led her Mason Knows Mortgages Team at KTL Performance Mortgage through continued growth, independently closing more than 240 loans in 2017. In the coming year, she will lead KTL’s growth campaigns in Indiana, Kentucky and Florida through a strategic social media campaign challenging new homebuyers to “Live their Destiny.” Mason also created a brand that is devoted to the development of women and has written a book that gives women the tools to ‘rise above’ their expenses. In addition, she developed a three-month training series that helps women align their hearts, minds and wallets. Mason is also actively involved in several associations, including the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, and the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women, and she and her team regularly engage with charitable organizations.
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Over the past year, MaryKay Scully has been at the helm of the industry’s efforts to help mortgage professionals understand and adapt to the myriad compliance and policy changes in mortgage finance. Notably, she launched Genworth’s Quarterly Agency Updates, a series of seminars and communications designed to keep clients current on agency guidelines, forms and requirements. Beyond helping clients manage and prepare for changes, Scully uses her training platforms to help individuals understand their role in the mortgage process, from secondary market pricing to post-settlement delivery and servicing. By implementing a series of assessments, she helps individuals grasp how critical their roles are in the homeownership process. Since mid-2017, Scully has delivered more than 200 events and trained over 12,500 mortgage professionals. She is a key component of Genworth’s relationship with NAFCU and maintains a firm connection with the National School of Banking’s fellow graduates and associates. In addition to working with individuals already ingrained within the industry, Scully is dedicated to the career development and mentorship of younger employees. She leads a ‘boot camp’ for new entrants to the industry that covers everything from explaining acronyms to teaching how to read a credit report and calculate income and PITI payments to measure DTI.
PATTY ARVIELO President and co-founder New American Funding
Thirty-five years after starting her mortgage career from scratch, Patty Arvielo is now a nationally recognized businesswoman, leading a mortgage bank with about 2,800 employees and approximately 160 branches across the country. She is influencing the real estate finance industry in terms of lending policy initiatives, and she is an advocate for the upward mobility of women in the workplace. To better serve Hispanic communities, Arvielo spearheaded New American Funding’s Latino Focus Committee with a mission to identify and address the challenges Hispanic consumers face in their pursuit of homeownership and to enhance the quality of their lending experience. Arvielo was recently appointed to a three-year term on the consumer advisory board for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She also serves on the MBA’s diversity and inclusion committee and is a former member of its consumer affairs advisory council. In addition, she is a former member of the Fannie Mae affordable housing advisory council and the Freddie Mac community lender advisory board, and she currently sits on the Latino Donor Collaborative board.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 KELLY CROWTHER
DANETTE CONWAY
Sales manager
Director of customer service
loanDepot
Credit Plus
A producing sales manager at loanDepot in California’s Inland Empire, Kelly Crowther started out in the industry in her teens and has more than 20 years of experience in mortgages. A leader, confidant and source of knowledge to many, Crowther has worked in a variety of roles and has gained the knowledge needed to submit a complete, detailed loan upfront. She carefully examines the needs of a prospective homebuyer, whether a firsttimer or a move-up buyer, and tailors her approach to each client to assist borrowers in achieving their short- and long-term goals. Among her many accomplishments, Crowther was named Mortgage Professional of the Year and a Chairman’s Elite member at loanDepot in 2017.
Danette Conway joined Credit Plus when she was 19 years old and has worked in nearly every position since. Now in her 31st year with the company, Conway has been instrumental in Credit Plus’ growth, tirelessly working with each of the company’s three offices as well as the corporate team, and visiting each office at least once a month to ensure that Credit Plus maintains top-notch service. Conway has also been a key advocate for improved training programs and new bonus and incentive plans, and she leads by example with her commitment to mentoring fellow team members. She is also dedicated to philanthropic causes: Following the loss of a team member to breast cancer, Conway led company efforts to raise funds for Relay for Life.
MICHELLE WILKES Senior vice president, national sales executive ServiceLink
Michelle Wilkes has played a pivotal role in shaping new technologies and services for the mortgage industry. As senior vice president and national sales executive for the default division of ServiceLink, she is responsible for maintaining productive, results-based partnerships with all of ServiceLink’s clients and serves as a lead facilitator, establishing the initial operating protocols between clients and ServiceLink operations management. Her exceptional understanding of how to convert client goals and objectives into service-level agreements that produce results, meet client needs and exceed expectations has made Wilkes a respected authority on structuring third-party relationships. Prior to joining ServiceLink, Wilkes held senior sales positions with Clayton, PHH, Prudential Asset Recovery and IMX Exchange. Outside of the industry, she supports many nonprofit organizations in Austin that benefit children.
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ABBY POLIN Vice president of residential lending Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corporation
Abby Polin entered the mortgage industry in college as a summer intern at a brokerage. Upon graduation, she joined Citibank’s real estate group as a construction and rehab lender and began developing a vast network of architects, developers, lawyers and Realtors. In 1992, Polin joined forces with two young attorneys who had set up a real estate development company and were looking to start a mortgage brokerage to service their own clients’ needs. That company, Prism Mortgage, grew from three people in a storefront office in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood to more than 2,600 employees with offices from coast to coast. In 1999, Prism Mortgage went public through an IPO and was acquired by Royal Bank of Canada in 2000. The following year, Polin joined a Chicago mortgage company before moving to the Chicago office of a New York-based company, with licensing to lend to her clientele nationally. She also spent time at other local and national mortgage companies and with the mortgage affiliate of one of the fastestgrowing real estate companies. Polin has been featured on Fox News, ABC News and in an Oprah documentary, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal. She is involved in various philanthropic organizations and serves on the executive board of the Women’s Division of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago.
MELANIE GALVIN Branch manager Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
CHRISTINE BECKWITH National vice president of Realtor and sales management
Named the 2016 Professional Saleswoman of Nevada and the 2017 Silver Award winner of Best in Reno Mortgage Lenders, Melanie Galvin is dedicated to giving back to her community both professionally and personally. “I enjoy partnering with many industry professionals, learning from the best of the best on what is going on in our current markets and industry as a whole,” she says. Outside of her work at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, Galvin is a partner with Certified Residential Specialists, the Women’s Council of Realtors, the Real Estate Board, the Chamber of Commerce and the Builders Association of Northern Nevada. The best thing about being a part of these organizations, she says, is “the fellowship and sharing the knowledge and helping my clients find the best loan options that meet their needs.” On a personal level, Galvin contributes more than 100 hours to community service each year, volunteering at local organizations such as the Special Olympics, Gospel Mission, Project 150, Eddy House, Ronald McDonald House and the Veterans Guest House. “No matter the project, my heart is in serving others,” she says.
AnnieMac Home Mortgage
Celebrating her 30th anniversary in the mortgage industry, Christine Beckwith has enthusiastically embraced a coaching/ mentoring role at AnnieMac Home Mortgage, working closely with numerous loan officers to help develop their skills and abilities and recognize their full potential in the industry. An experienced speaker, Beckwith created 20/20 Vision for Success, a workshop series that helps people “accelerate their ability to achieve their goals through emotional awakening while they learn.” She is also the author of two books: Clear Boundaries: Every Business Woman’s Essential Safety Guide and Wise Eyes: See Your Way to Success. “Our company is truly blessed to have Christine Beckwith as our vice president of Realtor and sales management,” a colleague says. “She is constantly coming up with new and inventive ways to increase our business, our referral base, our knowledge, and our quality of life, both in and out of work. She is an amazing coach, always getting our team to step out of their comfort zones and reach new heights. The dedication she brings to her work is contagious! We couldn’t ask for a better role model.”
KATIE RODD
BOBBIE DYER
Senior vice president
Dyer Mortgage Group, a division of Primary Residential Mortgage
George Smith Partners
Since joining George Smith Partners in 2012, Katie Rodd has closed more than $2 billion in financing as head of capital placement for Team Mozer. Rodd has 18 years of industry experience, including more than a decade’s worth of experience in direct capital markets origination and underwriting. Early in her career, Rodd gained development advisory experience by conducting feasibility studies relative to residential and commercial development projects. Prior to George Smith Partners, she was with the real estate capital markets group at Wells Fargo, originating CMBS and non-recourse balance-sheet loans. Her experience also includes seven years of loan origination and underwriting at Capmark Finance (formerly GMAC Commercial Mortgage), where she closed more than $2.5 billion worth of debt transactions.
Division president
In her nearly 30 years in mortgage banking, Bobbie Dyer has helped more than 10,000 borrowers finance their home loans. In addition to running Dyer Mortgage Group, which she started in 2012, she partners with several local nonprofits and has raised millions of dollars over the past 20 years for various charitable organizations. She currently serves on the board of directors for Health First Foundation and sits on Florida Tech University’s board of trustees. She was also a founding board member of Florida Tech’s Women’s Business Center and is on the committee for its Center for Autism. In addition, she serves as a live auctioneer and emcee for various charitable events, and has spoken at several local schools and to groups of all ages. Dyer also writes a monthly real estate and financial column for Florida Today and was a contributor to the book Winning the Money Game: Lessons Learned from the Financial Fouls of Pro Athletes.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 AIMEE QUINN
DAWN ADAMS
President and chief operating officer
Senior vice president of default servicing
Nations Direct Mortgage
In her dual role as president and COO of Nations Direct Mortgage, Aimee Quinn juggles the responsibilities of heading the company’s major functions – from corporate and finance to sales and marketing – and overseeing day-to-day operations. Drawing on more than two decades’ worth of mortgage banking experience, Quinn has steadily led Nations Direct Mortgage to quadruple in size and more than double its footprint, stretching its reach from 14 to 36 states, originating more than $13 billion in volume with a $6 billion servicing portfolio. Before joining Nations Direct, Quinn held several executive positions at various companies, including New Century Mortgage, Homeview Lending, Pacific Community Mortgage, FDIC and ClearVision Funding, where she established a solid reputation as a fearless leader.
RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation
Dawn Adams joined RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation in 2009; today, she oversees the company’s foreclosure, bankruptcy, property preservation, claims and REO departments. In 2016, Adams was promoted to senior vice president of default servicing at a time when RoundPoint was experiencing a rapid expansion. She successfully managed the challenges of increased volume and a growing staff by introducing automation and new controls to streamline operations, enhance organizational efficiency and maintain a risk-averse model. Recently, she oversaw the implemen tation of a new software program to assist with claims filing. Adams also participates in RoundPoint’s mentoring program and volunteers with local nonprofits that help those in the foster care system.
MELANIE A. FELICIANO Chief legal officer DocMagic
As chief legal officer for DocMagic, Melanie Feliciano lends her expertise to mortgage brokers and clients who face the daunting task of navigating the continuous stream of regulatory changes and compliance issues affecting the industry. Feliciano was instrumental in the company’s implementation of the TRID rule and has worked closely with the CFPB over the years. As head of DocMagic’s legal department, she oversees everything from negotiating, drafting, reviewing and revising contracts with vendors to handling the department’s day-to-day affairs. Highly regarded as a thought leader, Feliciano works tirelessly to move the industry forward to achieve an efficient and fully compliant loan document preparation process, as well as full adoption of e-signing, paperless e-closings, e-delivery solutions and e-services, all while managing TRID adherence and many other rules. Before joining the DocMagic team, Feliciano was a senior associate attorney at Swedelson & Gottlieb, where she dealt with a variety of issues affecting homeowners associations. A licensed attorney in California and a member of the State Bar of California, Feliciano has worked with various law firms in Los Angeles and consulted with clients in various industries, including financial institutions and real estate developers.
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JILL BURNS EVP, operations Mountain West Financial
Over the past few years, Jill Burns has built a team of elite project managers who are responsible for implementing a state-of-the-art loan operations system. “Our talented managers are experts in all facets of the company’s operations and manage all major projects that directly affect our productivity, quality and service levels,” Burns says. “My team has diverse experience levels and backgrounds. They join me in making the culture of community involvement a key strength of our organization.” Making homeownership a reality for thousands of Americans is a passion Burns shares with her organization and fellow managers. She was also instrumental in building and launching a specialty products operations center that focuses on affordable housing and first-time homebuyers. Burns is active in various industry groups and is passionate about giving women a voice in the industry, regularly sharing and promoting tools and organizations that can assist in their efforts. “Mentoring is at the heart of all I do and my major motivation,” she says. “Actively promoting continuing education for my team is a passion of mine, and I personally read a new book or two each week.” Outside of the industry, Burns has helped raise funds for cancer and autism research, and she actively supports the humane treatment of animals via ASPCA and other venues.
JOSEPHINE YEN SVP of product management Cloudvirga
As SVP of product management at Cloudvirga, Josephine Yen is a driving force behind one of the fastest-growing and most disruptive firms in digital mortgage technology. Yen began her career as a consultant at global professional services firms Accenture and Reuters. She stumbled into the mortgage industry in 2003 when she accepted a consulting gig for Ameriquest Mortgage, where her team developed an automated appraisal order management system and served as architects of a proprietary LOS. Yen went on to tackle a series of technical projects for BearingPoint, Aurora Loan Services (Lehman Brothers), Washington Mutual, LPL Financial and Union Bank of California in the years leading up to the financial crisis. Before joining Cloudvirga, Yen spent more than seven years in management roles at ServiceLink and LSI. She holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Six Sigma Green Belt, and has shared her extensive knowledge as a guest speaker for MBA and undergraduate business courses at California State University.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 DEANN ELLIS Senior loan officer Element Funding, a division of Primary Residential Mortgage
RHONDA BECK Regional sales director Mortgage Capital Trading
Having spent nearly 25 years specializing in the residential lending space, Rhonda Beck is known for offering hands-on and highly responsive client service. With an extensive background in correspondent and warehouse lending, loss mitigation, enterprise-level mortgage software and secondary marketing, Beck has worked with countless direct lenders, banks, credit unions and originators of varying sizes to help them grow their business. Since joining Mortgage Capital Trading [MCT] in 2011, Beck has played a key role in exponentially growing the firm’s revenue among its lender clients, leading to MCT being named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for seven years in a row, as well as the San Diego Business Journal’s Top 100 FastestGrowing Private Companies list. Beck was also instrumental in the adoption of the company’s award-winning secondary marketing software, MCTlive!, which has helped automate the complex processes involved in mortgage lenders’ secondary marketing departments. Beck is also an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and regularly speaks on industry panel sessions and roundtables to share her expertise in various areas of mortgage banking.
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For the past three years, DeAnn Ellis has been the top producer at Element Funding, having received the President’s Club Award in 2015 and the Chairman’s Club Award and Expert Network’s Distinguished Mortgage Professional Award in 2016, while remaining a top national mortgage originator. In 2017, Ellis helped more than 300 borrowers in Georgia and Florida complete the home loan process. She attributes her success to her team, whom she describes as the best in the business due to their dedication to customer service and to growing and building the industry. For more than 20 years, Ellis built her expertise in home lending by working for various lenders and running her own mortgage company. She has passed on her passion for helping clients achieve homeownership to her own daughter, who joined her team as a loan officer assistant while studying to become a mortgage lender. Ellis is also the author of the Amazon bestseller Mortgage Storm: Making It Rain by Mastering Your Craft and is an instructor for American Real Estate University, where she teaches continuing education courses. Outside of Element Funding, Ellis is a member of the Walton and Covington/Newton chamber of commerces, East Metro Women’s Council of Realtors, East Metro Board of Realtors and Walton Barrow Board of Realtors. She also serves on the board for Action Ministries, which provides food, housing and education to underprivileged children.
ALICIA TAYLOR Owner and senior manager Mortgage Solutions
A 20-plus-year veteran of mortgage lending, Alicia Taylor heads Mortgage Solutions, a firm that specializes in the hard-to-close loan transactions, including down payment assistance and first-time homebuyers. In addition, Taylor was appointed by legislators to advise, counsel and act on behalf of mortgage companies in Nevada on issues concerning mortgage lending. Taylor has been recognized as one of Las Vegas’ Top 40 Under 40 business professionals and was a finalist in a competition on the Oprah Winfrey Network to have her own financial literacy show.
GAIL HILLMAN Sales manager Waterstone Mortgage
With a strong passion for the mortgage industry and more than 15 years of experience, Gail Hillman is one of the top 10 originators at Waterstone Mortgage and was also named a Best Mortgage Professional by D Magazine in 2016 and 2018. “I love being able to impact homebuyers’ lives for the better,” Hillman says. “Whether I’m problem-solving a unique loan scenario, coaching a Realtor on how to grow their business or helping my team thrive, I enjoy helping people reach their goals and fulfill their aspirations.” Outside of the office, Hillman spends time volunteering in her community and abroad. She has coached Little League in McKinney, Texas, for seven years and currently supports the mission organization Reach Out Honduras. Her team at Waterstone Mortgage also regularly packs lunches for a local homeless shelter.
LAURA NAGEL Marketing manager Primary Residential Mortgage
Throughout her career, Laura Nagel has proven that it’s not just loan originators who are integral to a mortgage business’s success. When she joined Primary Residential Mortgage [PRMI] in 2012, its Mid-Atlantic division did not have a marketing department. Under the guidance of the division president, Nagel created the division from scratch, and it has since evolved into an instrumental and successful team of four. Nagel’s team has helped PRMI stand out from the competition by placing great value on building relationships, driven by the mantra that “it’s always the thousands of little things done right that add up to the unassailable advantage.” Whether it’s planning an event, educating real estate partners or designing marketing materials, Nagel and her team consistently add small touches to differentiate themselves.
COREY TRUJILLO Chief maven Synergy Maven
JODY COLLUP Chief marketing officer and director of operations Global DMS
Corey Trujillo has been in the mortgage and real estate marketing space for 15 years. Her boutique marketing agency, Synergy Maven, serves top lenders in the industry nationally, and she is a well known social media speaker and event planner in the finance space. Described as a “needle-mover” and a “creative powerhouse” for companies looking to solidify their brand, her expertise allows companies to grow more efficiently. Trujillo is passionate about creativity and the endless possibilities of embracing change as a pathway to securing her clients’ success well into the future. She has been an early adopter of leading-edge tech, computing and new media since the outset of her career and remains an advocate for bold innovation in the art of marketing, event management and branding. Her steadfastness through the industry’s ups and downs is indicative of who she is as a business owner, a maker, an industry educator and a person.
SUE WOODARD Chief customer officer Total Expert
Sue Woodard serves as chief customer officer for Total Expert, a marketing operating system serving some of the top lenders in the US. Prior to joining Total Expert, Woodard was CEO of Vantage Production/Mortgage Market Guide, where she oversaw the launch of three companion products to the company’s sales force automation solution. Under her leadership, Vantage doubled its subscriber base, tripled the volume of leads and loans handled through its system, and achieved a five-fold increase in the number of lender marketing campaigns generated through the system. Woodard’s leadership skills can be traced back to her earlier success at selling loans, which led her to become a national sales trainer and top-producing originator at CTX Mortgage. She is a former member of Ellie Mae’s national advisory board and is part of her local mortgage bankers group and the Women’s Council of Realtors. In 2017, she was elected as chair of the board for HOPE 4 Youth, a Minnesota-based nonprofit.
Jody Collup’s two-plus decades of experience in marketing and management have been garnered primarily in the mortgage industry, focusing on the mortgage software segment. Well versed in numerous types of mortgage technologies, from enterprise-class valuation software to LOS platforms and third party best-ofbreed applications, Collup has won multiple awards for her marketing prowess and contributions to the industry. Since becoming head of marketing and director of operations at Global DMS in 2013, Collup has helped mature the company’s brand, successfully launched multiple new solutions, and strengthened existing alliances and partnerships, while also being involved in the sales process and large enterprise deals. Collup previously headed marketing strategy at Calyx Software, where she was responsible for establishing brand consistency and positive awareness for the company, effectively aligning its sales with marketing to manage growth amid a downturn in the industry. A go-to resource and subject matter expert in mortgage technology, she is regularly involved in tech-centric panel sessions, roundtables and the NEXT Mortgage Conference for women in mortgage technology.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 TONI CARROLL
MICHELLE BOBART
National settlement account manager
Senior vice president, mortgage lending
Simplifile
Guaranteed Rate
As the national settlement account manager at Simplifile, Toni Carroll bridges the collaboration gap between settlement and mortgage. Leveraging her 33 years of title industry expertise, Carroll spearheads education and relationship-building initiatives that have resulted in company-wide innovations in sales, product development, strategy and customer success. She has conducted more than 3,000 closings over the course of her career, and her intimate knowledge of the process has enabled her to effectively advocate the benefits of digital collaboration not only on behalf of Simplifile, but for the entire mortgage industry. Carroll is an active member of the American Land Title Association, where she serves on both the Homebuyer Outreach Program and membership committees, and she frequently speaks on behalf of the Homebuyer Outreach Program. She is also a regular presenter at title and settlement conferences.
For Michelle Bobart, providing courteous, customer-driven mortgage services is a passion. She brings 19-plus years of experience as a loan officer to more than 2,000 clients in the Chicago area. She prides herself on building stable, lifelong relationships with clients. Bobart is regularly recognized in local and industry publications, including being named a Five Star Professional by Chicago Magazine every year since 2011.
Operations manager
EDDY DELGADO President and co-founder Applied Business Software
Eddy Delgado has been in the mortgage industry for four decades. As president and co-founder of Applied Business Software, which produces The Mortgage Office software, Delgado and her business partner transformed the way origination docs were drawn up in the early 1980s by hiring a team of attorneys to compile what later became the industry standard.
JASMINE KRNJETIN Loan originator Waterstone Mortgage
Jasmine Krnjetin was born in Serbia, grew up in Sweden and immigrated to the US at age 16. Her entrepreneurial spirit was evident when she started a marketing business at a young age. She first became interested in the mortgage process when her sister bought a home in 2001, and Krnjetin began her career as an originator soon after. For the past seven years, she has averaged $50 million in annual production. As one of the top 10 originators at Waterstone Mortgage, Krnjetin had the opportunity earlier this year to attend an industry roundtable with her colleagues at the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac headquarters in Washington, DC. For Krnjetin, the intellectual challenge of mortgage lending is the most enjoyable aspect of the job. “I’m always looking for new ways to help my clients make smart financial decisions concerning their mortgages,” she says. “I also enjoy the continually changing landscape of the mortgage industry, from the products to the technology, and I love being part of an industry that’s responsible for driving our nation’s economy.”
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ALYSSA CASE Mason Knows Mortgages, a KTL Performance Mortgage team
As a loan officer and operations manager for the Mason Knows Mortgages team, Alyssa Case takes pride in the position and opportunity she’s been given to connect with individuals and families from all walks of life and help them accomplish their homeownership goals at various stages of life. Since starting out at KTL Performance Mortgage eight years ago, Case has been instrumental to the company’s exponential growth. Aside from overseeing the day-to-day processing of all files, she is currently focused on expanding the team to the southwest Florida area this year. Case also conducts Realtor training for new and experienced agents, including outlining different loan types, financing and program guidelines, and sharing her general knowledge of the industry. She is also part of the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, participating in their many charitable events; currently, she’s helping put together a workshop focused on empowering women and promoting education at any stage of life. Inspired by her own child, she is also involved with JDRF, helping to raise funds for research and to promote awareness and knowledge of juvenile diabetes.
KAREN KREUTZIGER Chief operations officer Flat Branch Home Loans
Karen Kreutziger joined Flat Branch Home Loans in 2011 after working at another mortgage company in college. She started out as an underwriter, but very quickly demonstrated a drive that allowed her to successfully master every piece of the mortgage business. From selling direct to agencies like Freddie and Fannie to creating programs for new products such as the HUD 184 and portfolio loans, Kreutziger has taken the lead to improving Flat Branch Home Loans’ competitive edge while maintaining the best client experience. Under her management, the company has grown from 30 people in three locations to a more than 300 people across 15 states and 40 locations, and is looking to originate more than $1 billion in loans this year. In her efforts to stay ahead of the curve, Kreutziger has visited India with other mortgage professionals to study how mortgage companies are thinking outside the box to improve efficiencies, and has collaborated with a programmer to customize processes and enable teams to automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks. To ensure continuous learning for both the business and herself, Kreutziger also spearheaded an initiative in 2017 to take all managers to the Disney Institute for employee engagement training. In addition, she is currently studying for her insurance license and is working on adding an insurance division to Flat Branch Home Loans.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 RENEE HODGES Branch manager loanDepot
Renee Hodges has been a top producer her entire career and was ranked as the number-one loan officer at Carolina One Mortgage/Shelter Mortgage from 2005 to 2008. Later, at Prospect Mortgage, she became branch manager and was responsible for the top branch volume in 2014 and 2015. Now a producing sales manager for loanDepot, Hodges has been focused on growing niche products such as renovation loans, using her extensive experience and knowledge to guide clients through challenging loan processes. One of the most respected and tenured loan officers in the greater Charleston area, Hodges currently serves as president of the Mortgage Lenders Association of Greater Charleston.
MICHELLE LIMON Branch manager CMG Financial
TONYA TODD SVP, strategic products Mountain West Financial
Tonya Todd is a national leader in the affordable housing industry. She was responsible for forming an exclusive partnership with Down Payment Resource, the nation’s only web-based aggregator of homebuyer assistance programs. She created a proprietary program that serves teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees, and received approval for more than 150 affordable housing programs to assist low- to moderate-income first-time homebuyers. She also developed a new affinity lending product to help distinguish Mountain West Financial and attract new homebuyers while providing discounts and better pricing to local employers. A thought leader in the mortgage world, Todd has contributed to various industry publications and has been a member of MPA’s Elite Women and National Mortgage Professional’s 40 Under 40 lists. She is also a member of the California MBA and the California Association of Mortgage Professionals.
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As a branch manager at CMG Financial, Michelle Limon consistently leads clients to rewarding outcomes. In her view, a successful transaction is all about keeping things simple. “I find that when I give clients concrete, specific information and resources, it enables them to make well-informed decisions and reduces stress,” she says. Having gained more than 20 years of experience in real estate lending, including exposures to FHA, VA conforming and non-conforming lending, short sales, and foreclosures, Limon has a well rounded knowledge of the structuring, underwriting and customer service skills it takes to succeed in real estate lending. Working with an expert team of professionals, Limon offers professional consultation and customized loan programs, ensuring up-to-date notifications, timely closing and lifetime servicing of mortgage investments.
KRISTINA HEATH Owner/loan officer KTL Performance Mortgage
After spending almost 20 years in automotive sales management and financing, Kristina Heath found herself ready for a change. In 2003, she joined the Performance Mortgage team and, thanks to her passion for great customer service and drive for excellence, quickly became a top producer. She became a part owner in 2009 and has been instrumental in growing the business, which went from around 265 closed loans in 2009 to more than 780 in 2017. In 2013, Heath and a partner joined forces to form the Your Expert Mortgage Team, which has grown to encompass eight mortgage professionals with the same goals and philosophy: “to enhance our clients’ home-buying experience by delivering outstanding in every facet of the loan process” and “loving what we do, who we do it for and who we do it with.” A dynamic business leader and mentor, Heath is a member of the Business and Professional Women of Ohio and a founding member of the Richmond Independent Networking Group, which helps connect business professionals in the Richmond, Indiana, area. She also recently joined the board of trustees for Main Street Greenville, an organization that promotes the historic preservation and economic development of downtown Greenville, Ohio.
YVETTE E. CLERMONT Branch manager and mortgage consultant Inlanta Mortgage
Yvette Clermont has spent two decades in the mortgage industry and currently serves as branch manager and team leader of the Yvette Clermont Team of Inlanta Mortgage, managing two offices in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. During her extensive career, Clermont has gained invaluable technical and directorial prowess, which she uses to lead her team today. As a leader in her field, Clermont is highly attuned to industry changes and developments. She is an active member of many professional groups in Wisconsin and Florida. She earned the CMB designation from MBA; is a member of Inlanta Mortgage’s advisory board, a peer-elected team dedicated to advising senior management on the company’s direction; and is also involved in her local Veterans Affairs Marine Corps League and with Heaven’s Touch Ministries in Wisconsin. Looking to the future, Clermont hopes to keep growing her highly skilled team while also continuing to provide the excellent service she has become known for.
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SPECIAL REPORT
ELITE WOMEN 2018 KIMBERLEY DAILEYTORRES National vice president of sales Pacific Union Financial
Kimberley Dailey-Torres has more than 20 years of experience in wholesale and correspondent lending. As Pacific Union Financial’s national vice president of internal sales, she has successfully built from the ground up a national sales team that executes with high levels of proficiency in both the non-delegated correspondent and wholesale channels. Dailey-Torres has also been instrumental in developing key performance and empowerment initiatives within the sales teams; as a result of her efforts, the national sales team has quadrupled its originations in the past year. She has become the go-to person for those seeking someone to handle challenges with an innovative approach and a fresh perspective. Her industry reputation has been forged around her philosophy of cultivating true partnerships centered on ensuring the ultimate client experience. Outside of her work at Pacific Union Financial, Dailey-Torres is a member of the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women, the National Association of Mortgage Bankers and the California Association of Mortgage Professionals. She frequently serves as a keynote speaker, art instructor, volunteer and lead mentor for several nonprofits in southern California that aim to provide safe temporary housing, group homes, shelters and foster care to children and youth across Los Angeles and Orange counties.
RANDI MILLS Senior loan officer Supreme Lending
Described as “honest, genuine and hard-working,” Randi Mills possesses all the knowledge necessary to guide clients through the various loan programs on the market to find each client’s perfect fit. Since 1986, she has worked in servicing, tax and escrow analysis, internal audit, and foreclosure. Averaging around 30 loans per month, Mills has funded $102 million in loans. Prior to Supreme Lending, she worked for various major mortgage corporations, including Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Bank of America, Guild Mortgage, Academy Mortgage Corporation and more.
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SIERA SMITH Vice president of operations WebMax
Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations at WebMax, Siera Smith handles everything from strategic planning and goal-setting to creating, implementing and managing key organizational policies, processes, reports, and standardizations. She is also responsible for managing the marketing and business development departments, including development and execution of WebMax’s business plan, monitoring of company budgets, and retention of current clients. Prior to her current role, Smith served as WebMax’s director of marketing. Before joining WebMax, she was the special events coordinator at the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. She also founded a marketing firm that provides services to small businesses in southern New Jersey. Smith is a member of South Jersey Young Professionals Association and a certified Six Sigma Green Belt.
ORIGINATORS ON BRANCH NETWORKS Originators, this is your chance to rate your branch network across 9 key categories – tell them what they are doing well and how they can improve. The results and feedback will be published in October. Take the survey online at www.mpamag.com or email Heather Turner at heather.turner@keymedia.com
SURVEY STARTS AUGUST 6TH.
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