MBA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Communications
- in 2018 As Director of Public Affairs
Adam DeSanctis is the Vice President of Communications at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), where he helps shape MBA's public affairs strategy and leads all aspects of media relations, member communications, and video content development.
Adam joined MBA in 2018 as Director of Public Affairs, where he managed media relations and member communications activities for MBA's Research, Commercial Real Estate Finance (CREF), mPower, affordable housing, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
From the Great Financial Crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic, Adam is a skilled professional who has developed strategic communications plans and served as a spokesperson on a variety of issues facing real estate finance, the U.S. economy and housing market, and banking/financial services.
Prior to joining MBA, Adam served in various ascending positions in media relations and communications at Freddie Mac, the National Association of REALTORS, Navy Federal Credit Union, and TD Bank.
Adam earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism-Advertising with a concentration in public relations from the University of Maine.
Job Titles:
- Director, Strategic Member Relations
Swaney served as the 2006 President of the Arizona Mortgage Lenders Association (AMLA) and has also led the AMLA's advocacy efforts as its Legislative Chair.
Job Titles:
- Chief Risk Officer / Rocket Mortgage, LLC
Bill Cosgrove, 2015 Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, is the Owner and CEO of Union Home Mortgage Corp. headquartered in Strongsville, Ohio. His mortgage banking career began in 1986 as a residential loan officer. In 1994 Mr. Cosgrove joined Union National Mortgage Co. and in 1998 was named President. Mr. Cosgrove purchased and became 100% stockholder of the company in 1999. In 2013, the Company's name was changed to Union Home Mortgage Corp. to reflect the Company's mission of supporting successful homeownership in America.
In 2007-2008 Mr. Cosgrove was President of the Ohio Mortgage Bankers Association. He is the first person from Ohio to serve as both President of the Ohio MBA and Chairman of National MBA. He has served the National Mortgage Bankers Association's Residential Board of Governors, the Steering Committee of RESBOG and currently serves the Board of Directors as Chairman. From 2008 to 2010, Bill was the National Chairman for MBA's MORPAC Committee. This prestigious appointment consists of leading the fund raising efforts for MORPAC throughout the country. MORPAC raised $1.1 million for industry activism during Bill's Chairmanship of MORPAC. In 2000 at the age of 38 he was named in Crain's Cleveland Business "40 under 40" honored as one of the top 40 young executives in Northeast Ohio. In 2003 Mr. Cosgrove was inducted into the Bedford, Ohio High School Distinguished Hall Of Fame for his accomplishments in Mortgage Banking. In 2004, he earned the coveted Certified Mortgage Banker designation (CMB). In 2008, he was awarded the distinguished Hoddup Award for his many contributions to the Ohio Mortgage Bankers Association and In 2011 Bill was awarded the National Mortgage Bankers Associations Burton C. Wood, National Legislative Service Award for his superior legislative efforts representing the mortgage banking industry. Mr. Cosgrove has testified on behalf of the industry in Washington D.C before the House Financial Services Sub Committee, Senate Banking Committee and the Ohio House of Representatives. He has been interviewed by national publications, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, numerous trade publications, national and local news networks.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President for Legislative and Political
- Senior Vice President, Legislative & Political Affairs
Bill Killmer is Senior Vice President for Legislative and Political Affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). A veteran of nearly three decades in the housing arena, Bill joined MBA in 2010 and is responsible for managing the real estate finance industry's federal legislative, grassroots, and political fundraising activities, in close coordination with the MBA member leadership and its public policy, economics, public affairs, and lobbying teams. He oversees MBA's direct outreach to Congress, and is a regular guest speaker on the intersection of politics, policy, and industry issues. Under Killmer's leadership, grassroots participation through MBA's Mortgage Action Alliance has tripled, while donations to MORPAC, the industry's political action committee, have more than doubled, enhancing the association's ability to develop and execute effective advocacy strategies on the industry's behalf.
Killmer came to MBA after nearly 20 years in the policy space at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where he last served as Executive Vice President for Advocacy, managing all aspects of the group's public policy outreach. During his tenure at both organizations, he has been named as a Washington trade association "Top Lobbyist" by publications such as The Hill and CEO Update. He previously served as a Senior Legislative Officer for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor during the George H.W. Bush administration. Killmer holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (BBA), with a concentration in Finance, from Baylor University.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director / CWCapital Asset Management LLC
Job Titles:
- President and CEO / Mortgage Investors Group
Christine C. Rhea is President and CEO of Mortgage Investors Group of Tennessee. Chrissi co-founded the company in 1989 with a clear focus on serving the customer and the community. Under her leadership, Mortgage Investors Group has expanded from 7 employees to over 400. As a leading independent mortgage lender in the southeast, MIG is an approved seller/servicer with both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, approved lender with USDA, direct endorsement FHA lender as well as VA LAPP lender. At its core, MIG focuses on purchase business and developing relationships with Realtors, builders, borrowers and other industry partners. MIG has been ranked in the top 3 lenders in Tennessee since 2012, #1 Lender for Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) for the last 20 years and USDA #1 lender in the state of Tennessee since 2016. Mortgage Investors Group has been a member of MBA since 1996. Chrissi is Chairman of the MBA Residential Board of Governors in 2023 and serves on the MBA Board of Directors. She is also a member of the THDA Board of Directors where she serves on the Audit Committee and as Chair of the Lending Committee.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Mortgage Investors Group of Tennessee
Christine C. Rhea is President and CEO of Mortgage Investors Group of Tennessee. Chrissi co-founded the company in 1989 with a clear focus on serving the customer and the community. Under her leadership, Mortgage Investors Group has expanded from 7 employees to over 400. As a leading independent mortgage lender in the southeast, MIG is an approved seller/servicer with both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, approved lender with USDA, direct endorsement FHA lender as well as VA LAPP lender. At its core, MIG focuses on purchase business and developing relationships with Realtors, builders, borrowers and other industry partners. MIG has been ranked in the top 3 lenders in Tennessee since 2012, #1 Lender for Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) for the last 20 years and USDA #1 lender in the state of Tennessee since 2016. Mortgage Investors Group has been a member of MBA since 1996. Chrissi is Chairman of the MBA Residential Board of Governors in 2023 and serves on the MBA Board of Directors. She is also a member of the THDA Board of Directors where she serves on the Audit Committee and as Chair of the Lending Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Vice Chair
Christine Chandler has been with M&T since 1991 and has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate finance. Since 2018, she has been responsible for making credit decisions for M&T RCC multifamily and healthcare transactions underwritten in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Agency) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) platforms as well as managing the company's operations and its Asset Management Group and Transformation team. Prior to that, Chandler served 13 years as the M&T RCC Chief FHA Underwriter, was a senior Fannie Mae DUS Underwriter, and previously spent several years managing the closing and delivery for FHA and Ginnie Mae transactions. Chandler has also served as a relationship manager in the company's commercial real estate division, focusing on construction and permanent portfolio lending.
Active in various committees and groups related to the mortgage banking industry, Chandler is a voting member of MBA's Board of Directors, serves as the 2023 Chair of MBA's Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors (COMBOG), and was appointed to MBA's DEI Committee in 2022 and its Audit Committee in 2021. She is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and is a passionate advocate for mPower, MBA Promoting Opportunities for Women to Extend their Reach, the largest networking organization for women in real estate finance.
In addition to industry leadership responsibilities, Chandler is also a board member for several not-for-profit entities. She is a Director for the University System of Maryland Foundation (USMF), where she serves on the Governance Committee. In addition, she has served as Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for Partners in Excellence (PIE), an organization that is affiliated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where she was appointed to the board by Archbishop Lori in 2017. After six years of service, she is now a PIE Advocate and continues to be passionate about the program. Chandler is a graduate of Towson University and resides in Severna Park, Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Capital Markets / Guild Mortgage Company
Job Titles:
- CEO / NewPoint Real Estate Capital
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer, Global Mortgage Group / Arch Mortgage Insurance Company
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Education and Strategy
Job Titles:
- President of the MBA Opens Doors Foundation
- President, MBA Opens Doors Foundation
Deborah Dubois is the President of the MBA Opens Doors Foundation, a 501c3 charitable organization founded by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). As President, Deborah is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Foundation, as well as the development and execution of strategies that ensure its sustainability and growth. In collaboration with MBA leadership and the Foundation's Board of Directors, Deborah plays a lead role in defining the Foundation's short- and long-term goals, including its hospital partnership strategy, grants program and revenue model.
Previously, Deborah served as the Chief Development Officer for The Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit investigative journalism newsroom, where she led the fundraising and resource development operations, strengthening existing donor relationships and bringing new donors the organization's roster as a critical point in the organization's history. Prior to the Center for Public Integrity, Deborah spent 10 years in senior executive positions, overseeing development operations, marketing, communications and membership for social justice organizations, and 15 years in international, technology and consulting organizations.
Deborah holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and an MBA degree from The George Washington University.
Dr. Edward Seiler is an economist with over 20 years of experience in financial services. He currently serves as Associate Vice President for Housing Economics at the Mortgage Bankers Association.
His responsibilities include performing economic and econometric research to support MBA's forecasts and policy positions, writing research reports, and supporting MBA's affordable housing initiatives.
He is also the Executive Director of The Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA), where Seiler is responsible for managing research agendas, sponsorship, publication process, advisory boards, and budget.
He previously was head of research for Dworbell's affordable and senior housing organizations and Chief Housing Economist at Summit, an analytics advisory firm with a focus on housing finance.
Prior to joining Summit, Dr. Seiler was Director at Fannie Mae, where he directed the development and implementation of analytical models used to guide credit loss management decisions. He has lectured graduate-level econometrics at Johns Hopkins University and published several peerreviewed articles.
He was earlier employed as a manager at Bates White, an economics consulting firm, and as a postdoctoral fellow at The Hebrew University.
He earned his PhD in economics from The University of Chicago, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Conferences and Meetings at the Mortgage Bank
- Vice President of Meetings & Conferences
Elaine Howard is Vice President of Conferences and Meetings at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), responsible for the development and execution of MBA's five large signature conferences and 40 smaller meetings, as well as other special events. She began at MBA as senior director of meetings and conferences in January 2001.
Prior to joining MBA, Howard served as deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of Labor, and was responsible for planning and event logistics for the department. Before working for the U.S. Department of Labor, she served as the director of the Inaugural Balls with the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Committee, as the Director of Events with the Democratic National Committee, and as Director of Events with the Clinton/Gore 1996 presidential campaign. Previously, Howard was the Director of Sales at Washington's Embassy Row Hotel. She did her hospitality training at Marriott Corporation and the Club Managers Association of Australia.
Howard received her bachelor of science degree in psychology from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, and completed graduate study at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Erica Byrne graduated with a BS in Business and Organizational Management from John Brown University in 2013. Erica's journey in the mortgage industry began in 2011 mastering various operational roles and accumulating valuable experience.
Throughout her career, Erica has had the privilege of being guided by amazing mentors who have consistently challenged her to be her best and instilled a passion to serve others. Their influence has been instrumental in her professional growth and unwavering commitment to the industry.
Erica's involvement with the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas commenced in 2017 when she joined the Northwest Arkansas Chapter Board of Directors. Taking on key positions, such as Secretary Treasurer, Vice President, and President, she proved her commitment. In 2020, she was invited to serve on the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas Board, where she continued to excel as Secretary Treasurer, Vice President, and President. As a regular attendee of MBA's National Advocacy Conference and an active member of the Mortgage Action Alliance, Erica will always jump at the chance to advocate for the industry. With a passion for fostering industry growth, Erica firmly believes that membership engagement is the linchpin to success and consistently looks for new opportunities to raise the MBAA's voice.
In her personal life, Erica finds love and support in her family. Having met her husband Erik in 2001, they welcomed their daughter in 2015 and their son in 2018. They reside in Springdale, Arkansas, where they embrace the beauty of the Natural State.
Job Titles:
- Underwriter Training Program
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Financial Accounting, Tax and Accounting Policy
Fran Mordi joined the Mortgage Bankers Association in 2017 with over 15 years of post-Law school experience in the areas of tax and accounting. As VP in the Tax, Accounting & Mortgage Markets group at the American Bankers Association for ten years, Mordi worked with financial services entities on tax and accounting issues, specifically as subject matter expert and member engagement lead on policy and compliance. Mordi worked on domestic and international issues impacting the industry, put together training sessions for members, managed several banker committees, and was a frequent speaker at various bank tax conferences and meetings.
Mordi has extensive experience working with the banking regulators, FASB, the Treasury and Congress as an advocate of the financial services industry. Before joining MBA, Mordi spent a few years at Deloitte Tax where she expanded her knowledge and experience in Tax Accounting as well as client relationship and management.
Fran holds a J.D. from New England Law School, Boston, MA, and an LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown Law School, Washington, DC.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
- Vice President of Information Technology
Freddy Feliz is the Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In this role, Feliz is responsible for implementing and overseeing MBA's IT programs and projects, as well as developing new strategies for the association's IT efforts.
Feliz joins MBA from MERSCORP Holdings, Inc., where he was Senior Vice President of Information Systems and Chief Information Officer. Prior to that, he served as its Director of Information Systems. He has also held leadership positions at Marketing1by1, Inc.; Exmplar, Inc.; WebMiner; and Lumina Americas.
Feliz holds a Master of Science in computer science from City College of New York (CUNY) and a Bachelor of Science in electronics and telecommunications engineering from INTEC University, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Job Titles:
- Federal Housing Finance Agency ( FHFA ) Policies and Programs
Job Titles:
- Managing Director & Head of Real Estate Finance
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Human Resources
Holly Cannon, SHRM-SCP, is Vice President of Human Resources for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Holly is responsible for developing and executing human resource strategy in support of MBA's overall business plan and strategic objectives, specifically in the areas of talent management, organizational and performance management, employee benefits, compensation and payroll administration. Holly serves as a strategic partner to the association's executive management team and business groups.
Holly joins MBA from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Holly has an SHRM Senior Professional Human Resources Certification and graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a BS in Management Studies.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Commercial Real Estate Debt
Job Titles:
- Director, Commercial / Multifamily Finance
Job Titles:
- Head of Mortgage Revenue / Fifth Third Bank
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Head of Commercial Real Estate Research
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chief Executive Officer
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor / Mesa West Capital, LLC
Job Titles:
- Founder and Managing Director / Mphasis
Job Titles:
- Executive Managing Director / CBRE Capital
Job Titles:
- Senior Partner / STRATMOR Group
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Deputy Chief Economist
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Public Affairs in the External Relations
John T. Mechem serves as the Vice President of Public Affairs in the External Relations group of the Mortgage Bankers Association. In this capacity, he manages public affairs activity for the association, including media relations, speechwriting, social media, and member and executive communications. He is responsible for strengthening and increasing MBA's voice on public policy positions and research data and analysis on the residential and commercial/multifamily real estate finance markets. He also develops overarching industry messages and helps define and develop key messaging related to industry issues.
Additionally, he oversees MBA's digital news outlets, including the MBA Newslink daily and weekly email news publications.
Prior to joining MBA in 2006, John spent five years as Director of Communications for the American Forest & Paper Association where he served as spokesman and oversaw public outreach for the association's forestry group. In that role, he managed both paid and earned media campaigns to promote the industry's public policy agenda and created and implemented strategies to promote the industry's "best practices," including defending the industry and members from marketplace campaigns and public relations attacks from environmental groups.
John began his career in public affairs on Capitol Hill, serving as Deputy Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), managing Senator McConnell's state media outreach. In 1998, he was tapped by newly-elected Senator (and baseball Hall of Famer) Jim Bunning (R-KY) to run his press operation. Among his first duties upon assuming his job was managing the Senator's media and communications surrounding the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton.
John graduated from Colby College in Waterville, ME with a degree (BA, 1993) in Government and American Studies.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Analytics & Systems
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Analytics
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer / Eustis Mortgage Corporation
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Commercial Real Estate
- Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Finance
- Vice President, Commercial / Multifamily Policy and Member Engagement
Kelli Burke is Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Finance (CREF) for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In this management role, Burke develops and executes MBA's CREF member engagement strategy across the various sectors within commercial real estate finance and serves as a staff expert on several business functions, including originations, underwriting, securitization, servicing, and asset management. Her responsibilities also include leading the planning and content development for MBA's annual CREF Convention and Expo, and Servicing and Technology conferences.
Burke has over two decades of experience in commercial real estate and hospitality. Before joining MBA, she held several hospitality management roles, including as sous chef, food event planner, and restaurateur for businesses in Dallas and San Diego. Prior to that, she worked for 11 years in expanding roles at Prudential Mortgage Capital Company LLC, in Dallas, including as Vice President, Information Systems, where she partnered closely with the commercial servicing business of the company. Burke also worked for seven years in commercial servicing at GMAC Commercial Mortgage, a predecessor company of Berkadia, in Atlanta.
Burke holds a Masters Certificate in applied project management from Villanova University, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Phoenix in Dallas, and an Associate of Science in culinary arts from the Art Institute of California.
Job Titles:
- Chairman - Elect
- Member of the Officers Team
Laura Escobar is a 35-year real estate finance industry veteran who has held leadership positions with both bank-owned and independent mortgage companies overseeing all aspects of mortgage banking. Since 2018, she has been President of Lennar Mortgage, the mortgage lending subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, leading a team of more than 1,100 associates in 34 locations across 20 states. Escobar joined Lennar Mortgage in 2002 as Branch Manager; in 2004, she was promoted to Senior Vice President managing the Eastern Region; and in 2016, she became Executive Vice President, overseeing operations and production of the company's Builder Division.
Escobar currently serves on several advisory boards and committees, including MBA's 2022-2023 Board of Directors, and as Vice Chair of MBA's DEI Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the MORPAC Steering Committee; Fannie Mae AHAC; Freddie Mac Advisory Board; NAHREP; NAMMBA Visionary Ambassador; and United Way's chapter - Women United.
Passionate about "Paying It Forward," Escobar is on the MBA Opens Doors Foundation's Board of Directors and is very active in her local community in South Florida, showing support and volunteering through organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. She is also a licensed mental health counselor and devotes much of her time working with underprivileged women and minorities.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Member Relations
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President / Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Lisa J. Haynes is Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). As the Chief Financial Officer, Haynes is responsible for accounting and financial functions, including setting the policies, procedures, strategies and practices of MBA, as well as overseeing the Association's assets. She also works to ensure future financial stability for MBA through strategic planning and forecasting.
With over 30 years of experience in the fields of finance and accounting, Haynes brings a wealth of knowledge to the CFO position. Prior to joining MBA, Haynes worked for Fannie Mae and served the company in several positions including Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis, Vice President for Finance Transformation, and Vice President for Operational Accounting, where she led a team of 45 professionals responsible for the management of single and multifamily loans worth approximately $3 trillion.
Haynes has also been named as MBA's Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. In this role, she serves as an executive-level strategist partnering with the leaders of MBA's diversity and inclusion initiatives to promote a comprehensive strategy that fosters a culture of diversity and inclusion within the real estate finance industry. In addition to working with Human Resources, Lisa develops and implements plans, programs, and activities that educate and engage employees on the value of diversity and the critical importance of inclusion.
Before her work at Fannie Mae, Haynes established and grew her own consulting practice in Massachusetts. Her practice specialized in financial consulting services for nonprofits and small businesses. Haynes was also the Senior Associate Controller and Director for John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. in Boston where she led the SEC and Management Reporting team during the company's demutualization in 2000.
Haynes holds a Master of Business Administration from the Boston University Graduate School of Management, Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Bentley College, and is certified as a public accountant in the state of Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Operating Officer for the Mortgage Bank
- Founder of MPower
- Member of the NAWRB Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council
Marcia Davies is Chief Operating Officer for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). As COO, Marcia is responsible for ensuring cross-organizational alignment and facilitating the implementation of strategic initiatives, as well as maintaining oversight of key organizational priorities. She is also the lead strategist for MBA's external activities, providing leadership, guidance and overall management to the public affairs and marketing divisions. In addition, Marcia provides strategic direction and management of MBA's Conferences, Membership, Education, Information Technology and Office Services divisions. She also provides management oversight to and is a Board member of MBA's Opens Doors Foundation.
Previously, Marcia worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner. She directed HUD's industry relations program to strengthen relationships, garner support, streamline communications and resolve policy and regulatory issues. Before joining HUD, Marcia spent 21 years at Freddie Mac, where she held a variety of officer positions in communications, customer outreach, marketing, servicer relations and policy.
Marcia is the founder of mPower - MBA Promoting Opportunities for Women to Extend their Reach - MBA's networking platform for women in the real estate finance industry. Under her leadership, mPower has grown into an engaged community of more than 24,000, providing best-in-class conference and webinar programming, networking events, and online opportunities to stay engaged. Through mPower, more women are positioned to achieve leadership positions and are well represented in all segments of the industry.
Marcia is a member of the NAWRB Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC). She is also a member of Women in Housing Finance and the International Women's Leadership Association. Marcia received the silver Stevie Awards for Women in Business 2018 Maverick of the Year. She is also the recipient of Five Star's Laurie A. Maggiano Legacy award, a two-time Mortgage Women Magazine Women With Vision award winner, and a recipient of the NAWRB 2018 Industry Revolutionary Award, and the CIFS Diversity & Inclusion 2018 Trailblazer Award. In 2015, Marcia was honored by HousingWire as one of its 2015 Women of Influence.
Marcia is a graduate of the Katharine Gibbs School in Montclair, N.J.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Industry Analysis
Job Titles:
- Financial Analyst / STRATMOR Group
Want to Learn More?
Contact Marina Walsh at mwalsh@mba.org or (202) 557-2817
(Note: In most cases the data is only available to survey participants.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Officers Team
Mark Jones co-founded Amerifirst Home Mortgage in 1983, a company he grew from an individual location in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to over 80 full-service locations and 900 personnel nationwide. In January 2023, Amerifirst merged with Union Home Mortgage to form a top 40 national mortgage lender, where Mark now serves as President.
Prior to the merger, Amerifirst was the No. 1 USDA lender and the No. 3 FHA lender in Michigan, and the No. 13 FHA lender in Florida. Amerifirst was also a Ginnie Mae issuer and serviced in-house a $6 billion loan portfolio. Amerifirst ranked as a Best & Brightest Company to Work for in the Nation for five consecutive years (2016-2020) and was named one of the top 50 Best Mortgage Companies to Work For in 2021. In 2016 Mark received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Michigan and Northwest Ohio.
In addition to his service as MBA's Chairman-Elect, Mark currently serves as Chairman of MBA's DEI Advisory Committee. He previously served as co-chair of MBA's Independent Mortgage Bankers Executive Council. Mark also serves as board member and Public Policy Committee Chair at Southwest Michigan First and serves as Chair of Southwest Michigan First PAC.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he competed on the Varsity Swimming & Diving team. In 1979, Jones won the 1979 Virginia Intercollegiate State Championship in 1 meter springboard diving and was a two-time NCAA Regional Qualifier.
Jones lives in greater Kalamazoo with his wife, close to three adult children, and two grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Home Lending / Chase
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Multifamily Policy and Member Engagement
Job Titles:
- Chief Economist, Senior Vice President, Research & Technology
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Senior Vice President, Human Resources
- General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Human Resources at the Mortgage Bank
Michael Briggs is General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Human Resources at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), where he oversees the association's internal legal affairs, compliance, and human resources operations. He also oversees the MBA Opens Doors Foundation, MBA's 501(c)(3) foundation that provides mortgage and rental payment assistance to families with critically ill or injured children.
Before joining the FDIC, Briggs was in private practice with Gordon Feinblatt LLC, a Baltimore firm where he represented community banks, credit unions, nonbank mortgage lenders and the Maryland Bankers Association. He also previously served as Chief Legal Officer of America's Community Bankers. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant General Counsel for Regulatory Affairs at Bank of America Corporation and as Regulatory Counsel for Barnett Banks.
Briggs is a former vice chair of the American Bar Association (ABA)'s Banking Law Committee and a longtime member of the ABA's Consumer Financial Services Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the LGBTQ Bar Association of Maryland, Women in Housing and Finance, and ALLRISE DC, an organization formed in 2019 to focus on promoting gender equity in financial services.
He earned his LL.M. degree in financial services law from Boston University School of Law. He holds a J.D. cum laude from Drake University Law School and a bachelor's degree from the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Commercial
- Senior Vice President, Commercial / Multifamily Policy and Member Engagement
Mike Flood is the Senior Vice President of Commercial/Multifamily Policy and Member Engagement at the Mortgage Bankers Association. In this role, he is responsible for leading public policy and member engagement across all commercial real estate finance sectors including mortgage banking companies, bank portfolio lenders, life insurance companies, multifamily-focused lending institutions, affordable housing lenders, commercial mortgage-backed securities issuers, and investment management firms.
Prior to joining MBA, Flood worked at the CRE Finance Council (CREFC), where he was Deputy Executive Director and head of the Washington, D.C., office. Prior to that, he served as the organization's Vice President, Head of Government Relations and Vice President of Policy and Economic Research. He has also held senior roles at the Structured Finance Industry Group, Association for Advanced Life Underwriting, Fannie Mae, and KPMG.
Flood holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and finance from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Financial Analyst / STRATMOR Group
Job Titles:
- Senior Partner / STRATMOR Group
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Co - Founder
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer / Success Mortgage Partners, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
Job Titles:
- Financial Services Industry Executive
- Senior Vice President of Residential
- Senior Vice President, Residential Policy & Member Engagement
Pete Mills is Senior Vice President of Residential Policy and Member Engagement at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In this position, he leads MBA's residential policy team and state and local advocacy program, and directs MBA's residential member engagement efforts across the MBA value platform.
Mills is an experienced financial services industry executive with more than 30 years of expertise in public affairs, government relations, public policy and research, all in the housing and mortgage finance arena. Prior to joining MBA, he served as Managing Director and co-founder of the Community Mortgage Banking Project, a public policy organization that represented the interests of companies and coalitions involved in the housing and mortgage finance industries. During his career, Mills lead corporate public affairs for Countrywide Financial, managed trade association policy advocacy for the California Mortgage Bankers Association and the California Association of Realtors, and conducted housing policy research at the Federal Reserve Board. He has a BA in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, where he graduated with distinction in 1982.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President for Strategy
- Senior Vice President Strategy & Member Services
Peter Grace is Senior Vice President for Strategy and Member Services at the Mortgage Bankers Association. As such, he directs the Membership department, including all membership sales, engagement, operations, and support activities. He also oversees MBA Education, where he is responsible for business development, content programming, design, and delivery. MBA Education is charged with providing continuing education for industry professionals in both the residential and commercial/multifamily fields. Peter also manages the overall corporate strategy and information technology for the association.
Peter came to MBA in 2012 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he served as Chief of Staff for the Acting Deputy Secretary on matters related to the Department's management. He also provided leadership on HUD's Transformation Initiative, a multiyear, multifaceted organizational change program. Prior to joining HUD, Peter was Associate Commissioner of the Office of Strategic Planning, Technology and Research at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Previously, he worked at Accenture.
Peter received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He also has a master's degree in public administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer / HomeBridge Financial Services, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, CMBS Origination / Bank of America
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Industry
- Vice President of Industry Technology
Rick Hill is the Vice President of Industry Technology at the Mortgage Bankers Association. He is responsible for managing MBA's technology initiatives within the real estate finance industry, managing MBA's technology committees, and developing technology content for MBA conferences and events.
Before joining MBA, Hill was the Director of Data Strategy at Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for data standards and best practices, data management including the company's data warehouse, and managing the relationship with regulatory agencies relating to information requirements.
Hill began his career as a senior auditor at Deloitte, after earning his B.B.A. in accounting from The College of William and Mary. He is also a Certified Public Accountant
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Commercial / Multifamily Policy and Member Engagement
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President for Affordable Housing Initiatives
Job Titles:
- President - Mortgage Banking / Gateway First Bank
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Residential
- Vice President of Residential Policy and Member Engagement
Tamara King is Vice President of Residential Policy and Member Engagement. She helps lead MBA's engagement strategy for the Policy Team with several key member segments. Ms. King oversees MBA's Independent Mortgage Bankers Executive Council and Network, the Community Bank and Credit Union Network, the Warehouse Lenders Executive Council, the Wholesale Lenders Executive Forum, and the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council. Prior to her current role, she managed MBA's residential loan production areas where she helped direct the association's policy development on regulatory, legislative, and industry issues.
Tamara has extensive experience in mortgage finance, community development, and state and local governments. Previously, Tamara was a Senior Business Manager for manufactured housing in Fannie Mae's Single-Family Mortgage Business. In this role, Tamara was responsible for developing and managing new initiatives and products, and developing business and strategic relationships with manufactured-housing participants. She also managed the development of several affordable lending products at Fannie Mae. Tamara's other positions have included Vice President of Community Development at HSBC Bank in New York, Director of the New Homes Program at the New York City Housing Partnership, Senior Project Planner in the New York City Mayor's Office of Operations, and Senior Budget Examiner in the New York State Department of the Budget.
Tamara earned a master of public policy degree from the School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature with concentrations in public policy and African American studies from Swarthmore College.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Operations
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Marketing & Design
Job Titles:
- EVP, Consumer Lending / U.S. Bank
Job Titles:
- Director, Commercial / Multifamily Finance
Job Titles:
- Vice President of State Government Affairs
- Vice President of State Government Affairs & Industry Relations
William Kooper is Vice President of State Government Affairs and Industry Relations at the Mortgage Bankers Association and in that capacity leads MBA's advocacy efforts at the state and local level as well as MBA's engagement with mortgage banking associations across the country. William is responsible for the MBA State Legislative and Regulatory Committee, staffs the State Association Relations Committee and leads the State Relations Initiative -- MBA's program to partner with state associations to align business development, communications and advocacy interests.
William joined MBA in January 2001 as Director of Government Affairs, and has had a variety of roles assisting MBA members. Before leading the state program, he was Associate Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs where he directed MBA's nationwide grassroots advocacy program, the Mortgage Action Alliance, Inc. and the planning and execution of MBA's National Advocacy Conference. He also served as staff to MBA's political action committee, MORPAC.
Prior to joining MBA, William was appointed by President Bill Clinton as Special Assistant and Briefing Coordinator to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo. At HUD, William prepared the Secretary's daily event briefings, wrote the Secretary's weekly report to the President and also made contributions to Presidential and Vice Presidential briefing documents. William's other positions in and out of government have included Manager of Government Relations at HIP Health Plans in New York City, Senior Legislative Associate to the New York State Assembly Committee on Health, Research Analyst for the New York State Assembly's Council on Health Care Financing, and Confidential Assistant to New York Governor Mario Cuomo.
William was born in New York City and raised in Newtown, Connecticut. He received his MPA with a concentration in management from New York University in 1991 and his BA in International Affairs from Trinity University in 1986. William also studied at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and attended the Chase Collegiate School in Waterbury, CT.