MPAMAG.COM ISSUE 10.03

2017 75 women at the vanguard of America’s mortgage industry PATTY ARVIELO President, New American Funding

Loan Originator for 34 years

Built for originators by an originator.

www.TeamNewAmerican.com

Licensed by Arizona Dept. of Financial Institutions License #BK-0912376, Dept. of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act License, Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, License # 22564. Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee, Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company, License # MC.0025168, Massachusetts Mortgage Lender & Mortgage Broker License # MC6606, Mississippi Dept. of Banking and Consumer Finance, N.J. Dept. of Banking and Insurance, Ohio Mortgage Broker Act Mortgage Banker Exemption License #MBMB.850190.000, Rhode Island Licensed Lender, Texas licensed location 6504 International Pkwy, Ste 1300, Plano, TX 75093. Washington Consumer Loan Company License #CL-6606. NMLS #6606. www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. 14511 Myford Rd, Ste 100, Tustin CA 92780. (877) 478-5476. 07/2017 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

The glass ceiling hasn’t kept these women at bay. Meet 75 leaders and influencers who are shaping a more diverse mortgage industry

IN AN industry where the majority of leadership roles are still dominated by men, the women on the following pages are slowly changing the status quo. An impressive 25% of the women on MPA’s 2017 Elite Women list hold top C-suite or leadership positions, including many founders and owners of their own companies and brokerages. After receiving numerous nominations from readers around the nation, MPA culled this list to 75 women who have overcome obstacles and broken barriers to become some of the industry’s top professionals. On the following pages, you will be introduced to record-breakers, innovators, mentors and trendsetters who inspire the success of their peers every day and are using their collective influence to change the face of America’s mortgage industry.

www.mpamag.com 1 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

INDEX BY NAME NAME COMPANY PAGE NAME COMPANY PAGE Arvielo, Patty New American Funding 9 Hendricks, Kelly Delmar Financial Company 6 Ashdown, Mindy Academy Mortgage Corporation 31 Jablonski, Tina Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Inc. 16 Badciong, Jean Inlanta Mortgage Inc. 14 Kapoor, Indu Guaranteed Rate 3 Baker, Gina Alderus Mortgage 24 Kepler-Fleenor, Joni InterWest Mortgage 32 Bane, Mary loanDepot 8 Killgo, Rebekah Balkcom Amerisave Mortgage Corporation 30 Batangan, Sarah Stearns Lending LLC 10 Laffey, Cindy Inlanta Mortgage Inc. 13 Beckwith, Christine Annie Mac Home Mortgage 3 Lamphere, Kara Mid America Mortgage 16 Beier, Debbie GSF Mortgage Corporation 33 Latiff, Sheila Digital Risk LLC 28 Bell, Ginger Go2Training 4 Lecha, Beeta Spiegel Accountancy Corporation 22 Bobart, Michelle Guaranteed Rate 19 Lindblom, Suzy Stearns Lending LLC 7 Boger, Lauren On Q Financial 4 Mason, Desteni KTL Performance Mortgage – 8 Borst, Julia Guaranteed Rate 18 The Mason Knows Mortgages Team Bradley, Melissa Satori Mortgage 33 Meitner, Susan Centennial Lending Group LLC 4 Brandao, Laura American Financial Resources 25 Melnick, Sue Bay Equity Home Loans 6 Bresch, Mellissa Stearns Lending LLC 31 Morales, Elizabeth Applied Business Software 10 Brewer, Lori LBA Ware 28 Morton, Robin Cachet Real Estate Finance 8 Burns, Jill Mountain West Financial Inc. 18 O'Brien, Beth CoreVest American Finance 26 Butler, Erika Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. 24 O’Mallan, Lola Stearns Lending LLC 18 Cassell, Mary Digital Risk LLC 23 Patrick-Davidson, Cathi Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Inc. 14 Clermont, Yvette Inlanta Mortgage Inc. 16 Pearce, Jamie Korus Alliance Home Loans 30 Clymer, Valerie Watson Mortgage Corporation 33 Richards, Tammy Caliber Home Loans Inc. 7 Cole, Katrina Inlanta Mortgage Inc. 15 Rodriguez, Lorena Motive Lending 14 Crow, Julie Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. 25 Rustom, Ashley Element Funding 6 Davidson, Linda Service First Mortgage 3 Ryan, Judy Credit Plus Inc. 7 DiPasquale, Vicki Simplifile 29 Scully, MaryKay Genworth Mortgage Insurance 23 Ellis, DeAnn Element Funding 24 Sieffert, Kristen Finance of America Reverse 31 Fountain, Jennifer Altavera Mortgage Services 26 Talbert, Cristen Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Inc. 14 Fulmer, Ann FormFree 32 Tank, Caren loanDepot 20 Garner, Lizzie Guaranteed Rate 10 Todd, Tonya Mountain West Financial Inc. 15 Gates, Cathleen Schreiner Ellie Mae 12 Tyson, Charlotte Genworth Mortgage Insurance 20 Gegaj, Tereze United Wholesale Mortgage 23 Visniskie, Jessica GMH Mortgage Services LLC 32 Gillen, Neusa Family First Funding LLC 25 White, Paula McLean Mortgage Corporation 26 Gilmore, Robin America's Local Lender LLC 33 Whitehead, Teresa Citywide Home Loans 22 Green, Ruth Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. 12 Wirth, Kerry Waterstone Mortgage Corporation 30 Hagerty, Terrie Citadel Servicing 29 Wolcott, Kim Academy Mortgage Corporation 5 Hale-Lee, Lynette Wintrust Mortgage 29 Wood, Sally Evolve Bank & Trust 20 Hanbury, Pam McLean Mortgage Corporation 28 Yarbrough, Kelli RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation 15 KTL Performance Mortgage – Heath, Kristina Your Expert Mortgage 12 Zwick, Jennifer TTCU The Credit Union 22

2 www.mpamag.com INDU KAPOOR Vice president, branch manager and regional renovation manager

Guaranteed Rate

Since starting her career in the mortgage lending industry in 1997, Indu Kapoor has strived to provide excellent customer service and exceed expectations. Her goal is to not only educate herself on ever-changing guidelines, but also educate her clients. A top FHA 203(k) and HomeStyle renovation mortgage loan specialist, Kapoor was voted D Magazine’s Best Loan Officer CHRISTINE BECKWITH in 2014 and was named a Five-Star Mortgage Professional in 2017. Kapoor holds an National vice president of Realtor and sales MBA in corporate finance from the University of Dallas, and she can converse in several management languages and dialects. Annie Mac Home Mortgage

As vice president of Realtor and sales management, Christine Beckwith LINDA DAVIDSON oversees one of the main value Vice president, branch manager and senior residential propositions of Annie Mac Home loan originator Mortgage. She was instrumental in Service First Mortgage setting up and expanding the company’s Realtor platform, Annie Mac Worx. She Linda Davidson recently celebrated her 20th also successfully launched a national year in the mortgage industry. For the past few road show, which entailed traveling years, she has retained the titles of top originator to every Annie Mac branch to train and top-producing branch within Service First managers and teams on the company’s Mortgage, while serving on the faculty board of two technology and sales strategy. national training companies and on the company’s “As a woman in a male-dominated own coaching/mentoring team. Davidson initiated field, I have had to prove my abilities Service First’s Greenhouse Program, which trains through results – winning sales contests high-potential loan officer assistants to become and being a respected example of successful originators; the effectiveness of her strategies and programs have been mentoring and leadership through evident in the yearly increases in her loan officers’ production. my day-to-day interactions with sales “Growing up in government housing, I truly had to overcome the limited belief that associates and amongst my peers I was not good enough,” Davidson says. “I think that made me work harder to prove and superiors,” Beckwith says. “The that I could be successful, as well as be a role model for others in our industry. I was challenges women have faced in our very blessed early in my career to find a great mentor, Todd Duncan, who taught me to industry over the decades are related think of myself in the origination business – and to run it like a business – instead of to setting themselves apart and not someone who just ‘did loans.’” asking for entitlement or exceptions. Davidson champions not only homeownership but also the value of home itself, and In everything people do in life, no highlights the contributions women have made to these two causes. “I actually believe matter who you are, you will be faced that in general, women make better loan officers because of their natural empathy with obstacles and adversity. To truly gifts,” she says. “That being said, I think one of the major challenges we feel is the rise above those challenges, you must guilt of juggling a successful origination career and creating a strong and loving family see yourself as a worthy and capable nucleus. My top accomplishments are being a mom and a grandmother, and secondly, competitor and then focus your eyesight [having] the ability to serve with excellence hundreds of families in fulfilling the dream on the finish line, make no excuses and of homeownership.” deliver superior results.”

www.mpamag.com 3 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

GINGER BELL LAUREN BOGER President, education specialist Producing sales manager

Go2Training On Q Financial

Ginger Bell has been instrumental in Lauren Boger has grown her business year- helping to develop and implement over-year since she joined On Q Financial and comprehensive training programs to allow has been part of the company’s President’s companies to tailor programs according Club since 2015; last year, she moved up four to their clients’ needs. Although Bell spots to rank at number five for units. As a started her company, Go2Training, right millennial, Boger has helped the company before the mortgage meltdown, she was in its efforts to reach her generation by able to keep the business afloat thanks developing a video mortgage application to her “greatest strength, [which] came prototype to guide borrowers through the from [my] community or ‘tribe’ of friends application process. Boger also contributed in the industry.” to the company’s initiative to reach the Bell has built her position and Hispanic market by hiring a Spanish speaker reputation as an industry leader and to train the team and help the business cater expert on corporate training, and is part to this underserved, growing demographic. of the National Association of Mortgage Boger candidly describes the challenges she faced while on maternity leave. “My Professionals and the National Association business disappeared overnight, and I had to resolve to work even harder to establish new of Professional Women. She is also the referral partners,” she says. “I made calls each week from home and still communicated co-author of the best-selling book Success on loans, but the fact that I was at home and not in the office really affected my business. Today, in which she shares that her key I assumed some of my Realtor referral partners would support me during my time of to success has been maintaining a steely leave, as they were women themselves – some [were] single moms – but they didn’t. focus on core goals and values for both Business dropped off, and I had to once again reinvent myself. I think as women, we herself and her clients. She has received should support one another and lift each other up.” the Book Marketer of the Year Award from Boger recently joined a local women’s networking group and is looking forward to the Academy of Best-Selling Authors and getting “plugged into my community and support[ing] other women in business.” She is an Expy Award from the National Academy also involved with Children of Fallen Heroes and earned a donation for the cause in 2016 of Experts, Writers and Speakers. by winning a charity competition sponsored by On Q.

SUSAN MEITNER President, CEO and founder

Centennial Lending Group

Susan Meitner started Centennial Lending Group over seven years ago, and since then it has grown to over 80 employees across multiple locations, expanding to include a broader swath of the East Coast and beyond. Meitner has been recognized as a leading CEO by various publications and organizations, including the Inc. 5000, Philadelphia Magazine, MPA’s Hot 100 list, and is the author of Crazy Lucky Girl: Do You Have the Keys to Success? “I love that the industry is becoming more diverse, yet I still believe there is a need to illustrate the success of women in this industry,” Meitner says. “Some of the challenges [that remain] are being seen as ‘bossy’ in a negative way when you are doing your job, or [for] a salesperson to be seen as an equal producer.” Meitner sits on the board of directors for The Mortgage Collaborative and is a trustee member of Gwynedd Mercy University, a growing university with many first- generation college students.

4 www.mpamag.com KIM WOLCOTT Producing district manager, Pacific Northwest, South King County

Academy Mortgage Corporation

Kim Wolcott’s integrity, entrepreneurism, professional excellence and commitment to her community have earned her praise and recognition at Academy Mortgage. Most recently, she was a finalist for the 2017 Duane Shaw Achievement Award, Academy’s highest honor. Wolcott joined the mortgage business in 1989, repeatedly seeking a position as a receptionist at a local lender’s branch, where she later became the branch manager. Today, she has the unique position of being a producing district manager who originates loans and also manages branches. Last year, she closed $28.2 million in personal production and led her district to 19% growth in purchase volume, resulting $536 million in total volume for her district in 2016. These efforts earned Wolcott a spot in Academy’s President’s Club for the second consecutive year. Over the course of her long career in the mortgage business, Wolcott has been involved with numerous industry and civic organizations, including her local chamber of commerce, Kiwanis Club and Association of Realtors. As evident in her day-to-day life, Wolcott serves all those “within reaching distance.” Almost every week, she visits local assisted living centers and nursing homes to distribute hats, mittens and toiletries; hand out lollipops; or play a game of cards. She sponsors a family every Christmas, personally shopping for gifts for each family member. In addition, Wolcott has taken Academy’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity to heart, participating in several local builds.

www.mpamag.com 5 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

SUE MELNICK Chief operating officer and chief compliance officer

Bay Equity Home Loans

Juggling responsibilities for both compliance and operations at Bay Equity Home Loans, Sue Melnick oversaw the implementation of major regulatory changes while growing the corporate and regional operations teams to support a doubling of their business volume. She credits her success to the company’s talent pool: “Bay Equity has remarkable people throughout the organization. We focus on hiring, training and nurturing great employees; we have strong management teams and remarkable ownership.” Another major factor has been finding balance. “We’re in the business to do loans, but we must do so within regulatory guidelines and interpretations,” Melnick says. “The challenge has been that balance between removing obstacles to sales while ensuring we are on solid footing with compliance. I’m very proud of how our team has achieved balance.” Outside of her mortgage work, Melnick supports charitable organizations and activities through the company, including the Wounded Warrior Freedom Station and the JoAnn McGovern Memorial Golf Tournament, a benefit for the fight against pancreatic cancer. KELLY HENDRICKS Vice president

Delmar Financial Company ASHLEY RUSTOM Kelly Hendricks recently concluded her Senior loan officer second term as president of the National Element Funding Association of Professional Mortgage Women. She credits her successes over After spending almost nine years as a successful the past year to being surrounded by real estate agent, Ashley Rustom decided to exemplary peers in the industry and to switch to the mortgage business after seeing a continuously looking for new ideas and void in her community for an excellent and friendly ways to stay updated on trends. mortgage lender to cater to local financing needs. When asked about the hurdles she has She joined the industry in 2010, armed with her had to overcome, Hendricks describes a real estate experience, which has given her a better scenario many female leaders are familiar perspective and a more nuanced knowledge of with: “Some of the biggest challenges the business. Rustom joined Element Funding in I have faced have been balancing 2013 and has maintained top producer status ever my responsibilities of managing our since, bagging quarterly customer service awards based on client surveys. She remains companies’ operations while fulfilling my devoted to her job and finds it rewarding to be able to help so many people obtain their obligations as president of NAPMW and dream homes. Rustom aims to help Element Funding grow its Atlanta market presence finding time to be present with my family. while maintaining quality service. Often there are not enough hours in the Outside of her day job, Rustom is a member of her local chamber of commerce and a day to achieve everything I have set out to nominee for Leadership Rockdale, a program that provides for personal and professional do, but finding balance was key.” growth and serves as a springboard for local community leadership opportunities. A Hendricks considers this kind of mother of three, she spends ample time volunteering at her children’s school to help recognition an encouragement for women achieve a healthy balance between work and family. She is also working with her local “to seek a career path they might not Division of Family and Children Services office to get certified to foster children in her have chosen,” as it helps them envision community, which she considers a personal calling. opportunities to rise in the industry.

6 www.mpamag.com SUZY LINDBLOM Managing director, national fulfillment

Stearns Lending

With more than 30 years of leadership and management experience in mortgage banking, Suzy Lindblom has senior management and oversight responsibilities for all loan fulfillment activities in Stearns Lending’s multiple production channels, including retail, wholesale, consumer direct and strategic alliance business sectors. Lindblom’s department funded more than $17 billion in 2016, setting a new record while maintaining quality in both credit and compliance. Lindblom is also recognized as the driving force behind the company’s reputation as one of the best operations teams in retail and wholesale lending. In addition to her comprehensive knowledge and expertise in loan fulfillment, Lindblom is among the industry’s leading experts on credit risk management, loss mitigation, post- closing services and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Stearns in 2012, she served as national fulfillment executive director at MetLife Bank. She also held leadership positions at Nationstar Mortgage and Bank of America Home Loans. In 2016, Lindblom was TAMMY RICHARDS named one of the Top 50 Most Powerful and Influential Women by the California National Diversity Council. Executive vice president, national operations Caliber Home Loans

JUDY RYAN Having joined Caliber Home Loans in Vice president of corporate sales 2013, Tammy Richards serves as the

Credit Plus company’s EVP of national operations, leading the processing, underwriting Judy Ryan joined Credit Plus in October 2013 as and closing teams for retail, wholesale, vice president of corporate sales and remains correspondent, portfolio and consumer responsible for the development, management and direct lending. She currently oversees sales of the company’s comprehensive fraud tool, more than 2,000 associates and over FraudPlus. She also serves as Northeast regional 27 fulfillment sites. Prior to this role, sales manager, a previously full-time role assigned Richards worked at Bank of America to Ryan based on her exemplary track record. Home Loans, Countrywide Home Loans Ryan successfully balances her sales and and RNG Mortgage, where she began her product development responsibilities. On the career in the mortgage industry more product side, she has led efforts to analyze fraud than 30 years ago. schemes and develop comprehensive tools for risk mitigation. Under her leadership, For each department of Caliber she FraudPlus’ annual revenue has grown by 200% in the past two years. On the sales side, serves, Richards brings experience she has responded to an industry boom in the Northeast region by making new hires, in improving workflow and fulfillment increasing training and offering hands-on assistance, resulting in a 280% increase in sales processes and Six Sigma Black Belt over the last three years. techniques, helping to improve quality Outside of Credit Plus, Ryan is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and and reduce defects. She has spent time the Consumer Data Industry Association. She was president of the National Consumer in supplemental roles throughout her Reporting Association in 2009 and served as a board member for several terms, regularly time with Caliber, creating and improving lobbying in Washington on behalf of the industry and consumer reporting companies. numerous process initiatives across Ryan has also devoted several years to serving on the board of a vocational camp, where the organization, most recently the she has coached high-school girls on how to build a successful career. company’s digital mortgage.

www.mpamag.com 7 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

DESTENI MASON Founder/owner, loan officer

KTL Performance Mortgage – The Mason Knows Mortgages

Following her lifelong passion to help people “be better and do more than they thought they could ever do,” Desteni Mason co-founded KTL Performance Mortgage in Greenville, Ohio, in 2003. Since then, she and her team have been helping people achieve their dreams of homeownership. Mason managed to grow the business to become a leading USDA lender in Ohio and Indiana while working on her master’s degree. Under her leadership, the team closed more than 200 loans in 2016. “Desteni’s success is largely due to her dedication to helping others learn and succeed,” says an industry peer. “She came from humble beginnings and knows what it takes to turn knowledge into life strengths and successes. She has gained great respect for her commitment to helping underserved clients or those with limited financial knowledge learn how to improve their situations.” To address persistent gaps in consumer knowledge, Mason has launched a series of creative marketing initiatives that help educate potential clients while boosting brand visibility in new markets. In the coming year, she will lead KTL’s growth campaigns in MARY BANE Indiana, Kentucky and Florida through a strategic social media campaign that challenges new homebuyers to “Live their Destiny.” Vice president, regional production loanDepot

Mortgage industry veteran Mary Bane has ROBIN MORTON built an award-winning team at loanDepot President and CEO from the ground up, sharing her personal

Cachet Real Estate Finance passion for growth and development with each member of her team. As vice Robin Morton came to San Antonio in 1982 and president of regional production for began working as an on-site sales professional in the loanDepot’s retail business, Bane focuses burgeoning field of residential new home construction; on mentoring her team of top licensed in 1991, she founded Cachet Custom Homes. After loan officers, who have achieved the giving birth to her fourth child, Morton wanted a career company’s highest retention rate at more that would give her more time with her growing family, than 97%. Bane’s team also held the top so she took a position as a mortgage loan originator spot in the nation at loanDepot for retail with Fleet Financial Services. Capitalizing on her loan production last year. construction knowledge, she was able to efficiently transition her business partnership Beyond her role at loanDepot, Bane is with new homebuilders, and she swiftly achieved national recognition as a top producer. a philanthropic leader in the community, In 1995, Morton joined Columbia National Mortgage Company as vice president of organizing annual team participation builder services. She received the Most Improved Branch Award after her first year, to support worthy causes, including along with several more awards, including the prestigious Greater San Antonio Builders the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Association Summit Award for Mortgage Professional of the Year in 1998, as well as and Ronald McDonald House. Bane’s Columbia National’s Branch Manager of the Year. In 2001, Morton became president of mentorship of young women and Excellence Mortgage, a conceptual mortgage entity in San Antonio. After 10 years and minorities entering the lending industry more than 2,400 closed loans, Morton’s entrepreneurial drive led her to start Cachet Real has helped them find their footing and Estate Finance, where she continues to apply her two decades of industry experience to become key influencers within loanDepot serve both new and existing customers. and the industry as a whole.

8 www.mpamag.com PATTY ARVIELO President and cofounder

New American Funding

Patty Arvielo began her career in the mortgage industry 32 years ago, developing a diverse skill set, from underwriting to processing. She quickly climbed up the ladder to her current role as cofounder and president of the largest Latina-owned mortgage company in the nation, New American Funding. Currently, Arvielo manages the daily operations and sales for the company’s headquarters, 130 branches and more than 2,400 employees. As a personal commitment to reach underserved communities, Arvielo has spearheaded two in-house initiatives promoting diversity among borrowers: the Latino Focus Committee and New American Dream. Since its inception, New American Funding has financed 47,651 minority homeowners. As a result of her successful track record, Arvielo has become a recognized and sought-after authority among government-sponsored entities that need insight on policy and program development. She currently serves as a member of the corporate board of governors for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and recently joined the Latino Donor Collaborative board. In 2016, Arvielo worked hand-in-hand with Freddie Mac to devise and launch Your Path, a new loan program that makes affordable homeownership opportunities available to a changing demographic of US borrowers. Arvielo is the recipient of numerous accolades and recognition for her professional achievements, including the 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

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ELIZABETH MORALES Business development and marketing director

Applied Business Software

When asked about what has contributed to her success in the past year, Elizabeth Morales offers an answer that’s slightly different from the usual: “The first answer I get on anything is always ‘no,’ interestingly enough. [But] I have developed persuasion skills and have been successful at achieving company milestones.” Morales has been invited to speak at conferences on marketing and leadership, and her work has been featured in various industry publications. She believes that “there still is a glass ceiling,” and that women continue to struggle with achieving a work-life balance and gaining work flexibility. Outside the industry, Morales has directed an educational program for California that aids children in closing the achievement gap by helping them with reading and math.

SARAH BATANGAN Senior vice president, strategic business operations LIZZIE GARNER Executive vice president Stearns Lending Guaranteed Rate Sarah Batangan joined Stearns Lending in 2014, bringing more than 15 years of mortgage As executive vice president of lending operations experience, including Guaranteed Rate, Lizzie Garner has expertise in in-house systems, processes and leveraged her previous experience as loan origination system technologies. In 2016, a business leader during JPMorgan she led the correspondent operations team to Chase’s acquisitions of BankOne and a record year that saw originations reach Washington Mutual to seamlessly $7.3 billion, and created a recognition program spearhead several Guaranteed Rate within the team to promote positive behavior mergers, including the recent joint and performance. She was also instrumental venture with real estate giant Realogy. in the subsequent sale of the company’s A self-described “solutionist,” delegated correspondent platform to Garner has shaped Guaranteed Rate’s Flagstar Bancorp. centralized communication strategy, The ‘go-to’ person when it comes to handling new challenges and implementing implemented a best-in-class onboarding large-scale changes, Batangan has served as the business lead for a range of projects and training platform, and built one of at Stearns, including the development and launch of the lending space loan origination the most comprehensive employee system and the implementation of an enterprise-wide offshore program for business resource portals in the industry. Known process outsourcing initiatives. She also assisted in building and launching the enterprise for developing talent and empowering her post-funding system. As a result of her efforts, Stearns has experienced improvement in direct reports to think like owners, Garner turnaround times and processes, along with a reduction in expense for wholesale/retail has fostered a culture of collaboration document indexing and post-closing insuring/guaranty. and accountability across all business Batangan is an active member of the National Association of Professional Mortgage channels, ensuring the timely and fully Women and the Mortgage Bankers Association. She also serves as a Women for Women realized delivery of several high-profile International sponsor, helping instill economic self-sufficiency skills in women who have company initiatives, most notably immigrated from war-torn countries. Guaranteed Rate’s digital mortgage.

10 www.mpamag.com PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH MULTIPLIED

No other company invests in their employees’ professional growth like Academy.

“It has been a true honor for me to participate in Academy Mortgage’s Leadership Academy. Unique in the industry, Leadership Academy is designed around an MBA program and is completely geared toward my personal and professional growth. Even better, it is structured for participants to network and collaborate with the company’s leadership, learning side by side and not from the top down. “My growth in this program has been outwardly evident to all those around me over the past year. I am more effective in my one-on-ones. I extensively utilize the tools presented to us in my branch. I am better at recognizing my personal strengths and the strengths of others. Participating in Leadership Academy has helped me become a better leader and a better coach. “The excitement this program has generated for me is contagious. Our branch is growing with people who want to be a part of this environment.” —Jennifer Higgerson

Congratulations to Academy’s Kim Wolcott and Mindy Ashdown for being named by MPA as Elite Women in Mortgage. Find your opportunity for personal and professional growth at Academy. Contact John Owens, National Recruiting Manager, at (801) 541-7456 or visit www.academymortgage.com.

Corp NMLS #3113 | Corp State Lic #5491140 | Equal Housing Lender SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

RUTH GREEN Senior vice president of operations

Primary Residential Mortgage

As SVP of operations at Primary Residential Mortgage [PRMI], Ruth Green is responsible for overseeing continuous improvement of the company’s service and products, and over the years she has had many successes. She played a critical role in the nationwide implementation CATHLEEN of PRMI’s new loan origination system. Together with her team, she was able to SCHREINER GATES fully deploy the software in 90 days, which Executive vice president, sales and marketing

resulted in PRMI earning the Ellie Mae Ellie Mae Hall of Fame Award for Implementation Excellence in 2015. With more than three decades of Green also has successfully enforced national mortgage regulations such as TRID, experience in sales and field operations Ability to Repay, ECOA and more. To achieve this, she worked with industry peers and management and helping companies completed several analyses to identify technology needs, effect on productivity, and transition successfully to new software, short- and long-term resources needed, and also implemented company-wide training. Cathleen Schreiner Gates now serves Green also re-evaluated the company’s quality and post-funding penalties, and played a as executive vice president of sales crucial role in substantially reducing conditions and basis points, from an average of 1.6 and marketing at Ellie Mae, overseeing conditions and 7 basis points in 2015 to 0.4 conditions and 1 basis point in 2017. These sales, marketing, client management, accomplishments have been critical for PRMI’s revenue and reputation. professional services, and customer Over the course of almost two decades, Green has held numerous positions within support and training. Gates joined the PRMI, including underwriter, training manager and vice president of business relations. company in early 2012 to help with its Outside the company, she is on the Residential Loan Production Committee and the FHA rapid shift from enterprise software to Subcommittee of the Mortgage Bankers Association, and is also a member of the Utah SaaS. She previously held executive and Mortgage Bankers Association. Green has also raised funds for Feeding America and the senior management positions at Bersin Utah Food Bank, and she regularly travels for outreach. She has been to Jamaica to help & Associates, Clickability, MarketTools, the SOS Children’s Village, and earlier this year, she went to Costa Rica to volunteer at an Keynote Systems/Vividence and elementary school. Hyperion Solutions.

KRISTINA HEATH Owner/loan officer

KTL Performance Mortgage – Your Expert Mortgage

Kristina Heath started her career in automotive sales and spent close to 20 years in customer service, finance and sales management. After realizing the mortgage industry would allow her to pursue her passion for helping people, Heath became a loan officer in 2003. In 2009, she became a co-owner of KTL Performance Mortgage, and co-founded the Your Expert Mortgage team in 2010. Within the past year, the group has grown from four to seven professionals. Heath continues to lead the team to new markets, and has recently brought on business from key Realtor teams in Northeast and Northwest Ohio. Heath’s efforts were a key factor in KTL Performance Mortgage closing more than 700 loans in 2016.

12 www.mpamag.com CINDY LAFFEY Mortgage planner

Inlanta Mortgage

One of Kansas City’s top mortgage profes- sionals, Cindy Laffey boasts more than 20 years of industry experience and has topped more than $1 billion in career loan volume. She is ranked nationally as a top 1% lender and is regularly the top-performing lender at Inlanta Mortgage. Laffey is an active alumna of the Kansas City Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business, and is also a regular fixture on MPA’s Hot 100 and Elite Women lists.

www.mpamag.com 13 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

CATHI PATRICK- DAVIDSON Divisional president

Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group

Cathi Patrick-Davidson has been a key member of Gold Star’s senior management team for 10 years, previously holding the positions of chief operating officer and director of enterprise risk management before being promoted to the position of divisional president. Best known as one of JEAN BADCIONG the industry’s most visionary pioneers of Chief compliance officer compliance application, Patrick-Davidson Inlanta Mortgage is credited with crafting a compliance platform that easily assimilates up-to- Jean Badciong joined Inlanta Mortgage the-minute legislative, agency and in 2004, taking on the responsibility for lender-specific directives, and one that can accommodate a plethora of state-specific managing the company’s compliance mortgage lending disclosure. and quality control programs. A year Patrick-Davidson’s characteristic proactive compliance application was especially later, she began work with secondary evident in Gold Star’s seamless adoption and lender-partner interface of the TILA and operations, growing support for the RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule, which many in the industry are still navigating. transition from 43% to almost 100% of loans closed and funded by Inlanta. By 2014, Badciong had been named Inlanta’s chief compliance officer, LORENA RODRIGUEZ primarily responsible for overseeing and Assistant vice president of operations managing compliance, ensuring that

Motive Lending Inlanta Mortgage and its employees are complying with all regulatory Lorena Rodriguez has risen through the ranks at Motive Lending from account manager requirements and internal policies and to operations manager, and now to her current role as AVP of operations. She went from procedures. Badciong is a participant humble beginnings to funding an average of $250 million a month and leading a team on the MBA Legal Issues and Regulatory of 58 employees. Rodriguez has been responsible for the rollout of various company Compliance Committee and was named initiatives, including the wet funding process and USDA, 203(k) and NON-QM loans. one of MPA’s Elite Women in 2014.

CRISTEN TALBERT National underwriting manager

Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group

As Gold Star’s national underwriting manager, Cristen Talbert takes great pride in leading both the corporate and West Coast underwriting teams. Ensuring the delivery of highly accessible, quality-driven underwriting during the past five years, Talbert is admired for creating open lines of communication between originators and underwriters, and is fiercely committed to maintaining exceptional turnaround times. Previously holding a number of leadership roles in the banking arena and with the US Department of Agriculture, Talbert is particularly skilled in process improvement and developing superior training initiatives. Talbert also served in the US Air Force during the Gulf War.

14 www.mpamag.com KATRINA COLE Business development, marketing

Inlanta Mortgage

Katrina Cole currently manages all marketing and business development efforts for the Jonathan Arnold and Brian Ferrick teams of Inlanta Mortgage in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is also the vice president of the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association’s West Chapter and co-chair of the West Michigan Women’s Council of Realtors. She focuses on complete and cohesive marketing practices, public relations, communication, training, advertising, marketing, social media, blogging, sales, TONYA TODD business development, and company organization, believing that when all these Senior vice president, strategic products areas work together, the consumer Mountain West Financial experience becomes extraordinary. Tonya Todd joined Mountain West Financial [MWF] in early 2012 as the leader of the affordable housing KELLI YARBROUGH programs team. She is responsible Vice president for the company’s participation and

RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation involvement in down payment assistance programs and works closely with Kelli Yarbrough’s most recent accomplish­ nonprofit organizations and housing ment has been the successful development finance agencies to develop lending of RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing products that meet their constituents’ Corporation’s originations department. She needs. She formed an exclusive built this team from scratch and created partnership with Down Payment more than 100 roles in the process, while Resource, the nation’s only web-based designing and implementing all the policies, aggregator of homebuyer assistance procedures, systems and training programs programs, and she also created a required to establish the new department. proprietary program that serves This endeavor began in March 2016, and by teachers, firefighters, police officers and August, the department had taken its first other public county employees. lock – an accomplishment in and of itself. Todd is responsible for the imple- To support the evolution of the origin­ mentation, administration and main- ations team, Yarbrough instituted weekly tenance of these programs, and works personalized 15-minute training sessions daily with internal divisions, including for the sales staff. She also created a personal accountability workshop for women within loan underwriting, loan purchasing and the RoundPoint organization that inspires them to embrace accountability and take secondary marketing. She also works control of their own success. “[Kelli’s] leadership style is grounded in empathy, building on externally with loan servicing to ensure individuals’ strengths and weaknesses, learning from mistakes, and cultivating confidence programs are successful for both MWF to inspire her peers and team members to be the very best they can be,” a colleague says. and housing partners. Prior to joining Yarbrough believes in continuous education for herself as well, which is why she MWF, Todd worked for nearly nine years decided to return to school after 25 years. She is currently working on a post-bachelor on Bank of America’s affordable housing certificate in women/gender studies and a master’s degree in liberal studies, and has also team, where she managed master applied for a doctoral program in community college education. servicing programs.

www.mpamag.com 15 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

KARA LAMPHERE TINA JABLONSKI Director of correspondent lending and chief compliance officer Senior vice president of business development

Mid America Mortgage Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group

Kara Lamphere manages Mid America Mortgage’s correspondent lending and Tina Jablonski has spent the past decade compliance programs. During her 20-plus-year career, Lamphere’s main area of passionately introducing Gold Star’s focus has been serving as a chief compliance officer, including a stint with a mortgage industry-leading branching and support subsidiary that was generating $1 billion monthly in mortgage loans. Her extensive platform to mortgage lending’s most experience includes operations, quality control and audit – and she can now add sales talented professionals, thereby playing a to that list, thanks to a newly created platform for eClose and eNotes. She has been pivotal role in Gold Star’s growth strategy. integral in the execution of these programs in Mid America’s retail and TPO channels. Jablonski’s career history in business Lamphere also led the efforts to transition brokers to mortgage bankers through the development spans 20 years, giving her eCorrespondent division, which has translated to reduced turnaround times and the deep experience and insight required to improved profitability for originators and correspondents. accurately assess the ever-changing needs Lamphere has an enduring passion for team-building, mentoring, communication and expectations of modern professionals. and finding simple yet effective solutions to complex problems. As a Certified Internal A talented and dedicated ambassador Auditor, she has trained numerous successors to follow in her footsteps, believing that for Gold Star, Jablonski partners with the doing so enhances her own ability to grow. A proponent of education, Lamphere has company’s senior leadership in order served on the board of trustees for Fort Worth Academy since 2014, and is part of its to maximize recruiting initiatives and finance and governance committees. continually improve its branching platform.

YVETTE CLERMONT Branch manager

Inlanta Mortgage

Yvette Clermont consistently ranks among Inlanta Mortgage’s top performers. She serves as a branch manager, overseeing staff members in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Lakewood Ranch, Florida. In addition, she serves on Inlanta’s advisory board, providing her insight and experience to the company’s senior leadership and her peers. Clermont has been in the industry since 1997 and holds the designation of Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist and is currently working on her CMB designation through the Mortgage Bankers Association. Dedicated to positive industry reforms, Clermont is also active on the MBA’s Political Action Committee and is a member of the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals, the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association and the Florida Bankers Association.

16 www.mpamag.com Inlanta’s 2017 MPA Elite Women

CONGRATULATIONS to our Elite Women of Inlanta Mortgage

Jean Badciong Cindy Laffey Yvette Clermont Katrina Cole Chief Compliance Officer Mortgage Planner Branch Manager Business Development/ NMLS# 261978 NMLS# 248437 Marketing

Join #TeamInlanta Today! Inlanta Mortgage is growing & we want you to grow with us! Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Inlanta Mortgage may be the perfect place for you.

We offer: In-house Underwriting, Funding, Processing, and Compliance Sales Training • Personal Coaching • Peer and Operational Support Advisory Board • Marketing

262.439.4242 | [email protected]

Inlanta Mortgage, Inc. NMLS #1016 is an Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee #MB.0006190. Inlanta Mortgage is regulated by the State of lllinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company #MC. 0025045. New Hampshire License # 17396-MB. Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department Division of Banking. Texas SML Mortgage Banker Registration. http://www.sml.texas.gov/ConsumerInformation/tdsml_consumer_complaints.html. Wisconsin Banker License #43262BA, Wisconsin Broker License #1016BR. Approved to do business in: AL, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, RI, TN, TX, VT, and WI. SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

JILL BURNS Executive vice president, operations

Mountain West Financial

A mortgage industry veteran of more than 20 years, Jill Burns has a proven track record in senior operational roles. She first joined the team at Mountain West Financial [MWF] in 2012 as senior vice president of operations and now holds the role of executive vice president of operations. In addition to oversight of all back-office operational functions, Burns contributes to setting the company’s guidelines, policies and procedures. Her primary role is to ensure top-quality service and maximum productivity for all of MWF’s centralized and distributed fulfillment locations. She has successfully run a team of elite project managers that implemented a state-of-the-art Loan Operations System, and she continues to actively work on LOLA O’MALLAN several technology integrations to create more Vice president of operations

streamlined operations workflows. Additionally, Stearns Lending Burns successfully launched a Specialty Products Operations Center that focuses on affordable Lola O’Mallan joined Stearns Lending housing and first-time homebuyers. in 2007 and was tasked with opening a Outside of her day-to-day duties, Burns helps raise regional operations center in Concord, funds for cancer and autism research, actively California. Within the first year of the participates in sponsoring humane treatment center’s operation, she led her team to a of animals via the ASPCA and other venues, fivefold increase in units funded; in 2010, and keenly promotes company culture and the center funded more than $1 billion. community involvement. More recently, O’Mallan was asked to transition the center to exclusively serve Stearns’ burgeoning retail channel, and JULIA BORST she and her team quickly adapted and Senior vice president and divisional sales manager embraced the new partnership with

Guaranteed Rate retail sales managers and mortgage loan originators. The center is currently A 20-year mortgage industry veteran, Julia the highest-producing retail regional Borst first brought Guaranteed Rate to Utah operations center with Stearns. Due to in 2009. At the time, there were just four her track record of success, O’Mallan has employees in one branch doing $40 million in been, and continues to be, called upon for annual production. Today, Borst leads a division many initiatives and pilot programs for the covering Utah, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, organization, and her expertise is frequently Nevada, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota sought by Stearns’ senior management. and Nebraska, and is on pace to fund well over O’Mallan began her career in the $1 billion in 2017. mortgage industry in her native Guam in “What I am most proud of is the environment 1994, serving as a mortgage loan originator that my team and I have created for our loan for seven years. She was a member of originators to accomplish their goals,” Borst the Guam Association of Realtors and says. “We live by our core values. We know what those look like and what we want to often held seminars across the island to accomplish together. When you build strong relationships with employees, referral educate veterans on the VA Home Loan partners and customers – and live up to a very high standard that you set for yourself – Program. Prior to joining Stearns, O’Mallan anything is possible. We want to disrupt what is normal in the industry, never worrying held various positions within the industry, about what ‘might’ happen, instead being fearless in decision-making to drive the very including retail branch manager, closing best results.” manager and operations manager.

18 www.mpamag.com MICHELLE BOBART Senior vice president

Guaranteed Rate

The former owner of her own mortgage firm, Michelle Bobart brings more than 19 years of experience as a loan officer to over 2,000 clients in the greater Chicago area. As a trusted lending advisor, Bobart focuses on building stable, lifelong relationships with her clients, partnering with them throughout their journey to reach their financial goals. Her unique, client-focused approach removes the anxiety and confusion associated with the loan process, resulting in flawless transactions. As a result, she has been consistently recognized as one of the leading mortgage bankers in the area, receiving accolades from both national trade publications and local media, including being named Five-Star Professional by Chicago magazine from 2011 to 2016. A passionate advocate for victimized women, Bobart is dedicated to helping women overcome domestic abuse and sexual exploitation. She serves on the board of directors for Stepping Stones Network, a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and engage the community to prevent domestic commercial sexual exploitation and provide comprehensive, restorative care to survivors. She also volunteers at the Cook County Jail, leading Bible study groups for women behind bars.

www.mpamag.com 19 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

CHARLOTTE TYSON Director of customer consulting

Genworth Mortgage Insurance

As the director of customer consulting for Genworth Mortgage Insurance, Charlotte Tyson provides project support and practical application of process improvement tools and methodologies for customers that include large regional banks, credit unions, small community banks and some of the nation’s largest lenders. A 25-year industry veteran, Tyson has an extensive background in all aspects of the business, which gives her great insight and the ability to apply process improvement tools and methodologies to the best advantage of the customer. Tyson joined GE/Genworth Mortgage Insurance in 1988 and has completed the company’s Management Training Program, as well as GE’s Process Improvement Methodologies and Change Acceleration Program. She is also a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

CAREN TANK Director of joint-venture operations loanDepot SALLY WOOD Caren Tank joined the mortgage industry in Senior vice president 2001 and has worked on everything from Evolve Bank & Trust FHA insuring and processing to underwriting and funding. Her work primarily revolves Thirty years in the mortgage industry in around building innovative mortgage process just about every role possible prepared flows and ensuring departments are run Sally Wood for her current position as more efficiently. One of her most notable senior vice president of production at accomplishments in the past few years has Evolve Bank & Trust. She dove into the been helping to retain a builder partner. Tank industry headfirst when she was hired to assembled a new operations team around oversee a bank mortgage lending office the builder and designed a new process flow with no experience. Not to be deterred, for underwriters, closers and funders, which she read every agency’s guidelines from resulted in higher volume and much faster closings. Since joining loanDepot, Tank has page one and jumped right in. Wood helped to grow this particular business from two states and 10 communities to seven joined Evolve in 2009 and currently states and 48 communities. oversees the company’s national loan For Tank, success in this industry has meant developing the ability to challenge status production offices. quo: “My biggest challenge is overcoming the typical mortgage industry thinking of, Wood has been named a Top 40 Under ‘That’s how we’ve always done it,’” she says. “At loanDepot, we’re constantly looking for 40 professional in Jackson, Mississippi, ways to improve process and create efficiency. That has led to better customer service and has served as president of the for our builder partners, which creates a better home-buying process for our customers. Jackson Mortgage Bankers Association, It’s not always easy to avoid the status quo, but I’ve taken chances and found success three HOAs and various volunteer because of it.” functions. Her philosophy is that “we are Outside of her mortgage work, Tank supports Harvest Compassion Center, a food and only as successful as those we support. clothing bank in Arizona, by organizing giving events during holidays such as Thanksgiving That includes the originator, the branch and Easter. and – always – the borrower!”

20 www.mpamag.com Congratulations to all of the remarkable women who make Guaranteed Rate a HUGE success! Special congrats go out to Lizzie Garner, Julia Borst, Indu Kapoor and Michelle Bobart. These remarkable industry pros made Mortgage Professional America’s Elite Women issue.*

LIZZIE GARNER JULIA BORST INDU KAPOOR MICHELLE BOBART Executive Vice President SVP, Divisional Manager Branch Manager SVP of Mortgage Lending

YOU CAN BE ELITE, TOO. CALL US TODAY. James Elliott Julia Borst Jim Linnane Chris Knapp NMLS ID #120474 NMLS ID #275440 P: (773) 290-0308 NMLS ID #224395 P: (310) 806-4604 P: (801) 890-7660 [email protected] P: (773) 290-0372 [email protected] [email protected] Territories: [email protected] AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, Territories: Territories: Territories: MA, ME, MD, MI, MO, MN, OK, AK, AZ, CA, HI, NM, OR, WA ID, MT, ND, NE, NV, SD, UT, WY AL, CO, GA, IL, KS, KY, LA, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA - East, RI, OH, PA – West, SC, TN SC, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV JOINGRNOW.COM

NMLS ID #2611 (Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) • AL - Lic# 21566 • AK - Lic#AK2611 • AR - Lic#103947 - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. 3940 N Ravenswood, Chicago IL 60613 866-934-7283 • AZ - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. - 14811 N. Kierland Blvd., Ste. 100, Scottsdale, AZ, 85254 Mortgage Banker License #0907078 • CA - Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight, Division of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act Lic #4130699 • CO - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. Regulated by the Division of Real Estate, 773-290-0505 • CT - Lic #17196 • DE - Lic # 9436 • DC - Lic #MLB 2611 • FL - Lic# MLD1102 • GA - Residential Mortgage Licensee #20973 - 3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 • HI - Lic#HI-2611 • ID - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. Lic #MBL-5827 • IL - Residential Mortgage Licensee - IDFPR, 122 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1900, Chicago, Illinois, 60603, 312-793-3000, 3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 #MB.0005932 • IN - Lic #11060 & #10332 • IA - Lic #2005-0132 • KS - Licensed Mortgage Company - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. - License #MC.0001530 • KY - Mortgage Company Lic #MC20335 • LA - Lic #2866 • ME - Lic #SLM11302 • MD - Lic #13181 • MA - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. - Mortgage Lender & Mortgage Broker License MC 2611 • MI - Lic #FR0018846 & SR0018847 • MN - Lic #MN-MO 20526478 • MS - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. 3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 - Mississippi Licensed Mortgage Company, Lic # 2611 • MO - Guaranteed Rate Lic # 14-1744-A • MT - Lic# 2611 • NJ - Licensed in NJ: Licensed Mortgage Banker - NJ Department of Banking & Insurance • NE - Lic #1811 • NV - Lic #3162 & 3161 • NH - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. dba Guaranteed Rate of Delaware, licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department - Lic # 13931-MB • NM - Lic #01995 • NY - Licensed Mortgage Banker - NYS Department of Financial Services- 3940 N Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60613 Lic # B500887 • NC - Lic #L-109803 • ND - Lic #MB101818 • OH - Lic #MB0804160 & Lic #SM.501367 - 3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 • OK - Lic # ML002651 • OR - Lic #ML-3836 - 3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 • PA - Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities Lic #20371 • RI - Rhode Island Licensed Lender Lic # 20102682LL, RI - Rhode Island Licensed Loan Broker Lic # 20102681LB • SC - Lic #-MLS - 2611 • SD - Lic# ML.04997 • TN - Lic #109179 • TX - Licensed in TX: Licensed Mortgage Banker & Licensed Residential Mortgage Loan Servicer- TX Department of Savings & Mortgage Lending • UT - Licensed in UT: Utah-DRE Mortgage Entity License #7495184 & Utah-DFI Residential First Mortgage Notification – Utah Department of Financial Institutions • VT - Lic #2611-1 & 0930 MB & 6100 • VA - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. - Licensed by Virginia State Corporation Commission, License # MC-3769 • WA - Lic #CL-2611 • WI - Lic #27394BA & 2611BR • WV - Lic #ML-30469 & MB-30098 • WY - Lic#2247 Guaranteed Rate is an Equal Opportunity Employer that welcomes and encourages all applicants to apply regardless of age, race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital or parental status, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy or other reason prohibited by law. *As listed among 50 Elite Women in Mortgage SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

TERESA WHITEHEAD CEO

Citywide Home Loans

Ever since Teresa Whitehead took the reins as CEO at Citywide Home Loans, she has led with passion, strength and determination. As CEO, she has instilled best industry practices for streamlining operations and new concept management for the sales force to achieve higher sales volume. Her efforts have resulted in year-over-year achievement of her revenue goals, taking the company from $500 million in revenue in 2010 to $3.2 billion in 2016.

BEETA LECHA Senior tax manager

Spiegel Accountancy Corporation

As a senior tax manager at Spiegel Accountancy Corporation, Beeta Lecha has become increasingly involved with the California Mortgage Association and the private lending space. She is also active with the American Association of Private Lenders and involved with a fund administration company, Fairway America, that works with private lenders in small-balance real estate. Lecha regularly provides on-site, personalized training to Fairway’s team on tax and accounting issues. Outside of the office, Lecha is a member of the East Bay California JENNIFER ZWICK Association of Mortgage Professionals, the American Institute of CPAs and the Mortgage operations manager California Society of CPAs. She is also TTCU The Credit Union active with the Diablo Networking Circle, a local chapter of Business Network Jennifer Zwick landed in the mortgage industry after a restructuring of her department International, where she regularly attends at the university where she worked; today, she is entering her fifth year as the mortgage networking meetings and events for operations manager for TTCU Federal Credit Union, where she oversees the loan small businesses in her community coordinating, processing and closing divisions. On top of these responsibilities, Zwick also and engages in business development serves as project manager for the credit union’s recent conversion to a new mortgage opportunities. For the past year, Lecha system. Over the last two years, she completed the groundwork needed for the transition, has also served on the board of directors including ensuring compliance with new TRID regulations and preparing the entire of utility company Grid Bright. In addition, mortgage department to move to a paperless process. Zwick was also responsible for the Lecha and her family are organizing efficient addition of a new product to the credit union’s portfolio, managing to shorten the and hosting a fundraiser this year in time needed to build the product from six weeks to four business days. support of the Mauzzy Foundation, a Outside of her day job, Zwick serves on the board of women’s ministry at her church local organization that helps children with and participates in mission work. She has traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to work with special needs by providing funding for House of Grace, a group that rescues girls in danger of being sold into trafficking by their classroom equipment and materials. own families.

22 www.mpamag.com TEREZE GEGAJ Vice president, client service

United Wholesale Mortgage

As vice president of client service at United Wholesale Mortgage [UWM], Tereze Gegaj is responsible for leading service initiatives that have won the company Stevie Awards for Client Service Department of the Year for two years in a row. Over the last two years, United Wholesale’s net promoter scores from clients have significantly increased MARY CASSELL – to 81% as of May 2017 – and are now comparable to those of Vice president, originations companies ranking in the top five nationwide in terms of service Digital Risk score and loyalty. Gegaj joined UWM in late 2012 as an account executive and As vice president of originations at Digital Risk, Mary Cassell quickly became a top producer and leader for the sales floor. She is responsible for running the entire HELOC operation. Cassell has created a team of call scorers, coaches and client service has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry, trainers to support the operations team in maintaining elite including 15 years specializing in home equity. Prior to joining Digital service. She is also responsible for developing a client outreach Risk, Cassell spent much of her career at Bank of America, most team that equips them for on-the-spot troubleshooting, and for recently as FCRA enterprise governance and controls executive, implementing a client service ambassador program that offers where she owned the entire internal control function that drove the peer coaching, accountability and development. Fair Credit Reporting Act for compliance and quality enterprise- Gegaj is proud to be among the women who make up 56% wide. During her time at Bank of America, she held executive roles of UWM’s senior leadership team, explaining that it’s about in areas such as closing services, quality and operations, national more than just fulfilling the gender number – it’s “about the and consumer underwriting, and credit coaching. Cassell has a quality, passion and the impact someone makes. It is definitely Six Sigma Green Belt and continues to participate in professional empowering to see women in the industry shining, bringing game- development opportunities, recently attending the Information changing ideas to the table and making those ideas a reality in the Security Development Program in New York and the School of mortgage world.” Mortgage Banking in Charlotte, North Carolina.

MARYKAY SCULLY Director of customer education

Genworth Mortgage Insurance

Leading the development of customer education curriculum at Genworth Mortgage Insurance is MaryKay Scully. In her role as director of customer education, Scully trains more than 7,500 professionals each year on a wide range of topics, including TRID, updates to process improvements, and how to navigate and adhere to evolving compliance requirements. She focuses on training loan officers and underwriters to step back from their process, understand the bigger picture and appreciate the evolving technological ecosystem that is maturing within the housing industry. In her 23 years at GE/Genworth, Scully has served as an e-business development manager, director of customer education and organizational effectiveness, and as a service center manager. Prior to Genworth, she held loan officer positions at various mortgage companies in the Mid-Atlantic states.

www.mpamag.com 23 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

ERIKA BUTLER Branch manager

Primary Residential Mortgage

With a knack for local real estate, Erica Butler prides herself on her ability to build and maintain strong relationships with her clients and professional partners. Boasting 14 years of experience, Butler has been recognized as Senior Loan Officer of the Month nine times, has been Sales Manager of the Year and was awarded Residential Finance’s People’s Choice Award, among many other recognitions. Last year, she funded more than $25 million in mortgages, landing her on Primary Residential Mortgage’s President’s Club.

DEANN ELLIS Senior loan officer

Element Funding

DeAnn Ellis has been a leader in the mortgage industry for more than 20 years. She built her expertise in home lending by working for various lenders and has even owned her own mortgage company. Currently a senior loan officer for Element Funding in Covington, Georgia, Ellis and her team service the entire state. Through the years, she has been recognized for her GINA BAKER expertise and has consistently earned top Chief sales officer

producer honors. She won the Element Alderus Mortgage Funding President’s Club Award in 2015 and Chairman’s Club Award in 2016, and Dedicated to helping thousands of families with debt management strategies and real has received recognition from various estate professionals with expanding their businesses, Gina Baker has been a principal publications. She also ranked among the owner of Alderus Mortgage since 2005. Baker oversees the research, sales and marketing top 1% of mortgage originators in America efforts of a team of mortgage professionals, working with them to develop a variety of in 2016, thanks to a volume of more than innovative tools. She built the Alderus senior loan officer team model, which has been $46 million. implemented company-wide, helped customize the sales force mortgage platform, Ellis is the co-author of the Amazon and automated team workflows to improve production and communication, all while bestseller The Mortgage Storm. She is also maintaining her status as a top producer. an instructor for American Real Estate As a result of her efforts, loan officers have accumulated nearly 400 five-star reviews University, where she teaches courses for from clients, buyers and selling agents in less than two years, and Alderus has secured continuing education. In addition, she is a spot among the top mortgage employers in America for the last three years. To draw a member of the chamber of commerce more young people into the industry, Baker is continuing to develop the company’s Next for Walton and Newton, the East Metro Gen Program, which enables it to recruit millennials with no prior mortgage experience by Women’s Council of Realtors, the East scouting young leaders and transforming them into top producers. Metro Board of Realtors and the Walton Baker is a recipient of the Woman of Distinction Award from the National Association of Barrow Board of Realtors, and serves on Women Business Owners. She has also been recognized by various key figures, including the board for Action Ministries, an agency Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, US Congressman Joe Heck, and US Senators Dean established to feed hungry children. Heller and Harry Reid, for her accomplishments as a female business owner in Nevada.

24 www.mpamag.com LAURA NEUSA GILLEN

BRANDAO Cofounder and chief compliance officer Chief operating officer Family First Funding American Financial Resources

Laura Brandao’s vision of Starting in the mortgage bringing families home has industry in 1994 while still become the foundation for in high school, Neusa Gillen the culture at American quickly realized she had Financial Resources [AFR]. found her calling. After Boasting more than two graduating three years decades of experience in the later, Gillen began working mortgage industry, Brandao full-time as a mortgage brought the wholesale processor. Over the next division to AFR in 2007 and became an AFR partner in 2009. 20 years, she participated in every single operations aspect of She has been the driving force that has catapulted AFR Whole­ the mortgage process, from pulling credit reports to processing, sale to the top of manufactured home, one-time close and underwriting, closing and post-closing, giving her a complete renovation lending in the US. She has seamlessly rolled out new understanding of the loan process. products based on market demand, including VA Renovation, In 2012, Gillen was one of three individuals who co-founded and will be introducing one-time close for USDA in the near Family First Funding. As chief compliance officer, she is connected future. Brandao also designed AFR’s on-demand processing, to every one of the company’s departments. She has spearheaded providing brokers and correspondent lenders a way to focus on Family First Funding’s quality control and employee training their customers while using AFR’s staff to process, underwrite, programs, and is the ‘mechanic’ behind all systems improvements close and fund loans. and enhancements. “The part of my job that I enjoy most is Brandao’s understanding of current business trends helped to proving those wrong who say a system or process cannot be inform the company’s latest innovation: an integration between improved upon,” she says. AFR and Amazon’s Alexa. Thanks to Brandao’s hands-on Gillen is motivated by helping to create a compliant environ­ approach, AFR remains on the cutting edge of technology with ment that creates a smooth experience not only for borrowers mobile-friendly applications that can integrate the borrower, and referral partners, but also for the sales and operations teams Realtor, broker and AFR in a cohesive environment. Brandao at Family First Funding. “Being part of removing the stress people appeared on MPA’s Hot 100 list earlier this year and is making her experience while making what is possibly the biggest financial third appearance on the Elite Women list. decisions of their lives is the most rewarding feeling,” she says.

JULIE CROW Branch manager and loan originator

Primary Residential Mortgage

“Trustworthy,” “kind,” “hard-working” and “miracle worker” are just some of the words clients use to describe Julie Crow, who prides herself on always doing what is right for the client. Since joining the industry more than two decades ago, Crow has gone from being a receptionist to owning her own mortgage company to managing two successful branches for two large nationwide mortgage lenders. Having gained her customers’ trust, she continues to receive referrals while maintaining existing clients, and this has propelled her to the top of the company in terms of production. Managing a team of seven loan originators, she is responsible for more than 65% of her branch’s total volume, and her branch currently ranks among the company’s top 20 in terms of efficacy and key performance indicators.

www.mpamag.com 25 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

PAULA WHITE Regional vice president

McLean Mortgage Corporation

Paula White has been a leader at McLean Mortgage Corporation for more than seven years; during that time, she has built a sales team that has closed over a billion dollars in mortgages, more than 90% of which was purchase production. White has been a McLean President’s Club member for the past seven years, and during her 25 years of residential lending experience, she has provided solutions for thousands of clients within the Washington, DC, metro area. White has also helped support the careers of others by hiring, training and mentoring numerous loan officers, sales managers and other industry personnel. Her specialty is working with and educating real estate agents, and this has led her to train thousands of agents as a Mortgage Mastery sales instructor over the past 15 years, and more BETH O’BRIEN recently as a Virginia board-certified real estate license instructor. In addition to White’s President and CEO

professional commitments, she remains heavily engaged within her community, including CoreVest American Finance involvement with the Virginia Homicide Investigators Association. Beth O’Brien is the founder and CEO of CoreVest American Finance, a private JENNIFER FOUNTAIN lender to residential real estate investors. Senior vice president of due diligence CoreVest, originally known as Colony

Altavera Mortgage Services American Finance, was founded in 2014 to address the unique needs of investors A residential mortgage lending veteran in the single-family rental and bridge of more than three decades, Jennifer loan space who were not served well by Fountain’s career has been distinguished either commercial or residential products. by its emphasis on credit and underwriting Under O’Brien’s leadership, CoreVest has policy, operations, due diligence, closed more than $2.5 billion in loans management and training. She currently and won the NREI/IMN Award in 2016 for serves as senior vice president of due innovation by a non-bank lender. diligence for Altavera Mortgage Services, Previously, O’Brien was executive vice where she was hired in 2016 to develop president at Auction.com, where she and launch a new closed-loan file review ran residential capital markets, and was service. In the past year, Fountain has president of AuctionFinance.com, where grown this division to become one of she oversaw the financing strategy for the Altavera’s most profitable business platform. In that capacity, she managed lines – one that has seen a 142% increase in volume since its launch. Fountain also single-family and multi-family loan sales, spearheaded Altavera’s recognition by Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings as an approved and founded a proprietary private lender third-party due diligence provider for US residential mortgage-backed securities. geared at the investor market. Prior to joining Altavera, Fountain held leadership positions with Redwood Trust and O’Brien also previously worked at Aurora Loan Services. In both of these roles, she was responsible for overseeing multiple Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Combined, review teams and played an essential role in helping to manage company risk. She she has more than 25 years of experience served as the escalation point for credit-risk questions related to loan programs and in almost every aspect of the mortgage guidelines, exception requests, and appraisal variances, and collaborated closely with industry as both a principal and an both companies’ policy managers and compliance officers to identify and recommend advisor, and she has overseen more than credit policy and underwriting guideline revisions. $15 billion in transactions.

26 www.mpamag.com CONGRATULATIONS With their demonstrated commitment to excellence, our women of distinction are truly elite mortgage industry professionals. Their achievements and leadership are an inspiration to us all. Congratulations Mellissa Bresch, Lola O'Mallon, Suzy Lindblom and Sarah Batangan.

MELLISSA BRESCH LOLA O’MALLAN VP Operations, Pittsburgh, PA VP Operations, Walnut Creek, CA

SUZY LINDBLOM SARAH BATAGAN Managing Director, National Fulfillment SVP Strategic Business Operations

2017 MPA Elite Women Award Winners LENDING SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

LORI BREWER PAM HANBURY President and founder Chief financial officer

LBA Ware McLean Mortgage Corporation

Lori Brewer is an accomplished entrepreneur A product of military life as both a child and technology leader. Brewer entered the and adult, Pam Hanbury has worked at mortgage industry in 1997 after serving as a a wide variety of financial companies captain and information systems manager in the over the course of her career. For the US Air Force, and has manifested her forward- past 10 years, Hanbury has served as thinking vision through the development of more chief financial officer for firms within the than 25 lending-oriented applications, many of mortgage sector. During that time, she which are still in use today. She founded LBA has established expertise in developing, Ware in 2008 to deliver innovation and business implementing and maintaining effective process optimization to community banks and planning and analysis capabilities to independent mortgage lenders through the provide senior leadership with tools to company’s flagship products, CompenSafe positively impact organizational dynamics and LOS Talker. Thanks to her efforts, LBA is a and profitability. Certified Women’s Business Enterprise. “Lori Brewer is a leader and a visionary,” writes a staff member at LBA Ware. “Not only has she built a successful software company from the ground up – one that is 100% woman-owned and has never requested or accepted outside funding – she has also built a legacy for herself and will continue to be a force in the industry with her sheer will and technical ability. Lori’s extensive background in the mortgage industry gives her a tremendous advantage over most programmers, allowing her to intuitively avoid pitfalls and produce an end product that exceeds expectations.” The staffer also praises Brewer for her leadership and mentoring efforts. “In just two short years, Lori has reshaped my career path and has taught me more about leadership, entrepreneurism, and being a female powerhouse at the office and at home than all my previous experiences combined. Lori is more than a mentor – she is an inspiration.” In keeping with her passion for technology development, Brewer has served as the technology chair on the Stratford Academy board of trustees and as a board advisor to the Middle Georgia State College School of Information Technology.

SHEILA LATIFF Senior director

Digital Risk

Sheila Latiff oversees Digital Risk’s servicing risk and compliance line of business. She provides expertise in all aspects of mortgage lending to lead her team in various types of customized oversight reviews, including servicing integrity reviews, legal requirements reviews and due diligence reviews on loans subject to servicing transfer. Latiff joined Digital Risk 2010 to design an e-learning website known as Digital Risk University. She then moved on to assist in setting up operational processes for the company’s private- label service projects. Latiff has more than 30 years of mortgage industry experience spanning retail, wholesale and correspondent production channels. Prior to joining Digital Risk, she held a number of senior management positions, including serving as vice president and national operations manager in the correspondent division of JP Morgan Chase for seven years.

28 www.mpamag.com TERRIE HAGERTY Executive vice president and director

Citadel Servicing

Boasting 30-plus years of lending and asset manage­ ment experience, Terrie Hagerty has experience in a wide range of areas, including quality control, underwriting, funding, compliance and servicing. As an executive vice president and director at Citadel Servicing Corporation [CSC], Hagerty oversees all aspects of funding and the servicing platform once a loan or a pool of loans has been acquired for investment. Prior to her current role, Hagerty served as SVP and director of secondary market operations for First Street Financial [FSFI], where she managed and maintained investor relations, successfully overseeing the close of trades from the due diligence process through the transfer of servicing by interacting with various Wall Street firms. Her role at FSFI was highly instrumental facilitating the interface between FSFI and AMRS that resulted in the formation of Citadel Servicing. LYNETTE HALE-LEE VICKIE DIPASQUALE Vice president, regional manager

Vice president of sales Wintrust Mortgage Simplifile Boasting more than 20 years of industry Vicki DiPasquale has been with Simplifile, a provider experience as a senior executive, Lynette of real estate document collaboration and recording Hale-Lee currently oversees the Western technologies for lenders, settlement agents and US region for Wintrust Mortgage, a counties, for more than eight years. A 30-year veteran subsidiary of Wintrust Financial. Prior of the title industry, DiPasquale is one of the industry’s to joining Wintrust, Hale-Lee was preeminent experts and educators on e-recording, president of Capstone Direct and has lender-settlement collaboration and post-closing. held senior level positions with various Her expertise has been essential in helping Simplifile national entities, including Tenura understand the needs of its customers – and, Real Estate Holdings, PNC Bank and consequently, to Simplifile’s product development, Prospect Mortgage (formerly Metrocities sales and overall success. Mortgage). She holds a California DiPasquale’s consultative approach to sales and ability to deliver hands-on expertise, real estate broker’s license, a national education and training helped Simplifile grow the number of settlement agents mortgage originator’s license and submitting documents through its e-recording service by more than 300% between serves on the executive committee and 2009 and 2013. Similarly, DiPasquale is aggressive in supporting new counties’ efforts to the board for the Real Estate Services better understand the benefits of e-recording and has helped Simplifile add 260 counties Providers Council [RESPRO], as well as to its e-recording network since January 2016. DiPasquale also manages an experienced chairman of the Programs and Education sales force deployed throughout the United States. Her leadership has been instrumental Committee. Hale-Lee has been actively in coordinating internal sales development and educational efforts. involved with RESPRO since 1999; upon Outside of her work for Simplifile, DiPasquale develops and teaches state-approved joining, Hale-Lee ran national production courses on e-recording, collaboration and post-closing that provide continuing education and sales support for more than 200 joint credits for title agents. She also regularly participates as a panel speaker at national ventures across the country. A published title industry and county recording conferences, including the 2013 National Settlement author, public speaker and consultant, Service Summit and the ALTA 2014 National Convention. Her thought leadership Hale-Lee has also served on various regularly appears in such publications as ALTA TitleNews and The Title Report. industry panels.

www.mpamag.com 29 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

REBEKAH BALKCOM KERRY KILLGO WIRTH Senior loan originator/loan specialist Chief operating officer

AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation Waterstone Mortgage Corporation Rebekah Balkcom Killgo has been at AmeriSave Mortgage for more than As chief operating a decade, which is quite rare in this officer of Waterstone business. A loan originator for most Mortgage Corporation, of her career, Killgo has also taken on various management Kerry Wirth oversees responsibilities through the years. After moving from a the entire loan process management position back to loan origination, Killgo has from application secured a spot in the company’s President’s Club for the past to close, as well as three years, even during her pregnancy in 2016. She credits post-closing. Wirth’s her successes to her husband and her team at AmeriSave, who initiatives focus on faithfully provide the support she needs to get loans closed and building strong support teams, streamlining the mortgage loan make borrowers happy. process and implementing automation technology to improve Despite working in a male-dominated industry, Killgo has efficiency. Her strong leadership and business expertise have found plenty of opportunities for women to thrive. “From what I propelled Waterstone’s ability to maintain higher-than-average have seen, [women] who stay in this business are strong, driven industry turn times and exceptional service. women who stand out in any crowd,” she says. “Because this Wirth got her start in the industry by managing a credit business is mostly [composed of] men LOs, I think that is a union’s mortgage portfolio and servicing. Throughout her career, benefit for me as a woman. I gain the trust of my borrowers more she has taken on various roles and challenges that have helped easily because I do not have that ‘salesman’ voice.” shape her into the leader she is today.

JAMIE KORUS PEARCE President

Alliance Home Loans

For Jamie Korus Pearce, the past two years have been defined by three major accomplish­ ments: becoming the chairperson of the Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee, where she increased the size of the federal PAC to break its $2 million record amount; doubling Alliance Home Loan’s production to nearly reach the $1 billion mark; and getting married. Under Pearce’s leadership, Alliance Home Loans has been recognized as a Best Company to Work For by CareerBuilder and a Top Women-Owned Business by the Phoenix Business Journal since 2013. Pearce is grateful for recognitions for women in the industry “for two very strong reasons,” she explains. “The industry in general still does not have enough representation of our gender. I sit in many groups and meetings, and it always surprises me how few seats are occupied by women. Secondly, as our industry experiences attrition through retirement, we need to appeal to and share success stories with the younger female generation [for them] to be encouraged to enter and thrive in a real estate finance career.” Within Alliance, Pearce formed the ACTION [Alliance(s) Committed to Impacting Our Neighborhood] Committee to help employees volunteer with a charity of choice every quarter. She also founded Get On BASE for Charity, an annual softball event that raises funds for the charities chosen by the winning companies.

30 www.mpamag.com MINDY ASHDOWN Loan officer

Academy Mortgage Corporation

A self-described “workhorse,” Mindy Ashdown is on pace to surpass her production goal of $70 million for the year, funding a projected $40 million for the first half of 2017. In 2016, Ashdown qualified for Academy’s President’s Club, which consists of the company’s highest performers. Having been in the business since 1996, Ashdown has served in various capacities, including loan officer, branch manager, vice president and processor. Nearly all of Ashdown’s business is focused on new home construction. She supports her builder partners in numerous ways, attending open houses and marching MELLISSA BRESCH in parades to hand out promotional swag. She also participates in local service projects Vice president, fulfillment operations with her builder partners and is involved with food drives in her community to feed Stearns Lending students in need. As Stearns Lending’s VP of fulfillment operations, Mellissa Bresch oversees KRISTEN SIEFFERT the management and growth of Stearns’ President Pittsburgh Loan Fulfillment Center.

Finance of America Reverse Under her leadership, the center has experienced exponential growth since It has been an eventful couple of years opening in 2012. Originally an offload for Kristen Sieffert. After serving as COO center with a team of just five individuals, of Finance of America Reverse since the unit has grown into a powerhouse 2012, she became president in late 2015, fulfillment site, providing support to the shortly before giving birth to her second Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, child. “[Last year] was my first full year along with portions of the Central, serving as FAR’s president; I had a lot to Northeast and Midwest regions. The learn and big shoes to fill,” she says. She Pittsburgh team also fulfills all jumbo attributes her success to the support of lending for the company’s wholesale the teams within the lending channel and channel. In 2016, Bresch’s teams were at the corporate level, as well as to her responsible for the fulfillment of nearly husband, who enabled her to commit to 17% of Stearns’ entire wholesale channel her new role on top of being a wife and funding. Bresch has been instrumental mother. To pass on that support, she has in creating a culture that has resulted helped create a family-centered work environment within the company that supports in one of the highest retention rates in work-life balance. the organization, along with consistently Over the past 12 months, Sieffert has led the company to increase its profitability ranking among the top three locations by 35%, thus solidifying its position as a top reverse mortgage lender. She is also within the company in terms of key pioneering an effort to educate forward mortgage originators on the benefits of reverse performance indicators. mortgages, and has begun an innovative program with Finance of America Mortgage Outside of mortgage work, Bresch is [FAM]. The program has generated a tremendous amount of excitement among FAM involved with the Children’s Hospital of advisors and is beginning to positively impact the company’s bottom line. Sieffert was Pittsburgh. She organized a contest for also recently appointed to the board of directors for the National Reverse Mortgage her teams as a charitable donation effort Lenders Association and has served on the ethics and HUD issues committees for the for the hospital, which led to Stearns industry group. becoming a corporate donor.

www.mpamag.com 31 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

ANN FULMER Chief strategy and industry relations officer

FormFree

Ann Fulmer is a nationally recognized subject matter expert, thought leader and speaker specializing in data integrity, fraud and federal/CFPB regulatory compliance in mortgage loan originations. She currently serves as chief strategy and industry relations officer for FormFree, the industry’s leading provider of automated verification solutions. In this role, JESSICA VISNISKIE Fulmer drives strategic planning Vice president, operations and strategic initiatives

and implementation, manages the GMH Mortgage Services firm’s institutional relationships and interactions with federal and state Upon graduating from the University of regulators, and oversees outreach to Pittsburgh, Jessica Visniskie secured a industry associations and advocacy groups. position at Wilmington Finance as a junior Although Fulmer only officially joined FormFree in May, she has been advising secondary marketing analyst, where she the firm on a consulting basis for the last several years, and her guidance has been thrived in the fast-paced, ever-changing instrumental to FormFree’s staggering growth. In 2016, FormFree grew by leaps and mortgage industry and was soon promoted bounds, signing more than 200 of the industry’s leading lenders. In all, FormFree saw to manager of whole loan trading. After a 19,897% increase in orders from 2015 to 2016 and expects to increase its year-over- the market crash of 2009, Visniskie took a year revenue by a factor of 10 in 2017. hiatus from the industry to raise her young Prior to her work at FormFree, Fulmer was vice president of industry relations son. In 2012, she rejoined the business as and strategy for First American Mortgage Solutions following its 2014 acquisition a secondary marketing analyst with GMH of mortgage fraud solutions provider Interthinx. Her mortgage fraud expertise has Mortgage, where she recently made the been featured in People magazine, CNN and the New York Times, as well as numerous move from vice president of secondary mortgage and valuation trade publications, and she continues to make frequent marketing to vice president of operations appearances as a speaker at industry conferences. and strategic initiatives.

JONI KEPLER-FLEENOR Senior vice president and branch manager

InterWest Mortgage

As branch manager of InterWest Mortgage, a division of Iberia Bank, Joni Kepler-Fleenor has consistently ranked as the number-one originator throughout the entire Iberia Bank organization, in addition to being the number-one originator for the Southeast Idaho Housing Agency. She attributes her success to having built an excellent team, and she continues to be an effective leader by keeping up with the steady stream of regulatory changes in the industry. Outside of the mortgage industry, Kepler-Fleenor is vice president of the board for her local Habitat for Humanity, a role she has maintained for the past three years. She also serves on the committee for the Idaho Falls Blue Angels Air Show, which is headlined by the Navy Blue Angels.

32 www.mpamag.com MELISSA BRADLEY Vice president, processing

Satori Mortgage Financial Group

Recently promoted to processing manager at Satori Mortgage Financial Group, Melissa Bradley has been responsible for training a team of mortgage newcomers, as well as doubling Satori’s volume over the last 12 months. After moving from Minnesota to Florida to build her team, Bradley recently completed courses to become a licensed sales associate in the state of Florida, allowing her to provide diverse financial options to her clients as they look to buy or sell homes.

DEBBIE BEIER Chief operating officer

GSF Mortgage Corporation

An experienced mortgage professional in both the retail and wholesale channels, Debbie Beier joined GSF Mortgage seven years ago as an account executive to build the company’s wholesale division. Since then, she has climbed up the ranks and now serves as COO, managing GSF’s day-to-day operations. “I have one of the best operational teams in the industry,” she ROBIN GILMORE says. “Together, we have made the loan process more efficient, which has allowed our President originators to focus on taking care of their customers.” America’s Local Lender

In April, Robin Gilmore launched VALERIE CLYMER America’s Local Lender, bringing her 25 years of mortgage banking experience Loan originator to the firm. Prior to opening America’s Watson Mortgage Corporation Local Lender, Gilmore held a variety of positions in investor relations, Valerie Clymer has been in the mortgage industry for product development and operational more than 30 years, holding a variety of positions, oversight, working with institutions including bookkeeper, processor, closer, shipper such as Fannie Mae, Countrywide and and paralegal. The variety of her experience has loanDepot. Having spent time working given her the knowledge to help her clients better with investors, lenders, financial insti­ understand the mortgage process. Throughout her tutions and vendors, she developed a career, she has earned numerous awards, including deep understanding of the mortgage one from the state of Florida for her work with first- origination process. This, combined with time homebuyers, as well as being recognized as the top loan originator for Watson her passion for the business, inspired Mortgage’s North Central region for the past seven years. Last year, she was also the her to branch out and launch her own company’s top originator in the Central Florida region. firm. Outside of her company, Gilmore Outside of the industry, Clymer volunteers at local schools, mentoring students on is a member of the National Association language and leadership skills. As a result, she received the Volunteer of the Year Award of Mortgage Professionals and the from the Flagler County School District. University Club.

www.mpamag.com 33 SPECIAL REPORT ELITE WOMEN 2017

INDEX BY COMPANY COMPANY NAME PAGE COMPANY NAME PAGE Academy Mortgage Corporation Kim Wolcott 5 Guaranteed Rate Lizzie Garner 10 Academy Mortgage Corporation Mindy Ashdown 31 Guaranteed Rate Michelle Bobart 19 Alderus Mortgage Gina Baker 24 Inlanta Mortgage Inc. Cindy Laffey 13 Alliance Home Loans Jamie Korus Pearce 30 Inlanta Mortgage Inc. Katrina Cole 15 Altavera Mortgage Services Jennifer Fountain 26 Inlanta Mortgage Inc. Yvette Clermont 16 America’s Local Lender LLC Robin Gilmore 33 Inlanta Mortgage Inc. Jean Badciong 14 American Financial Resources Laura Brandao 25 InterWest Mortgage Joni Kepler-Fleenor 32 Amerisave Mortgage Corporation Rebekah Balkcom Killgo 30 KTL Performance Mortgage – The Mason Knows Mortgages Team Desteni Mason 8 Annie Mac Home Mortgage Christine Beckwith 3 KTL Performance Mortgage – Applied Business Software Elizabeth Morales 10 Your Expert Mortgage Kristina Heath 12 Bay Equity Home Loans Sue Melnick 6 LBA Ware Lori Brewer 28 Cachet Real Estate Finance Robin Morton 8 loanDepot Caren Tank 20 Caliber Home Loans Inc. Tammy Richards 7 loanDepot Mary Bane 8 Centennial Lending Group LLC Susan Meitner 4 McLean Mortgage Corporation Pam Hanbury 28 Citadel Servicing Terrie Hagerty 29 McLean Mortgage Corporation Paula White 26 Citywide Home Loans Teresa Whitehead 22 Mid America Mortgage Kara Lamphere 16 CoreVest American Finance Beth O’Brien 26 Motive Lending Lorena Rodriguez 14 Credit Plus Inc. Judy Ryan 7 Mountain West Financial Inc. Jill Burns 18 Delmar Financial Company Kelly Hendricks 6 Mountain West Financial Inc. Tonya Todd 15 Digital Risk LLC Mary Cassell 23 New American Funding Patty Arvielo 9 Digital Risk LLC Sheila Latiff 28 On Q Financial Lauren Boger 4 Element Funding Ashley Rustom 6 Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. Erika Butler 24 Element Funding DeAnn Ellis 24 Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. Julie Crow 25 Ellie Mae Cathleen Schreiner Gates 12 Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. Ruth Green 12 Evolve Bank & Trust Sally Wood 20 RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation Kelli Yarbrough 15 Family First Funding LLC Neusa Gillen 25 Satori Mortgage Melissa Bradley 33 Finance of America Reverse Kristen Sieffert 31 Service First Mortgage Linda Davidson 3 FormFree Ann Fulmer 32 Simplifile Vicki DiPasquale 29 Genworth Mortgage Insurance MaryKay Scully 23 Spiegel Accountancy Corporation Beeta Lecha 22 Genworth Mortgage Insurance Charlotte Tyson 20 Stearns Lending LLC Lola O’Mallan 18 GMH Mortgage Services LLC Jessica Visniskie 32 Stearns Lending LLC Mellissa Bresch 31 Go2Training Ginger Bell 4 Stearns Lending LLC Sarah Batangan 10 Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Inc. Cathi Patrick-Davidson 14 Stearns Lending LLC Suzy Lindblom 7 Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Inc. Cristen Talbert 14 TTCU The Credit Union Jennifer Zwick 22 Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group Inc. Tina Jablonski 16 United Wholesale Mortgage Tereze Gegaj 23 GSF Mortgage Corporation Debbie Beier 33 Waterstone Mortgage Corporation Kerry Wirth 30 Guaranteed Rate Indu Kapoor 3 Watson Mortgage Corporation Valerie Clymer 33 Guaranteed Rate Julia Borst 18 Wintrust Mortgage Lynette Hale-Lee 29

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