GENERAL SESSION: Looking Ahead (Again) at GSE Reform
MBA has reengaged a GSE Reform Task Force to provide thought leadership on the potential for a renewed effort to release the GSEs from conservatorship. MBA’s Chairman and Task Force Chair Mark Jones leads a discussion on the issue including a recap of where we were, where we are, and where we need to go on this issue. The panel will solicit audience feedback on what aspects of conservatorship need further reform, including bright line concerns, politicization of GSE activities, sclerotic decision-making, and reform of the FHFA itself.
Speakers
Moderator
Mark Jones is the 2024 MBA Chairman and President of Union Home Mortgage. Mark co-founded Amerifirst Home Mortgage in 1983, a company he grew from an individual location in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to over 80 full-service locations and 900 personnel nationwide. In January 2023, Amerifirst merged with Union Home Mortgage to form a top 40 national mortgage lender, where Mark now serves as President. Prior to the merger, Amerifirst was the No. 1 USDA lender and the No. 3 FHA lender in Michigan, and the No. 13 FHA lender in Florida. Amerifirst was also a Ginnie Mae issuer and serviced in-house a $6 billion loan portfolio. Amerifirst ranked as a Best and Brightest Company to Work for in the Nation for five consecutive years (2016-2020) and was named one of the top 50 Best Mortgage Companies to Work For in 2021. In 2016 Mark received the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Michigan and Northwest Ohio. In addition to his service as MBA’s Chairman-Elect, Mark currently serves as Chairman of MBA’s DEI Advisory Committee. He previously served as co-chair of MBA’s Independent Mortgage Bankers Executive Council. Mark also serves as board member and Public Policy Committee Chair at Southwest Michigan First and serves as Chair of Southwest Michigan First PAC.
Speakers
Bill Banfield is the Chief Business Officer of RKT Holdings. In this role, Bill is responsible for overseeing critical business areas including Capital Markets, Mortgage Servicing and Government Affairs. Under Bill’s leadership, Rocket navigates the ever-evolving financial landscape, safeguarding the company’s interests while fostering growth. Bill’s team is responsible for creating innovative mortgage offerings that help more Americans responsibly achieve homeownership through low down payment options and special purpose credit programs. Rocket’s Capital Markets team also manages company’s interest rate risk – including loan pricing and securitization activity – while working closely with investors and the secondary market. Rocket Mortgage’s Servicing Team manages a portfolio exceeding $500 billion for 2.5 million clients. The team ensures that each of these clients receives the same award-winning service they expect from Rocket, from the day their loan closes until the final payment is made. The Government Affairs Team ensures Rocket Companies’ partners in government understand the current state of the mortgage market and how homeownership can be more accessible. Bill joined Rocket Mortgage in 1999, holding many leadership roles in Capital Markets over the last 25 years. Before Rocket, Bill served at MCA Mortgage and Lambrecht Mortgage Company. He earned an undergraduate degree in Finance from Western Michigan University. Bill serves on the Mortgage Bankers Association Board of Directors and is a sought-after commentator on mortgage and personal finance topics. He is frequently quoted by prestigious national media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Reuters and many more.
Mr. Battany is the Executive Vice President of Capital Markets for Guild Mortgage Company. He oversees the firm’s capital market activities, including pricing, hedging, and secondary market execution. He’s also responsible for Guild’s credit policy, shipping, and product development functions. Mr. Battany manages investor relationships with GSEs, government agencies, and private investors. Prior to joining Guild, Mr. Battany was Chief Product Strategist for Penny Mac from 2012 to 2015, where he was responsible for managing the product development group, as well as its relationships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, USDA, Ginnie Mae, and mortgage insurance companies. From 1990 to 2012, Mr. Battany was with Fannie Mae, based in Pasadena, California where he served as Director of Single-Family Business and was responsible for managing the firm's relationships with west coast based lenders. Mr. Battany began his career in 1986 with First Interstate Bank of California, where he traded and hedged the bank's mortgage production. Mr. Battany is the chairman of the National MBA’s Residential Loan Production Committee. He was previous chairman of the National MBA’s Secondary and Capital Markets Committee, was previously a board member of the National MBA Residential Board of Governors and is a past board member of the California MBA. Mr. Battany is a board member of Habitat for Humanity, and was a previous board member of Rebuilding Together. Mr. Battany graduated in 1985 from the University of Colorado's school of Business Administration with a BS degree in Finance.
Debra W. Still, CMB, is Vice Chair of Pulte Financial Services, which includes Pulte Mortgage LLC, PGP Title and Pulte Insurance Agency and employs over 1100 individuals throughout the U.S. Pulte Financial Services is a part of PulteGroup, America’s largest homebuilder with operations in twenty-five states and the District of Columbia. Still has more than four decades of experience in the mortgage industry. She joined Pulte Mortgage in 1983, as Vice President/Branch Manager of the Maryland Division and subsequently held that position with the Dallas/Fort Worth Division. In June 1997, she was promoted to Executive Vice President, Production, and in October of that year was appointed to the Pulte Mortgage Board of Directors and named Corporate Secretary. Still became Chief Operating Officer in 1999, and in August 2004, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. She was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Pulte Financial Services in 2010 overseeing Pulte Mortgage, PGP Title and PIA Insurance. Still served as the 2013 Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association and is currently a member of the association's Board of Directors, and a member of MBA’s Consumer Affairs Advisory Council. Still was awarded MBA’s Andrew D. Woodward Distinguished Service Award in 2014. As an active MBA member for more than a decade, Still has also served as Chair of MBA's Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG,) Chairman of MBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Chairman of the Council for Residential Mortgage Servicing for the 21st Century, Chair of the Affordable Housing Subgroup on GSE Reform, and was Chair of the MBA Forward Task Force. She has also served on MBA's Strategic Planning Committee, MBA's Loan Origination Task Force, and Secondary and Capital Markets Committee. Still has testified before Congress multiple times. Still is presently the Chairman of MBA’s Opens Doors Foundation, serves on the MBA Board of Directors and the Housing Policy Council Executive Council. In 2011 and 2013, Still was featured in “Influential Women of the Housing Economy” by HousingWire Magazine and in 2011 was named one of “The Top Ten Women in Mortgage and Housing” by The Five Star Institute. In 2020, Still was recognized by the Denver Business Journal as “Most Admired CEO of 2020.” In March 2018 Still was appointed to Chimera’s Board of Directors. Chimera Investment Corporation is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that is primarily engaged in real estate finance. In September 2021, Still was appointed to the Board of Directors of Enact, Holdings, Inc, Enact is a publicly traded company and a leading U.S. private mortgage insurance provider. Still is a graduate of Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y., with a Bachelor of Science degree and has completed graduate work in Finance at George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Tom Wind serves as an executive vice president at U.S. Bank where he leads the company’s Consumer Lending organization, which includes its Home Mortgage, Home Equity, Unsecured, Warehouse Lending and Dealer Services lines of business. He was appointed to this role in January 2019. Consumer Lending provides nationwide lending of mortgage, home equity, personal loans, and auto, recreational vehicles and boat loans. Prior to his current role, Tom served as president of the Home Mortgage business at U.S. Bank, the role that brought him to U.S. Bank in January 2016. He is a 30-year veteran of consumer lending and has held executive leadership roles at EverBank Financial Corporation, Lehman Brothers, JP Morgan Chase and Citi. Tom earned both a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Business Administration from St. Louis University. He serves on the board of directors for the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and is a former chairman and current member of the Chairman’s Committee of the Housing Policy Council, a non-profit organization working to promote the interests of members of the mortgage and housing marketplace industries.
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