SPECIAL SESSION: Up Close with Government Lending Leaders

Haydn J. Richards, Jr.

Partner, Bradley

Through his actions and collective experience, Haydn Richards has demonstrated that he is one of the foremost leaders in state financial services law and financial services licensing matters. Haydn is a nationally recognized leader on mortgage and financial services licensing matters, including counseling clients relating to the formation of financial services companies and strategic acquisitions. He regularly interacts on behalf of financial services companies with federal and state regulatory agencies, both in adversarial and non-adversarial matters. Haydn counsels clients on CFPB compliance, federal and state origination-related issues, as well as all aspects of the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing (SAFE) Act, financial services licensing matters and the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). He also supports companies relating to matters involving residential and commercial mortgage lenders, brokers, and servicers in both the forward mortgage and reverse mortgage industries; consumer finance companies; student loan companies; third-party loan fulfillment companies; money transmitters; fintech companies; and debt collectors. Selected by his peers to serve as the chair of the Industry Advisory Council of the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR), Haydn regularly interacts with state regulators on behalf of industry members.

Joseph Grassi

Chief Risk Officer, loanDepot.com, LLC

As chief risk officer Joe Grassi is responsible for loanDepot’s enterprise risk management program. A proven senior leader known for delivering exceptional results, Joe’s expansive expertise within the real estate and financial services industries and substantial regulatory experience helps ensure the company delivers on its commitment to superior customer service. His responsibilities include the overall direction and strategy of the company’s risk management program, including the design and implementation of both enterprise- and loan-level governance policies and procedures. Additionally, Joe provides strategic counsel on the management of potential risks to help reduce the frequency and severity of operational issues and losses, in addition to positioning the company for continued growth. Joe brings more than 35 years' experience in real estate finance and consumer lending compliance and law to the role, which includes leadership positions within such companies and government agencies as Celebrity Home Loans, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Guaranteed Rate, and Prospect Mortgage. He also spent time at Freddie Mac. Notably, Joe spent 20 years as a senior attorney for Fannie Mae, including as the lead counsel for the multifamily and single family businesses. He ultimately served as the interim general counsel and corporate secretary for Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for overseeing Fannie Mae’s legal and government and industry relations departments and providing strategic counsel to the CEO and Board. Joe began his career at Philadelphia-based law firm Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel and holds both a Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova University.

The Honorable Julia Gordon

FHA Commissioner, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Julia R. Gordon serves as the Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 12, 2022, Ms. Gordon is responsible for the Federal Housing Administration’s Single Family, Multifamily and Healthcare mortgage insurance programs, HUD’s Multifamily assisted housing portfolio, HUD’s housing counseling program, and HUD’s Manufactured Housing program. Throughout her career, Ms. Gordon has been both a strong advocate for and hands-on practitioner working to achieve equal justice, fairness and equity in housing, and consumer protections. Prior to joining HUD, Ms. Gordon was most recently the President of the National Community Stabilization Trust and has also held leadership roles at the Center for American Progress, the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Center for Responsible Lending.

Gregory A. Keith

Acting Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ginnie Mae

Gregory A. Keith joined Ginnie Mae as Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer in October 2010. In this capacity, he monitors the corporation’s aggregate risk and compliance with risk policies, develops and maintains corporate-wide procedures for risk management, and provides independent evaluation and oversight of all risk management activities. Mr. Keith has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Much of his experience has been in mortgage and asset backed finance. Prior to joining Ginnie Mae, Mr. Keith spent nine years in various roles at Fannie Mae. These roles spanned across multiple disciplines including strategy, risk and finance. Most recently, he served as Director of Counterparty Risk Management, where he structured, monitored, and mitigated financial risk with business partners. In 2001, Mr. Keith came to Fannie Mae from First Union Capital Markets, where he was Vice President of Business Integration. There, he managed the implementation of business strategies and tactical business requirements for the Structured Products Group of the Corporate and Investment Bank. Previously, Mr. Keith also served as a Manager at KPMG Consulting, focusing on the execution of strategic, financial, and operational engagements. Prior to joining KPMG, Mr. Keith worked as a Forecasting and Planning Analyst at the American Residential Mortgage Corporation and as a Financial Analyst at Great American Bank. Mr. Keith holds a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University.