MBA Opening Ceremony: Installation of 2025 Officers, CMB & Future Leaders Graduations & Awards

2025 MBA Chair-Elect; Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer & Chief Operating Officer, M&T Realty Capital Corporation

Christine Chandler is the 2025 MBA Chair-Elect. Christine Chandler has been with M and T since 1991 and has over 30 years of commercial real estate experience. As COO/CCO, Chandler has been responsible for making credit decisions for M and T Realty Capital Corporation (RCC) multifamily and healthcare transactions underwritten in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Agency) and FHA platforms as well as managing the company operations. In addition, the Asset Management Group and Transformation Team, including technology and process improvement, report to Chandler. She serves on both the MBA Audit and DEI committees; former Chair of the MBA Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Board of Governors (COMBOG) and former co-Chair - MBA Affordable Rental Housing Advisory Committee.

2025 MBA Chair; President, Lennar Mortgage

Laura Escobar is the 2025 MBA Chair and President of Lennar Mortgage. A 30-year mortgage industry veteran, Escobar has held leadership positions with both bank-owned and independent mortgage companies overseeing all aspects of mortgage banking, including production, operations, compliance, accounting, and training. Her personal ground level experience in every facet of mortgage lending has enabled her to manage and fully integrate all of these departments within Lennar Mortgage. Escobar is highly engaged in the industry, serves on MBA’s Board of Directors, and was co-chair of MBA’s IMB Executive Council from 2020–2022. She is also a director of the MBA Opens Doors Foundation, which she has supported by successfully fundraising for the foundation’s work and leading Lennar in company campaigns. Beyond her industry work, she is also a licensed mental health counselor and devotes much of her time to working with underprivileged women.

2024 MBA Chairman; President, Union Home Mortgage

Mark Jones is the 2024 MBA Chairman and President of Union Home Mortgage. He and his business partner 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. An advocate for affordable homeownership with a mission to make a meaningful difference, Amerifirst established a new bilingual mortgage services division to meet the growing needs of the Hispanic community. Amerifirst was named one of the “Fastest Growing Private Companies in America” by Inc. 5000 for six consecutive years; a Best & Brightest Company to Work For (2016–2020), and one of the top 50 Best Mortgage Companies to Work For in 2021. Jones has also served as the chair of MBA’s Audit and Finance Committee and co-chair of MBA’s IMB Executive Council. Outside of MBA, Jones is a current board member and Public Policy Committee Chair at Southwest Michigan First and serves as Chairman of Southwest Michigan First PAC. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Virginia Commonwealth University.

2025 MBA Vice Chair; Chief Executive Officer, Success Mortgage Partners, Inc.

Owen Lee is the 2025 MBA Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer at Success Mortgage Partners, Inc., (SMP). He co-founded the company with his father, Vincent, in 2002. Under his leadership, SMP has closed billions of dollars of mortgage loans yearly since 2016, is licensed in 42 states, and has more than 600 employees. Lee is also a Managing Member of Title Partners, LLC, a full-service title insurance and escrow services agency. An active leader in the mortgage and financial services sectors, Lee serves on MBA’s Board of Directors, is Co-Chair of its Independent Mortgage Bankers Executive Council, and is currently the 2023-2024 Chairman of MORPAC, MBA’s political action committee, where he has been a successful political fundraiser, helping to advance the association’s top legislative priorities. Lee is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Mortgage Collaborative’s Technology Fund, a venture capital investment group specializing in the mortgage technology space. He also sits on the Board of Directors of TrAIned, a mortgage technology firm in Pittsburgh. Lee currently holds memberships and affiliations with the State Bar of Michigan, State Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association, Lenders One, The Mortgage Collaborative, and the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Camp Sweeney, the largest summer camp in the world for children with Type 1 Diabetes. Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Villanova University and a Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University School of Law.