Mortgage Connect, Compass, Planet Home appoint new leaders

September 30, 2021 7:56 AM

Mortgage Connect promotes Meghan Jones-Rolla to COO

National service provider Mortgage Connect announced the promotion of Meghan Jones-Rolla to chief operating officer, servicing and capital markets. Jones-Rolla has served as general counsel and senior vice president at the Pittsburgh-based company since 2019, overseeing adherence to regulatory compliance and licensing requirements. Prior to joining Mortgage Connect, Jones-Rolla served as legal counsel at ServiceLink and as an attorney in private practice.

As COO, she will be in charge of growth and product development of the servicing and capital markets channels, operational execution, strategy and client relations.

“We are excited to have the internal expertise that Meghan possesses to lead these divisions,” said Jeff Coury, Mortgage Connect CEO. “Her unique combination of legal, compliance and business acumen will be instrumental in overseeing growth in our servicing and capital markets divisions.”

Compass names former TD Bank exec Rick Bechtel president of mortgage

Real estate technology company Compass announced the appointment of longtime mortgage-banking leader Rick Bechtel as president of mortgage. Bechtel joins New York-based Compass from TD Bank, where he held the title of executive vice president and head of U.S. residential lending. He has also held senior mortgage-banking roles at major lenders, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and CIBC.

In his new role, Bechtel will be responsible for Compass' presence within the mortgage space, including its recently announced

joint venture with Guaranteed Rate

, OriginPoint.

“Lending is a time-consuming and complex component of this process and agents, the central figure in every transaction, are often completely in the dark during this crucial time,” Bechtel said. "At Compass, we aim to change this by giving agents a birds-eye-view of every step of the home buying journey.”

Supreme Lending adds execs Kevin Pezzani, Paul Walker, Ryan Baxter

Left to right: Paul Walker, Ryan Baxter, Kevin Pezzani

Dallas-based independent mortgage lender Supreme Lending recently announced changes to its leadership team. Kevin Pezzani joined Supreme Lending as chief operating officer, while Paul Walker came onboard as the company’s new chief financial officer. The company also promoted Ryan Baxter to national production manager.

Both Pezzani and Walker come to Supreme Lending after helping lead other major mortgage companies for several years. Pezzani most recently served as a senior vice president at Union Home Mortgage, and in his new COO role, he will drive Supreme’s strategy and execution, tapping into his expertise in mortgage finance legislative and regulatory issues. Walker brings his background in enterprise accounting from Finance of America to oversee Supreme Lending’s financial health and profitability planning as CFO. Baxter, who previously served as Supreme Lending’s director of recruiting, will work closely with the lender’s regional and branch managers to increase production and grow their regional footprints.

Candor Technology names Tom Booker chief strategy officer

Atlanta-based Candor Technology, a provider of technology systems to the mortgage industry, announced the hiring of E. Thomas Booker III as its chief strategy officer. Booker has served in leadership roles at Fannie Mae and CoreLogic, where he developed and marketed tools and products associated with government-sponsored entities. Booker’s appointment comes after

Candor closed $12.5 million in Series A funding

this summer.

More recently, Booker held the role of managing director at The Collingwood Group, where he provided consulting and transaction support to capital markets participants and service providers.

“We are excited to have Tom join our team,” said Thomas Showalter, Candor’s CEO. “He has a keen sense for where the markets, lenders, investors, analytics and technology meet to address the business realities and evolving demands of the real estate finance industry.”

Panorama Mortgage Group taps Ryan Kerian for chief compliance officer

Panorama Mortgage Group, a national mortgage lender with six brands serving Hispanic and other minority home buyers, hired Ryan Kerian to serve as its chief compliance officer and general counsel. With leadership experience both in and outside the mortgage industry, Kerian previously served as chief administrative officer and general counsel for GoPrime Mortgage and deputy general counsel at Celebrity Home Loans.

In his new role at Las Vegas-based Panorama, Kerian will be in charge of legal, compliance and operational functions, particularly with its technology, while driving overall growth of the company.

“Today's consumers are more comfortable with technology and expect us to be tech enabled too," said Jason Madiedo, CEO and co-founder of Panorama Mortgage Group. "Traditional compliance leaders often struggle to keep up with these needs and changes, which makes us so excited about Ryan joining our team.”

The Money Source hires Impac’s Tom Donatacci as executive VP

Mortgage subservicer

The Money Source

announced the appointment of longtime industry-finance professional Tom Donatacci as executive vice president of business development. Donatacci will be responsible for driving growth of the company’s servicing tools and technology. Donatacci joins the Phoenix-based subservicer from Impac Mortgage Holdings, where he was chief of staff. Donatacci has also held financial and mortgage leadership roles at companies, such as Selene Finance, Clayton Holdings, GMAC Rescap and Lehman Brothers.

“Our top priority is to continue to build on the growth of our subservicing business leveraging technology that raises the bar in the industry for transparency and servicer accountability, and to deliver exceptional performance for our clients,” said Stavros Papastavrou, founder and chairman of The Money Source.

First American Financial appoints Lisa Cornehl chief legal officer

Jason Kindig Photography

Real estate title insurance and settlement services provider First American Financial Corp. announced the promotion of Lisa Cornehl as the firm’s senior vice president and chief legal officer. Cornehl will oversee the

company’s legal affairs

and develop strategy. She recently held the role of deputy general counsel, litigation, and chief privacy officer.

“Lisa is a proven legal strategist and operator, who has skillfully managed our company’s risk and vigorously defended its reputation,” said Ken DeGiorgio, president of First American Financial Corp.

Cornehl joined First American in 2011 as senior litigation counsel after working at an international law firm and was promoted to deputy general counsel in 2015 and chief privacy officer in 2018. In 2020, the Santa Ana, California-based company generated revenue of $7.1 billion.

Plaza Home Mortgage hires Michael Wilson as chief information officer

Wholesale and correspondent lender Plaza Home Mortgage tapped mortgage technology veteran Michael Wilson as its new chief information officer in charge of planning and oversight of Plaza Home’s technology activities, including its data center. Wilson will also drive development and implementation of new systems and applications to ensure security of the company’s technology.

Wilson comes to Plaza Home Mortgage, based in San Diego, from credit validation start-up Zense, a company he founded. Earlier in his career, he held IT security leadership roles at Impac Mortgage Corp, loanDepot and Option One Mortgage in addition to previously working in aerospace, retail, non-profit and manufacturing industries.

Planet Home Lending hires Andrew Watson to manage contact servicing

National lender and servicer Planet Home Lending, based in Meriden, Connecticut, appointed servicing expert Andrew Watson as senior vice president, contact center, as the industry prepares for elevated volumes as forbearances expire this year. Among Watson’s first tasks will be finalize staffing and build-out of Planet Home Lending’s servicing center in Irving, Texas, which opened last year.

“The portfolio is on an upward trajectory, hitting $45 billion at the end of the second quarter,” Watson said. “That's a 117% year-over-year increase, including $11.7 billion in subservicing.”

Watson brings extensive expertise in contact servicing, most recently serving as vice president of call-center operations at Rushmore Loan Management Services. He also previously held the role of vice president of default servicing at Ditech Financial, as well as servicing management positions at SoFi and IBM.

Embrace hires Kim Castiglioni to drive Southeast, condo growth

Embrace Home Loans, based in Middletown, Rhode Island, appointed longtime industry leader and former Wells Fargo executive Kim Castiglioni as vice president of market growth and national condominium program manager. She will oversee expansion of Embrace’s retail mortgage sales team in the Southeastern U.S. and lead its strategy for

condominium and cooperative property

financing across the country. Castiglioni has over 30 years of experience in mortgages, mostly from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, where she recently served as its vice president, national condominium manager.

Embrace originated $6.4 billion in mortgage loans in 2020 and intends to double retail production in 2021.

Equity National Title taps Jennifer Pensa as chief operating officer

National residential and commercial settlement-services provider, Equity National Title hired Jennifer Pensa to serve as chief operating officer. Pensa will be in charge of day-to-day operations in production, technology and systems to facilitate closings and settlements. She joins Equity, based in Providence, Rhode Island, following tenures at Delaware’s WSFS Bank, Guilford Savings Bank in Connecticut and most recently, at Chelsea Groton Bank, also in Connecticut, where she was its executive vice president and chief innovation officer.

“With a strong purchase market rising across the country, Equity National Title’s effectiveness and efficiency will serve to optimize our lending clients’ closing times, fallout rates and borrower experience at a time when every lender is competing for market share. Jennifer will be a major part of continuing and growing our positioning,” said James O’Donnell, president of Equity National Title.

Local Initiatives Support Corp. names Christina Travers CFO

The Local Initiatives Support Corp., a national

community development finance institution

with headquarters in New York, announced the appointment of Christina Travers as chief financial officer. LISC has invested more than $24 billion to close racial and socio-economic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity throughout the U.S. Travers recently served as CFO at San Francisco microlending nonprofit Working Solutions, where she oversaw its financial functions and portfolio management. She begins her new position at LISC on November 1.

Travers previously worked at LISC for more than a decade, helping lead investing efforts. As treasurer and senior vice president of capital strategies, she helped raise $100 million for LISC in 2017 through public bond offerings, the first for community development finance institutions. She also managed banking relationships, closing $500 million in new and renewed facilities.

"Over the years, Christina has been instrumental in LISC's development as a sophisticated, multi-faceted capital delivery network that can meet the needs of impact investors and community-based organizations alike," said Lisa Glover, LISC’s interim president and CEO.

Interfirst Mortgage appoints Pete Lunetto senior VP of credit

Digital mortgage originator Interfirst Mortgage Co. hired industry veteran Pete Lunetto as its senior vice president of credit, a new role at the company. Lunetto brings over three decades of experience in risk, credit and underwriting from other companies, including loanDepot and, most recently Royal Pacific Funding, where he was chief credit officer.

In his new position, Lunetto will be in charge of credit and underwriting activities for Interfirst’s wholesale and retail channels, leading a 70-member credit and underwriting team. He will be responsible for risk mitigation and the development of credit strategy and assist with product development and day-to-day operations. Chicago-based Interfirst is currently licensed in 29 states.

WFG hires title industry veteran Jason Vasek to lead strategic growth

WFG National Title Insurance Co. appointed title insurance veteran Jason Vasek as vice president of strategic growth. Vasek joins the Portland, Oregon-based title insurance and real estate settlement services provider as the company is in the midst of expansion, recently growing in Texas, a state he is familiar with.

Vasek began his career at Texas American Title and then served in various positions at First American Title for more than 20 years, including as divisional president in Austin. Prior to joining WFG, Vasek held the title of national director of training at Old Republic Title.

”He will share his knowledge and wisdom across other divisions here in his home state of Texas, as well as help with the major expansion that is underway,” said Patrick Stone, WFG executive chairman and founder.

Consolidated Analytics adds four leaders to valuation team

Left to right: Lisa Stratton, Jeannette Mills, Chris McLain, Jeff Rauland

Anaheim, California-based Consolidated Analytics, a mortgage platform serving clients across all aspects of the loan process, announced the addition of four new leaders to its valuation and analytics team. The company named Chris McLain senior vice president, valuations, and Jeff Rauland as its chief appraiser. Lisa Stratton was appointed vice president, operations and strategy, while Jeanette Mills will serve as director, valuations and client experience. Consolidated Analytics’ valuation division expects 40% annual growth in 2021.

All four appointees come with more than 20 years of industry experience, helping develop tech-enabled valuation products and operational processes. They will be responsible for company growth in customer service, valuation partner relationships and technology innovations. Consolidated Analytics’ property valuation and analytics division handles appraisals, hybrid appraisals, BPO’s, reviews, reconciliations and data-driven valuation solutions.

Walker & Dunlop welcomes P.J. McDevitt back to affordable housing team

Commercial real estate finance company Walker & Dunlop welcomed the return of GSE expert P.J. McDevitt as managing director on its affordable housing finance team. With extensive knowledge of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD and FHA products, McDevitt will drive origination growth across the country to help address

affordable housing needs

. McDevitt recently served as director at Greystone, where he originated multifamily affordable housing loans, and previously held roles at PNC Bank. He began his career at Bethesda, Maryland-based Walker & Dunlop as a senior analyst.

"I look forward to contributing to the firm's ambitious goal of originating $60 billion of affordable and workforce housing volume over the next five years," McDevitt said. "Having begun my career at Walker & Dunlop, I am confident that the company's culture, brand and technologically-enhanced financing platform will help further this objective."

FUGO Services hires Sarah Bahlman to lead client relations

Irving, Texas-based FUGO Services, a back-end provider of technology solutions and services to title companies and mortgage lenders across the country, announced the hiring of Sarah Bahlman as vice president, client relations and sales. An expert in real estate closings, particularly regarding escrow and direct title, Bahlman will be responsible for building relationships with partners. Her prior escrow management experience includes positions at companies, such as Old Republic Title, Endpoint Closing and Wells Fargo.

Envoy Mortgage expands, taps Phillip Sizemore to manage Atlanta branch

National lender Envoy Mortgage, based in Houston, announced a branch opening in Atlanta, naming mortgage veteran Phillip Sizemore to lead the new location. The branch will serve as a regional branch headquarter and is the first of several planned for the Atlanta area.

Sizemore previously worked as a manager with other mortgage companies, including Caliber Home Loans and Churchill Home Mortgage and is actively involved with the Atlanta Realtors Association and Mortgage Bankers Association.

Evergreen Home Loans hires Crystal Adair, promotes John Endres

Left to right: John Endres, Crystal Adair

Mortgage originator Evergreen Home Loans, with offices in six Western states, named Crystal Adair as vice president of loan fulfillment. Adair will oversee several departments and workflows involved in loan processing, underwriting and funding, and also manage technology initiatives to increase automation. Adair joins Evergreen from loanDepot, where she was its vice president of operations for joint ventures, and also has experience from other national lenders, such as Freedom Mortgage, Bank of America and Countrywide.

The Bellevue, Washington-based lender also recently announced the promotion of John Endres to area manager. Endres joined Evergreen in 2019 as a branch manager and senior loan officer in its Seattle office, and in his new role, he will manage loan production for the Seattle market, as well as support growth efforts in Idaho through the recruitment and retention of loan officers.

Eastern Union adds Victoria Smith as data specialist

Commercial real estate finance firm Eastern Union named Victoria Smith senior data specialist in its recently launched commission data broker division. Smith will help manage and train commission data brokers — a new professional category at Eastern Union — who operate as research-oriented lead generators, examining ownership records of commercial properties in selected locations to find potential clients. Smith joins Eastern Union’s staff after serving as an intern.

"As an industry innovation, the position of 'commission data broker' represents a new pathway to success in the world of commercial real estate finance," said Eastern Union president and co-founder Ira Zlotowitz. "We're counting on Ms. Smith to play an important role in nurturing our first generation of standout researchers."

Reverse Mortgage Funding adds marketing pro Adkinson, promotes two

Left to right: Ranya Adkinson, Kelly Rhynehart, Erica Buccafusca

Bloomfield, New Jersey-based Reverse Mortgage Funding announced the appointment of Ranya Adkinson as its national marketing support lead of the distributed retail channel. The company also promoted Kelly Rhynehart and Erica Buccafusca to distributed retail workflow administrator and distributed retail relationship management team lead, respectively. All three positions were created to meet anticipated demand in reverse-mortgage products.

Adkinson joins Reverse Mortgage Funding from New American Funding, where she was its regional marketing manager. In her new position, she will design marketing plans and strategies for all 50 states, working with sales and marketing teams to support loan specialists and expand self-generated retail business. A seven-year veteran at the company, Rhynehart will apply her management expertise to assist the organization’s sales staff, ensuring processes are in place to serve customers. Buccafusca, who joined the lender six years ago, will continue to provide the tools and services needed by Reverse Mortgage Funding’s loan specialists in the new role.