Career moves

Frank V. McMahon has been named vice chairman and chief financial officer of The First American Corp.Mr. McMahon, currently a managing director with Lehman Brothers Holdings, will join First American on March 31. He will be responsible for First American's financial reporting division, capital markets activities, investor relations, and will oversee the operations of First American Trust and First Security Thrift, the company said. In addition, he is slated to work with other senior management on strategic planning and merger and acquisition activities.

Martopia, a marketing and public relations firm specializing in the mortgage and financial services industry based in Chicago, has hired Michael Hammond as vice president of business strategy.Before joining Martopia, Mr. Hammond worked for nine years as the director of sales and marketing for origination vendor Dynatek. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing sales and marketing programs, reshaping corporate focus and increasing revenue and market share. In his new position, Mr. Hammond will drive the development of business and communication strategies for Martopia's clients. Mr. Hammond will serve in a consultative role for clients and be actively involved in crafting results-driven marketing and public relations programs. The company can be found on the Web at http://www.martopia.com.

Brian Levy, senior vice president and general counsel of Milwaukee-based Shelter Mortgage, has been elected chairman of the Real Estate Services Providers Council, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association.Other newly elected RESPRO officers are: vice chair, Arthur Sterbcow, president of Latter & Blum Inc. Realtors, New Orleans; president, Susan E. Johnson, RESPRO; secretary, Stephen D. Morrison, Wells Fargo Mortgage Corp., Des Moines, Iowa; and treasurer, George Eastment III, Long and Foster Real Estate Inc., Fairfax, Va. The organization can be found on the Web at http://www.respro.org.

Nayan V. Kisnadwala has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Fieldstone Investment Corp., a real estate investment trust based in Columbia, Md.Mr. Kisnadwala, 45, was most recently senior executive vice president and CFO of MBNA's Consumer Finance and Business Lending Division, which includes its mortgage business, Fieldstone said. He was previously CFO of several units of American Express, including its Global Operations. Fieldstone is the parent company of Fieldstone Mortgage Co., which can be found on the Web at http://www.fieldstonemortgage.com.

Michael D. Meyer has been named executive vice president for the new Texas operations of Homefield Financial, a mortgage banker based in Irvine, Calif.Mr. Meyer will oversee the firm's expansion into the Texas market, from which it will primarily serve Homefield's customers in the Central and Eastern United States, the company said. Homefield said it will open its Irving, Texas, loan center in April with 20 employees and expand it to 150-200 employees over the next 18 months. Before joining Homefield, Mr. Meyer served as president of Fort Worth, Texas-based Touchstone Communications, an offshore business process outsourcing company serving major U.S. mortgage companies. He was previously a senior vice president with Associates First Capital Corp. in Dallas, and he also worked with NovaStar and Oak Street Mortgage.

Lee Puschaver has resigned as executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta to "pursue other interests," according to the FHLBank.The bank said it plans to begin a search promptly to fill the CFO position. Ray Christman, president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta FHLBank, said the bank expects to file its Form 10 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission during the first quarter. The FHLBank can be found on the Web at http://www.fhlbatl.com.

Jim Park, a former executive at Freddie Mac, has been named chief operating officer of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, San Diego.Mr. Park, a partner at Prado Mortgage, served as the vice president of industry relations and housing outreach at Freddie Mac before joining AREAA. At Freddie Mac, he worked with key housing finance industry trades, capital markets organizations, and community and housing-related organizations. Mr. Park previously held a senior political position at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he oversaw HUD's efforts to overhaul single-family and multifamily programs, AREAA said.

Paragon Financial Corp., Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has announced the signing of All-Star second baseman Davey Johnson to a multiyear deal under a recently announced marketing plan that involves teaching the mortgage business to current and former athletes.Mr. Johnson, now the coach of the U.S. Olympic baseball team, will operate from Paragon's Orlando, Fla., office and play a key role in opening new Florida offices in New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, and Ormond Beach, Paragon said. He was a four-time All Star and three-time winner of the Gold Glove award while playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Mr. Johnson was the manager of several major league teams and led the New York Mets to the 1986 World Championship. He joins hockey great Phil Esposito in the new Paragon marketing plan. The company can be found on the Web at http://www.pgnf.com.

DeAnna McCann has been named senior vice president and chief marketing officer of eAppraiseIT, a provider of real estate valuation services based in Poway, Calif.Ms. McCann replaces Diane Valadez, who is assuming a new position with First American Corp. in Dallas. In addition to her marketing responsibilities, Ms. McCann will head eAppraiseIT's Valuation Consultants and Client Relations units, the company said. Ms. McCann has held various positions with the valuation company, including vice president of valuation consulting for eAppraiseIT's Western Region, operations manager, and manager of the Review and Appraisal Panel Management Department. The company can be found on the Internet at http://www.eappraiseit.com.

Brent Bickett has been named president of Fidelity National Financial Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., and Alan L. Stinson, FNF's chief financial officer, has been named to the additional post of chief operating officer.FNF's chairman and chief executive officer, William P. Foley II, said Mr. Bickett has run the company's merger-and-acquisition group during numerous acquisitions in recent years, and that his appointment "exemplifies the significance that merger-and-acquisition activity will have in the future FNF holding company strategy." In his additional role as COO, Mr. Stinson will be responsible for accounting governance and oversight for "the entire family of FNF companies," Mr. Foley said. The company can be found online at http://www.fnf.com.

Ryan Steinert has been named national sales trainer for originators at 1st Metropolitan Mortgage, Charlotte, N.C.Mr. Steinert will also facilitate regional information and sales exchange meetings around the country for the company's branch managers. (1st Metropolitan said it conducted two RISE meetings last year, and plans to host at least one every two months this year.) Mr. Steinert previously worked at Olympia Funding, and last year 1st Metropolitan purchased certain assets of Olympia's retail branches.

Jeffrey S. Carbiener has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Fidelity National Information Services, Jacksonville, Fla.Mr. Carbiener replaces Al Stinson, who will retain his position as CFO for Fidelity National Financial Inc., of which FNIS is a majority-owned subsidiary. Mr. Carbiener was most recently executive vice president and group executive at Certegy Check Services. FNIS can be found online at http://www.fidelityinfoservices.com.

Home Depot Inc., the world's biggest home improvement chain, has announced the naming of Angelo Mozilo to its board.Mr. Mozilo, 67, is chairman and chief executive of Countrywide Financial Corp., the mortgage lending firm based in Calabasas, Calif. Home Depot also announced that current board member Dick Brown will retire when his term expires in May.

Paragon Financial Corp., Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has announced the signing of Hall of Fame hockey great Phil Esposito under a marketing plan that aims to teach the mortgage business to current and former athletes.Mr. Esposito will work from Paragon's new Tampa, Fla., office, but will be involved nationally in Paragon's effort to expand its mortgage origination business, the company said. "This partnership with Paragon offers Phil an opportunity to create a successful post-sports business within our mortgage division by working with developers, national builders, and real estate agents," said Scott Vining, Paragon's chief financial officer. The company can be found on the Web at http://www.pgnf.com.

Frank J. Curry, president of nonconforming lender Acoustic Home Loans, Orange, Calif., has left the company, industry sources have told MortgageWire.An official at Acoustic confirmed Mr. Curry's departure but declined to say anything more about the situation. The wholesale lender was launched in the summer of 2003 by Mr. Curry, a former executive of Long Beach Mortgage. The privately held AHL ranks 40th among all nonprime lenders in the United States, according to the Quarterly Data Report, an MW affiliate.

Robert Bostrom has been named executive vice president and general counsel of Freddie Mac.Mr. Bostrom will be a member of the executive leadership team and have management responsibility for all legal and regulatory strategies, services, and resources, the government-sponsored enterprise said. Mr. Bostrom, whose legal career spans more than 25 years, was most recently managing partner of the New York office of Winston & Strawn LLP, a member of the firm's executive committee, and head of its financial institutions practice. From 1992 to 1996, he served as executive vice president of legal, regulatory and compliance and general counsel of National Westminster Bancorp.

The White House is considering former investment banker James B. Lockhart III, deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration, to head the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, MortgageWire has learned.Mr. Lockhart has served as deputy commissioner of Social Security since January 2002. Washington sources said that former Treasury Department official Edward DeMarco, a one-time candidate for the OFHEO job, is no longer believed to in the running. "DeMarco still might play some role in regard to OFHEO," said one observer. Mr. Lockhart was co-founder and managing director of NetRisk, a risk management software firm, before joining SSA. During his career he was a senior vice president at National Re (1993-95) and a managing director at Smith Barney (1993-95).

Robert E. Story Jr. has been named president of Seattle Financial Group, a family-owned mortgage banker that comprises Seattle Mortgage, Seattle Savings Bank, Reverse Mortgage of America, and other brands.Mr. Story began his career in 1980 as a construction manager and has served in "all functions of residential production," the company said. He serves on the board of directors of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Seattle Financial said former company president Randy Weber has accepted the position of vice chairman. The company can be found on the Web at http://www.seattlefinancialgroup.com.

Kristina K. Williams has been named to succeed Eric J. Marx as chief financial officer of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh.Ms. Williams was most recently the FHLBank's chief accounting officer. She was previously employed by PNC Bank for 12 years, including as CFO of its Corporate and Institutional Banking business segment. Mr. Marx has indicated his intention to resign, but will stay through the end of the quarter, the FHLBank said. The bank also announced the promotion of Robert J. Snyder from financial controls manager to controller. The FHLBank can be found on the Web at http://www.fhlb-pgh.com.

Patrick Sinks has been named president and chief operating officer of MGIC Investment Corp., the Milwaukee-based mortgage insurer. Curt Culver will remain as chairman and chief executive officer. MGIC said Mr. Sinks was most recently executive vice president of field operations at MGIC's principal subsidiary, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp. He was previously senior vice president and chief accounting officer. Mr. Sinks has been with the company since 1978, when he joined a subsidiary, MGIC said. The company can be found online at http://www.mgic.com.