Career moves

Gary Bierfriend, president of the wholesale lending division of MortgageIT Inc., has been named to the new post of president of the New York-based company.He will be responsible for all the company's retail, wholesale, and correspondent lending activities, as well as HomeCloser LLC, MortgageIT's settlement services business. Doug Naidus, chairman and chief executive of MortgageIT, said Mr. Bierfriend is a "recognized authority" in the industry, who as president of MIT Lending, the company's wholesale operation, "spearheaded what was merely a business idea at its inception in early 2000 to what is today a top-25 national wholesale platform." Before joining MortgageIT, Mr. Bierfriend served as managing director, chief compliance officer, and general counsel for MortgageIT's wholly owned predecessor company, IPI Skyscraper Mortgage.

John Teweles has been named president of AmeriCU Mortgage Co., Sterling Heights, Mich.Mr. Teweles will be responsible for expanding AmeriCU's correspondent, wholesale, outsource, and loan servicing to credit unions, the company said. Mr. Teweles, who has a long track record of working with credit unions to increase their production, was most recently president of MBS Mortgage Co. AmeriCU has been a behind-the-scenes mortgage lender for credit unions since 1993. It be found online at http://www.americu.com.

George A. Charles has been named executive vice president for the Western Division of Metrocities Mortgage LLC, a residential mortgage lender based in Sherman Oaks, Calif.Mr. Charles served most recently as president of Response Mortgage Services Inc., Bellevue, Wash. He was previously vice president of lending and vice president of franchise development for Qpoint Home Mortgage Loans in Bellevue. The Western Division of Metrocities Mortgage includes all states west of the Mississippi except California. The company can be found online at http://www.metrocitiesmtg.com.

John W. Petersen has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of PS Business Parks, a real estate investment trust based in Glendale, Calif.Mr. Petersen was most recently senior vice president of the San Jose Region at Equity Office Properties. He was previously employed at Spieker Properties, and has 17 years of experience in commercial real estate, the REIT said. The company can be found online at http://www.psbusinessparks.com.

Scott Johnson has assumed the post of executive vice president and national production manager of The New York Mortgage Co. LLC, New York, and will operate from an office in Farmington, Conn.Mr. Johnson was most recently senior vice president of Guaranty Residential Lending Inc., where he was responsible for the company's Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region. At New York Mortgage, he will manage a $4 billion production platform with approximately 400 loan officers, the company said. New York Mortgage said its recently announced acquisition of 15 branch offices and 26 satellite offices of Guaranty Residential took effect Nov. 15.

Robert L. Clarke, a former U.S. comptroller of the currency, has been elected to the board of directors of Stewart Information Services Corp., Houston.Mr. Clarke, who served as comptroller of the currency from 1985 to 1992, is a senior partner of the Houston law firm Bracewell & Patterson LLP and the founder of its financial services practice. He has been a member of Stewart's advisory board since September 2003. Stewart can be found on the Web at http://www.stewart.com.

Ron Litt has been named senior vice president of retail operations in MortgageIT's New York Region.Mr. Litt, who will operate out of Manhattan, was most recently SVP of Allied Home Mortgage Capital Corp., where he developed marketing and technology programs for more than 650 branch offices and five corporate facilities, MortgageIT said. His previous experience includes senior positions at GE Information Systems, Sprint, and the Department of Defense. MortgageIT also announced the hiring of Linda Litt as director of business development. She will be based in Newburgh, N.Y. Ms. Litt also comes to MortgageIT from Allied Home Mortgage, where she was vice president for product information/branch services.

Joseph A. Smialowski has been named executive vice president of operations and technology at Freddie Mac, effective Dec. 1.Mr. Smialowski was most recently executive vice president at Fleet Boston Financial, where he had direct oversight of the company's information technology, bank operations, and corporate real estate, among other things. He will be responsible for managing the largest segment of Freddie Mac's business operations, including all the company's mortgage origination and servicing, investment and capital markets operations, and information systems divisions. Mr. Smialowski will report to Eugene M. McQuade, Freddie's president and chief operating officer. "Joe brings to Freddie Mac world-class operations and technology expertise that will help create a better customer experience through integrated operating and technology platforms," Mr. McQuade said. Prior to joining Fleet Boston in 1998, Mr. Smialowski was chief information officer at Sears, Roebuck and Co. Freddie Mac can be found online at http://www.freddiemac.com.

Dennis J. Gilmore has been named to the newly created position of chief operating officer of The First American Corp., Santa Ana, Calif.First American said Mr. Gilmore will also continue his current role as president of the company's Property Information Group. Parker S. Kennedy, First American's chairman and chief executive officer, said Mr. Gilmore will concentrate on the company's mortgage-related operations in addition to his current duties. First American, a national provider of title insurance, mortgage information, and other data, can be found on the Web at http://www.firstam.com.

Jay S. Nydick, a longtime executive with Goldman, Sachs & Co., has been named president of iStar Financial Inc., a New York-based real estate investment trust.Mr. Nydick was most recently a Hong Kong-based managing director who headed Goldman's Corporate Finance Group for non-Japan Asia, as well as a member of the company's New York-based Products and Financial Sponsors Group, iStar said. Before his Asian assignment, he was in Goldman's Real Estate Investment Banking Group. The REIT can be found online at http://www.istarfinancial.com.

Brian Roseboro, the Treasury under secretary for domestic finance, has resigned from the agency after seven months on the job.Mr. Roseboro, who was sometimes quoted on issues affecting the government-sponsored enterprises, will leave the agency effective Jan. 1. As undersecretary, he was responsible for formulating policy and legislation in regard to financial institutions, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Wayne A. Abernathy, assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions, reports to Mr. Roseboro. Mr. Abernathy is considered the administration's point person on GSE matters.

Albert L. Jones has been named executive vice president of real estate lending at the newly founded Penn Liberty Bank in Wayne, Pa.The bank said Mr. Jones has over 13 years of banking industry experience. He was most recently EVP of commercial real estate lending at Republic First Bank. Penn Liberty can be found on the Web at http://www.pennlibertybank.com.

Paul E. Bibb has been named chief executive officer of National City Mortgage, Cleveland, succeeding Leo E. Knight Jr., who will continue as chairman of the company until his retirement at the end of next year.Mr. Bibb is currently executive vice president of National City in charge of retail and direct lending, the company said. Mr. Knight has been chairman and CEO since 2000 and served as president and CEO from 1989 to 2000. National City also announced that Todd A. Householder, EVP of the company's Secondary Marketing Division, will succeed Gregory A. Davis as EVP and head of the Wholesale/Correspondent Lending Group. Mr. Davis will retire in 2005. The company can be found on the Web at http://www.nationalcitymortgage.com.

Glenn J. Mouridy has been named president and chief financial officer of MortgageIT Holdings Inc., a New York-based real estate investment trust.Mr. Mouridy was most recently executive vice president for operations and risk management at Chase Home Finance, a company he previously served as CFO. MortgageIT Holdings, the holding company for residential mortgage lender MortgageIT Inc., said Mr. Mouridy's experience includes financial management, strategic planning, servicing operations, risk management, structured finance, mergers and acquisitions, tax accounting, and law. MortgageIT can be found online at http://www.mortgageit.com.

Affordable Residential Communities Inc., Denver, has reported the resignation, effective immediately, of George McGeeney as president and chief operating officer of the real estate investment trust.The reason for the resignation was not disclosed. The equity REIT said Scott Jackson, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, has been appointed to the additional post of co-chief operating officer, and vice chairman John Sprengle has assumed the title of president and co-COO. In addition, Lawrence Kreider has been promoted to chief financial officer, the REIT said. ARC, which specializes in manufactured home communities, can be found online at http://www.aboutarc.com.

Theodore L. Chandler Jr. has been named president and chief executive officer of LandAmerica Financial Group Inc., Richmond, Va., which said the move brings about a separation of the roles of chairman and CEO at the company.The appointment is effective Jan. 1. Charles H. Foster Jr., the current chairman and CEO, will continue to serve as chairman, LandAmerica said. Mr. Chandler is currently LandAmerica's president and chief operating officer. Before joining LandAmerica full time, he practiced law for 22 years at the Williams Mullen law firm.

Julie A. Rousselow has been promoted to senior vice president of financial operations in the National Loan Administration servicing unit of GMAC Mortgage Corp., Horsham, Pa.The company also announced the hiring of Robert F. Hopson as director of property preservation and valuation in the servicing unit. Ms. Rousselow, who has been with GMAC Mortgage for nearly 20 years and held a number of financial positions, was most recently vice president of cash operations. Mr. Hopson was most recently a default manager for Cendant Mortgage Corp.'s foreclosure, bankruptcy, and property preservation departments. He has also held positions at CitiMortgage and Wendover Financial Services. GMAC Mortgage can be found online at http://www.gmacmortgage.com.

Jack Radin has been named senior vice president for capital markets at MortgageIT Inc., the New York City-based mortgage lending subsidiary of MortgageIT Holdings.Mr. Radin, a 24-year veteran of the residential mortgage banking business, was most recently director of mortgage finance at E*Trade Financial, MortgageIT said. Before that he was a managing director of finance and business development for Pedestal Inc. in Washington D.C., where he developed a virtual Internet mortgage conduit. Mr. Radin has also held positions at Mellon Mortgage Co., Weyerhaeuser Mortgage Co., and Mason-McDuffie Mortgage Corp.

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. has reported the formation of a "special situations" group within its global markets division that will specialize in principal transactions involving all types of consumer and commercial credit.Erik Falk has been named managing director and head of the group, which is based in New York but also has staff in London. Mr. Falk was previously managing director, head of integrated sales, and co-head of securitized product sales in the Americas for Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank can be found on the Web at http://www.deutsche-bank.com.

Irma N. Tavares has been named to the newly created position of chief operating officer by Hanover Capital Mortgage Holdings Inc., Edison, N.J.Hanover said Ms. Tavares will remain a member of its board of directors, on which she has served since 1997. Before joining the company, she held various mortgage-related trading and operational posts at Citicorp Investment Bank and Bankers Trust Co. Hanover, a mortgage real estate investment trust, can be found on the Web at http://www.hanovercapitalholdings.com.