Gateway, Mortgage Contracting Services, Waterstone and more add new leaders

October 15, 2021 5:00 AM

Gateway names Bryan Self chief information officer

Gateway First Bank, a bank and mortgage lender based in Jenks, Oklahoma, tapped Bryan Self to serve as chief information officer. Self joins Gateway after several years at Arvest Bank, where he most recently was executive director, leading more than 130 technology staff in software design, development, business analysis, database administration, and electronic transaction services.

In his new role, Self will be responsible for Gateway’s technologies and processes, including the forthcoming implementation of new digital tools, such as its mortgage origination system, Empower, and Q2, an end-to-end banking experience platform.

Mortgage Contracting Services appoints Craig Torrance CEO

Residential and commercial property solutions provider

Mortgage Contracting Services

appointed Craig Torrance as chief executive officer. Torrance will oversee MCS’s strategic initiatives, including expanding offerings within the company’s core field services, and also develop the company’s growing presence in maintenance solutions for residential and commercial facilities.

Torrance joins MCS, based in Lewisville, Texas, from exterior maintenance company Brightview, where he was senior vice president of the unit serving large-portfolio commercial property accounts. He takes over the helm from acting CEO Chad Mosley, who stepped into the role on an interim basis following the retirement of Caroline Reaves earlier this year.

Enact names new board of directors following its IPO

Rohit Gupta, Enact CEO

After spinning off from Genworth Financial in September, the

newly public Enact Holdings

named 11 leaders from across banking and insurance industries to its board of directors. The board includes eight independent members. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based company formerly known as Genworth Mortgage Insurance appointed Rohit Gupta, its CEO and president, plus two Genworth chief officers, CEO and president Thomas McInerney and CFO and chief investment officer Daniel Sheehan IV, to the board. Genworth owns approximately 80% in shares of Enact.

New independent directors include Dominic Addesso, director of BMS Group; John Fisk, director of AGNC Investment Corp.; Sheila Hooda, CEO and president of Alpha Advisory Partners; General Raymond Odierno, senior advisor to JPMorgan Chase and Teneo Holdings; Robert Restrepo Jr., retired chair, president and CEO of State Auto Financial Corp.; Debra Still, president and CEO of Pulte Financial Services; Westley Thompson, president and CEO of M Financial Group and Anne Waleski, former CFO of Markel Corp.

Waterstone Mortgage hires Kris Barros as compliance VP

National lender Waterstone Mortgage appointed Kris Barros as its vice president of compliance. In his new role, Barros will oversee its compliance-management system to ensure adherence with federal and state requirements and will also assist with the development and implementation of procedures. Barros comes to the Pewaukee, Wisconsin-based lender from Guaranteed Rate, where he was marketing compliance manager. Previously, he held positions with Santander Bank, Embrace Home Loans and East West Mortgage Company.

The company lends in 48 states, and stated it generated $4.8 billion in originations in 2021.

Guaranteed Rate taps Arlyn Kalinski to help lead Spanish outreach

Chicago-based Guaranteed Rate announced the appointment of Arlyn Kalinski as compliance director of its new limited English proficiency, or LEP, program. Kalinski will develop the company’s initial efforts in the Spanish-language market, overseeing compliance and execution of a language-access program designed to engage and assist buyers with home buying in their preferred language. She will also manage internal initiatives that showcase career paths and skill development for employees interested in supporting LEP communities.

"Hispanic homeownership is at a tipping point," said Kalinski, a native of Puerto Rico. "This is an opportunity to meet the moment by addressing the homeownership needs of this expanding population and provide additional resources, education and outreach to diverse communities throughout the country.” Guaranteed Rate plans to later expand the program to include other languages.

Interfirst Mortgage hires Tony Santangelo to expand on the East Coast

Interfirst Mortgage announced the appointment of Tony Santangelo as vice president, regional wholesale production for the East Coast. Based in North Carolina, he will be responsible for hiring and training a team of account executives to expand Interfirst’s wholesale market share and client base in the East. Founded in 2001 and relaunched in 2020, Interfirst Mortgage, headquartered in Chicago, is currently licensed in 31 states and

recently raised $175 million in capital.

Prior to joining Interfirst, Santangelo was an area manager for Symmetry in Atlanta and also previously served as vice president, Southeast regional manager for Pacific Union Financial.

Phocas promotes Yolanda Foreman to president and partner

theampimage.com/Phocas Financial Corporation

Employee-owned asset management firm Phocas Financial announced the promotion of Yolanda Foreman to president, partner and member of its board of directors. In her new leadership role, Foreman will help lead company operations and continue to direct the firm's consultant relations and client-solutions efforts. Foreman came to Phocas in early 2020 from Morningside Asset Management, where she was founder and CEO. She was previously co-CEO of Gray & Co. Global Investment Solutions, where she was responsible for portfolio and operational oversight.

“Yolanda's appointment bolsters our strategic plan to be a multigenerational resource to anticipate and exceed the needs of our clients for decades to come,” said Phocas Financial CEO Bill Schaff. The company, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Alameda, California, specializes in REIT and small-cap value investing.

Sharestates names Christina DelDonna CFO

Real estate technology platform Sharestates, which is designed to support the redevelopment of residential housing, announced the hiring of Christina DelDonna as chief financial officer.

Prior to joining Great Neck, New York-based Sharestates, DelDonna held the title of chief operating officer at Capital Crossing SBF, where she integrated financial operations and portfolio management, and oversaw markets reporting for small-balance securitizations. She is also a former CEO of Ciena Capital.

Local Initiatives Support Corp. names Michael Skrebutenas senior VP

Community development financial institution Local Initiatives Support Corp. recently named affordable-housing expert Michael Skrebutenas its senior vice president for housing. Skrebutenas will lead and develop LISC’s investments in rental and for-sale housing nationwide and also work on policy issues to assist LISC’s community partners in finding affordable-housing solutions. “He will be an invaluable asset to the LISC local program staff, our policy team and our partners as we work to address the affordable housing crisis that affects every state in the country — a crisis that has deepened as COVID-19 has persisted," said Denise Scott, LISC executive vice president for programs.

Skrebutenas joins LISC, based in New York, from Community Preservation Corporation, where he was senior vice president and regional director of community preservation. originating and closing financing for affordable, supportive and market-rate housing in New York. He also worked on initiatives to spur housing development for underserved communities. Skrebutenas previously held positions at the New York State Housing and Community Renewal, the New York governor’s office and in President Bill Clinton’s administration.

AmTrust Title appoints Priti Desai head of technology

New York-based AmTrust Title Insurance appointed Prito Desai as its head of technology. In the new role, she will oversee all technology efforts across AmTrust Title, which is licensed to do business in 42 states. Before joining AmTrust, Priti served in roles in and outside the title industry, including at First American Title, Q Strategies Corporation, Epicor Software and Scan Optics Corporation.

Cherry Creek Mortgage taps Phil Tidwell for VP of marketing operations

Full-service lender Cherry Creek Mortgage promoted Phil Tidwell to vice president of marketing operations. Tidwell joined Denver-based Cherry Creek 10 years ago as communications and development manager, responsible for internal communications strategy and development of marketing and technical documents. More recently, he held the role of director of marketing operations. Before coming to Cherry Creek Mortgage, Tidwell held communications and training roles for several finance organizations, such as the Financial Planning Association, First Franklin and Merrill Lynch. Cherry Creek Mortgage is licensed in 38 states.

Geneva Financial promotes Rachel Caple to chief officer role

Direct mortgage lender Geneva Financial, based in Chandler, Arizona, promoted Rachel Caple to chief sales and revenue officer, a new position within the company. Caple joined Geneva Financial in 2019 in sales and operations and will be responsible for continued development of sales and market-share strategies, working with its chief marketing officer to expand talent acquisition and target markets for growth. Geneva Financial operates more than 130 branches in 45 states and has grown by more than 270% in the last three years.

Draper and Kramer Mortgage hires Chris Knapp as executive VP

Residential lender Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corp., based in Downers Grove, Illinois, appointed industry veteran Chris Knapp to executive vice president of business development. In the role, Knapp will assist with Draper and Kramer’s recruitment and expansion efforts, help develop processes to streamline originations and other processes and advise the leadership team. He will also continue as a loan originator himself. Knapp previously owned and led his own mortgage company for more than eight years before taking leadership positions at other leading companies in the industry, including Guaranteed Rate and CrossCountry Mortgage. Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corp. is licensed in 49 states.

On Q Financial names former PennyMac leader Jeff Anderson retail VP

On Q Financial, a mortgage lender based in Tempe, Arizona, with retail, direct-to-consumer, correspondent and wholesale channels, appointed industry leader Jeff Anderson as its vice president of retail operations. Anderson comes to On Q after serving as first vice president of mortgage fulfillment at PennyMac Loan Services, and he has also held leadership positions at Magna Funding Corp. and Suntrust.

At On Q, Anderson will be responsible for retail fulfillment, leading efforts to produce a more efficient and customer-centered lending experience for borrowers and originators alike.

Synergy One Lending taps Juan Cepeda as director of strategic markets

San Diego-based Synergy One Lending, a technology-focused lender currently licensed in 42 states and operating hubs in Boise, Denver and Dallas, recently appointed Juan Cepeda as director of strategic markets. Cepeda has previously held leadership roles in retail mortgage at Impac and Alterra Home Loans, where he recently was its senior vice president of production. Cepeda’s appointment comes as Synergy One has undergone major growth, opening six branches in September.

LBA Ware hires Lyndal McLaughlin as software implementation leader

Macon, Georgia-based LBA Ware, provider of business intelligence and incentive compensation software, hired mortgage veteran Lyndal McLaughlin as software implementation consultant. Most recently McLaughlin served as a compliance product implementation manager for lending risk software company QuestSoft. At LBA Ware, she will train the company’s clients on the use of CompenSafe, the company’s incentive-compensation management platform, to efficiently and transparently calculate

commissions and bonuses

.

Currently, the company counts more than 100 lenders of all sizes as clients.

UMortgage hires former UWM trainer David Higgins

National mortgage lender UMortgage tapped learning and development training coach David Higgins as its senior learning specialist. Higgins comes to the Philadelphia-based mortgage company after six years at United Wholesale Mortgage, where he was a leading trainer. At UMortgage, Higgins will develop programs and training to assist loan originators and other staff better serve customers. UMortgage is currently licensed to serve clients in 39 states.

Advisors Mortgage Group adds Brad Capinjola to business team

Residential mortgage lender Advisors Mortgage Group, based in Ocean Township, New Jersey, announced the addition of Brad Capinjola to its business development team. Capinjola previously served as senior account executive at MBS Highway, an online platform designed to assist mortgage leaders in educating clients, already being used at Advisors Mortgage Group.

Advisors Mortgage Group currently operates branches in 32 Eastern states.

Greystone promotes Jenna Unell, adds Adam Lipkin

Left to right: Jenna Unell, Adam Lipkin

National commercial real estate finance company Greystone recently announced the promotion of Jenna Unell, who will take on a greater leadership role within the company’s special servicing group as senior managing director following the September retirement of Lindsey Wright. Among Unell’s new leadership responsibilities will be oversight of special servicing asset management, portfolio management and finance for the unit. The special servicing group currently manages assets totaling $21.1 billion. Unell previously held the title of general counsel of Greystone special servicing, or its predecessor, C-III Asset Management, which she joined in 2003.

New York-based Greystone also hired Adam Lipkin, an expert in commercial property assessed clean energy, or C-PACE, as vice president within Greystone Capital Advisors. He joins Greystone after serving as executive director at C-PACE lender Counterpointe Sustainable Real Estate. Lipkin also previously held positions at Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, HFF and Olympian Capital Group over two decades in commercial real estate. In his new role at Greystone, Lipkin will assist clients in creating debt and equity solutions and also originate agency and FHA loans, while tapping into his expertise with C-PACE.

Sunwest hires Chad Neubecker to lead commercial real estate lending

Sunwest Bank, a commercial lender based in Irvine, California, recently announced the appointment of Chad Neubecker as its executive vice president, director of real estate lending. In his new position, Neubecker will oversee financing for several types of commercial properties, including multifamily, manufactured housing and hotel, and he will also lead Sunwest’s expansion efforts into new regions. Sunwest Bank currently operates in California, Arizona, Idaho, and Utah and has over $2 billion in assets.

Neubecker has held lending positions at Bank of America, Wachovia, BOK Financial and Citibank, where he most recently served as director and provided over $12 billion in real estate financing.

Grandbridge hires HUD veteran Donald Billingsley as Atlanta originator

Commercial real estate financier Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, hired Donald Billingsley as an Atlanta-based loan originator. An affordable housing and multifamily expert, Billingsley has held several leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including director, departmental enforcement center, in Atlanta for the office of the general counsel. More recently, he served as multifamily regional director, Southeast, within the office of multifamily housing. Before joining HUD, Billingsley was a banking officer at the Federal Home Loan Bank in Atlanta, and he also brings experience as a low-income housing tax-credit developer.

Grandbridge originates commercial and multifamily real estate loans and currently has a servicing portfolio totaling $39 billion.

Trez Capital hires Darryl Myrose as managing director of bridge financing

Global commercial real estate company Trez Capital named Darryl Myrose managing director of the firm’s bridge-financing program. Based in the firm’s Los Angeles office, Myrose will be responsible for growing Trez’s bridge lending portfolio in the Western U.S. and originating commercial real estate loans across asset classes, including multifamily and hospitality. Prior to joining Trez, Myrose served as co-head of national lending for Resource Real Estate Funding, managing a unit that closed $6 billion of loans across the country. At Resource Real Estate, he was responsible for all aspects of commercial real estate debt investments, including deal sourcing and loan structuring and closing. He also previously co-led West Coast originations for Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage.

JLL taps Luke Vanderpoel to co-lead its Freddie Mac platform

Photo by Jim Herndon

Real estate and investment management firm JLL promoted CRE veteran Luke Vanderpoel to senior managing director and co-lead of the company’s Freddie Mac platform. A specialist in agency debt and Freddie Mac loan programs, Vanderpoel has been involved with more than $25 billion of commercial real estate transactions since beginning his career as a production analyst with HFF. JLL acquired HFF in 2019.

Chicago-based JLL reported annual revenue of $16.6 billion and generated $.9.9 billion in Freddie Mac multihousing volume in 2020.

Nations Lending adds Christopher Patille as Delaware branch manager

Full-service mortgage bank Nations Lending, based in Independence, Ohio, welcomed Christopher Patille as branch manager of its Newark, Delaware location. Patille joins Nations Lending from Guaranteed Rate, where he was a producing branch manager. He also previously held mortgage roles at GSF Mortgage and Allied First Bank. Patille’s mortgage background over the last decade includes experience serving U.S. veterans and originating adjustable-rate loans. Patille will be responsible for growing his branch’s team and expanding Nations Lending’s reach in the Wilmington, Delaware, market.

CrossCountry Mortgage adds Jerry Sundt, Derrick Polder in Tucson area

Left to right: Jerry Sundt, Derrick Polder

Retail lender CrossCountry Mortgage, based in Cleveland, announced the opening of two new branches in Tucson, Arizona. Leading the new locations are Jerry Sundt and Derrick Polder, both longtime mortgage professionals in the local market. Sundt previously served as a manager at VIP Mortgage and regularly discusses the mortgage outlook on local radio program “Tucson Home Solutions.”

Polder is a certified instructor in real estate education. CrossCountry Mortgage has more than 500 branches and serves home buyers in all 50 states.

Merchants Mortgage promotes Lynne Coverdale to originator

Merchants Mortgage, based in Carmel, Indiana, promoted Lynne Coverdale to loan originator. Coverdale previously served as a mortgage closer on the bank’s processing team and brings her knowledge in a variety of residential-loan types. In her new role, she will work with clients and new prospects on home-buying needs. Before joining Merchants, Coverdale held roles across Indiana, including as resource ambassador for Gaylor Electric, mortgage loan officer for Centier Bank and senior mortgage consultant at Salin Bank & Trust.

Bell Bank expands, adds TJ Kern as Denver manager

Bell Bank, a family- and employee-owned bank based in Fargo, North Dakota, announced the appointment of TJ Kern as senior vice president and Denver commercial banking manager. Kern’s hiring marks Bell Bank’s first entry into the local market, as the financial institution attempts to expand into the Mountain West. A longtime banking leader in the Denver area and a Colorado native, Kern will be in charge of recruiting an experienced commercial finance team.

The financial institution currently has mortgage offices in 10 states and possesses $10 billion in assets.