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Gateway First Bank Appoints Chief Mortgage Operations Officer

Gateway First Bank [1]has promoted Jeff Schmidt to a new role of managing its mortgage operations. In his role as Chief Mortgage Operations Officer, Schmidt will manage the underwriting, appraisal, closing/funding, post-closing, and construction lending departments.

Additionally, Schmidt is tasked with the expansion of the Oklahoma-headquartered bank's mortgage call centers based in Dallas and Frisco, Texas. He will report directly to Gateway’s CEO Stephen Curry.

“Jeff brings deep expertise in mortgage banking derived from his 35 years of experience in both mortgage and banking. His knowledge will help us build the robust mortgage operation we need to support our growth goals,” Curry said. “Jeff has had a long track record of success at Gateway, and his promotion was well-deserved. This is a critical role as we implement new mortgage banking technology, streamline our operations and improve our recapture.”

Schmidt’s career in financial services began as a bank teller. Throughout his roles over the next 20 years, he served as AVP of Operations, Senior Loan Officer and Regional VP over Underwriting, Closing and Post-Closing.

His management experience also includes leadership roles in personal and real estate banking, finance, operations, regulatory compliance, and merger transitions. Schmidt held roles in Texas, Alaska, and Washington before returning once again to his roots in Texas.

He joined the Gateway team in October 2010 as Regional VP and has been recognized in Mortgage Executive Magazine’s “Top 1% of Mortgage Originators in America” every year since 2011 and as a Top Originator by Scotsman Guide in both 2017 and 2018.

“I have loved being a part of the Gateway family and am very excited about this new role. As the company continues to gain momentum, the Gateway team will absolutely rise to the occasion,” Schmidt said. “Gateway is a proven leader in the mortgage industry and we have experienced a long tradition of success. I am eager to take on a greater role as Gateway continues to grow and strive for excellence.”