[1]In a year of challenges, it’s all the more important to recognize excellence. This year, we will return to Dallas for the in-person Five Star Conference 2021 [2], September 19-21, and at the event, will recognize the women who are making a difference in the industry, and making a mark on their colleagues and peers.
As we have in year’s past, DSNews is taking the chance to shine a spotlight on these professionals.
Thus far, we have showcased the finalists for The Rising Star Executive Award [3], which recognizes young women leaders who, while still early in their careers, have demonstrated an outstanding capability to lead and drive progress.
We have introduced you to the nominees for the Excellence in Leadership Award [4], which recognizes women executives who have gone the extra mile to pass on their knowledge and “pay it forward” by helping guide the next generation of female mortgage professionals.
We have showcased the nominees for the Excellence in Mentorship Award [5], which recognizes women executives who have gone the extra mile to pass on their knowledge and “pay it forward” by helping guide the next generation of female mortgage leaders.
We also introduced you to the five nominees for the 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award [6], an honor bestowed upon those who have successfully broken barriers and helped lead the charge in developing a more diverse workplace culture.
Today, we will introduce Five Star’s final Women in Housing Award, the prestigious Laurie Maggiano Executive of the Year Award. This honor recognizes women whose accomplishments have left an indelible impact on the industry and have positively influenced homeownership within the past year. Candidates for the honor must have a minimum of 20 years of consecutive industry experience to be considered for the Laurie Maggiano Executive of the Year Award.
The Award is in memory of Laurie Anne Maggiano [7], Servicing and Secondary Markets Program Manager at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) who passed away three years ago. Maggiano served at the CFPB for more than four years, and was an authority on default management and foreclosure prevention. She was previously Director of Policy, Office of Homeownership Preservation at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Acting Director of Single-Family Asset Management at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She was one of the original architects of the federal mortgage relief and foreclosure prevention programs.
Stay tuned to the October issue of MReport where we will reveal which of these deserving women will take home the prestigious Laurie Maggiano Executive of the Year Award, and click here [8] to view a list of all the nominees for the 2021 Women in Housing Awards.
Donna Corley
EVP, Head of the Single-Family Business, Freddie Mac [9]
What others are saying …
“For over 26 years, Donna Corley has been a tremendous leader and innovator within Freddie Mac and across the industry. As the EVP and Head of the Freddie Mac Single-Family Business, the organization’s largest division, Corley is passionate about helping clients deliver innovative solutions that drive sustainable homeownership. She is driven by the organization’s mission to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the U.S. housing market."
What does this nomination mean to you and what makes you a good pick for this category?
“Receiving this Laurie Maggiano Executive of the Year nomination for work I continue to love is an honor I prize, especially since the award recognizes women whose overall accomplishments have made a substantial industry mark and who have positively impacted homeownership this past year. In my role, I lead high-performing teams with responsibilities that include managing the company's relationships with our Seller/Servicers, the performance of our $2.4 trillion portfolio of mortgages, and all sourcing, servicing, risk management, operations, and technology functions that support the business. I’m still as passionate as ever about driving innovation within the housing industry and building on our successes. In the past year and a half during challenging times and uncharted waters, I’m proud of how we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of at-risk homeowners and renters remain in their homes, while helping maintain the stability of the U.S. housing finance system. During the pandemic, we extended up to 18 months of forbearance to more than 800,000 single-family borrowers. And in the second quarter of 2021 alone, we provided funding for approximately 1 million single-family homes, including the reduction of 700,000 families’ mortgage payments through refinancing.”
Sherri Goodman
SVP, Contact Center Operations, PHH Mortgage [10]
What others are saying …
“Sherri Goodman has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, primarily in senior management roles, and manages an international team of over 1,000 call center agents across three countries. Over the past year, Sherri transitioned her entire team to a work-from-home environment, ensuring that they had the necessary equipment and support to perform their jobs remotely with minimal disruption in services. Under Sherri’s leadership, the team well outperformed the industry average with respect to all call center metrics and assisted over 100,000 struggling borrowers in need of forbearance and other relief as a result of the pandemic.”
What does this nomination mean to you and what makes you a good pick for this category?
“It is so gratifying to be considered for an award named in honor of one of the most passionate advocates for consumers in the mortgage industry, Laurie Maggiano. I always admired Laurie’s dynamic, high-energy leadership and viewed her as a role model in my career. I am very proud of the impact that I have been able to make for borrowers through my role leading all customer contacts for Ocwen/PHH Mortgage. We pulled out all the stops to deliver HAMP modifications to borrowers after the mortgage crisis, and I am proud of the fact that Ocwen completed more HAMP mods than any other servicer in the country—a fact that I’m sure would delight Laurie, one of the architects of the HAMP program. While the mortgage crisis is behind us, the COVID pandemic has created a new need to “up our game” for homeowners who are struggling not just financially but emotionally. Again, I am very proud of the innovative approaches we have used to support borrowers during this stressful time—helping homeowners is what we do.”
Ali Haralson
President, Auction.com [11]
What others are saying …
“Since 2017, Ali Haralson’s exemplary leadership and accomplishments have helped Auction.com reach over $53 billion in sales. She has spearheaded the launch of innovative disposition solutions that produce better outcomes for mortgage servicers, distressed homeowners, distressed property buyers, and communities. She has also worked with Operation Homefront and is VFSAC’s Vice Chairperson.”
What does this nomination mean to you and what makes you a good pick for this category?
“I am honored to be nominated for the coveted Laurie Maggiano Executive of the Year Award. Laurie was an industry icon, a force for good, and a believer in making a difference in the lives of others. The past 18 months have tested my grit and determination while responding to change. At the pandemic's start, we created our Community Stabilization Pledge to help safeguard distressed homeowners and occupants. We also continued refining our platform and strategy to produce better outcomes that help stabilize neighborhoods by returning properties to market faster. Our pre-foreclosure Market Validation Program benefits include foreclosure prevention, transparency that allows equal access for buyers, a graceful exit for borrowers, better execution for sellers, and neighborhood stabilization. Launched in June 2020, the IDEA Council has created numerous educational events focused on a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Since becoming Auction.com's first female president, I have intensified the company's focus on innovative solutions to yield better outcomes for buyers, homeowners, communities, and employees. My competitive drive will keep me pushing for positive change for our company, industry, and communities, striving to stabilize neighborhoods and create a future of affordable housing.
Arleas Upton Kea
Deputy to the Chairman for External Affairs, former COO, FDIC [12]
What others are saying …
“Arleas Upton Kea began her legal career in Washington, D.C., serving first at the U.S. Department of Labor’s legal division and then joining the Legal Division at the FDIC during the banking/savings and loan crises in the 1980s. Kea expanded her role beyond the Legal Division when she was appointed by the FDIC’s Board of Directors to serve as the Ombudsman, where she served as the liaison with bankers, industry representatives, community groups, and the public. Her achievements include selection as Chairman of the Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen and receipt of the prestigious Vice President’s Hammer Award for management excellence in government.”
What does this nomination mean to you and what makes you a good pick for this category?
“It is an honor to be nominated for the Laurie Maggiano Executive of the Year Award. Laurie's commitment to protecting the public's interests while fulfilling her organization's mission parallels my values and journey. I began my career as one of few women lawyers and even fewer minorities. I embraced positions that allowed me to better understand our stakeholders' perspectives, such as members of Congress, other regulators, community banks, our employees, and the public. As COO, I oversaw our Acquisitions Branch and spoke in various forums on doing business with the FDIC. In my current role, I create greater awareness of our mission to maintain stability and public confidence in our nation's financial system. Like Laurie, who worked to save millions from foreclosure at the height of the mortgage crisis, I led a hiring initiative that quickly increased our workforce by 4,000, enabling us to manage the financial crisis during the 2008 recession. Laurie's accomplishments are an inspiration to so many, and I am thankful for her legacy.”
Marietta Rodriguez
President & CEO, NeighborWorks America [13]
What others are saying …
“As COVID-19 engulfed the country, Marietta led a seamless transition to virtual operations, ensuring her more than 300 employees were safe. Rodriguez and her leadership team supported nearly 250 network organizations, securing more than $22 million dollars in grants to address infrastructure and capacity needs, expansion of virtual services, and food and healthcare for residents. The organization also launched a consumer safety program, StopHomeScams.org, to teach consumers how to avoid housing scams. She now leads the organization through the administration of the Housing Stability Counseling Program to help people avoid foreclosure and homelessness.”
What does this nomination mean to you and what makes you a good pick for this category?
“I am incredibly honored to be nominated for the Laurie Maggiano Executive of the Year Award. I had the pleasure of working with Laurie when she was at HUD and while she was at the CFPB. Together, we faced the 2008 foreclosure crisis. I admired Laurie's ability to pull together the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to strategize solutions that were galvanized around improving others’ lives. Being named a finalist is of great significance to me. Laurie Maggiano exercised leadership under one of the most stressful housing crises. As President & CEO, I draw inspiration from her ability to foster impact from collaboration and coordination. Leading a housing and community development organization during a global pandemic, I have built upon her model of leadership, enabling us to distribute more than $22 million dollars in grants, launch a consumer safety program, and administer a housing counseling program to help people avoid foreclosure and homelessness. I believe this kind of leadership would make Laurie proud.”