DS News - Digital Archives

MOVERS & SHAKERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 Auction.com Appoints HR Executive Auction.com named Sheryl Roland EVP of human resources. Roland's appointment requires her to oversee talent acquisition and management, total rewards, and employee relations on a global scale. She also leads the people initiatives and strategies for Auction.com and its 700-plus employees. Before joining Auction.com, she held the same role at the ACTIVE Network. MCS Announces Executive Promotion Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC (MCS), announced the promotion of Paul Swindle to VP of operations. Prior to his promotion, Swindle served as assistant VP. In his new role, he's charged with advancing process efficiencies for the company, its clients, and its vendor network, as well as helping to develop new business offerings for the company's client base. Industry Vet Rejoins WNC as SVP of Private Label Funds WNC & Associates, Inc., announced Anil Advani rejoined the firm as SVP of private-label funds. Advani, a 17-year tax credit veteran, previously oversaw WNC's underwriting department and now serves in a new role created to grow the company's private-label fund business with large institutional investors. Davidson Fink Welcomes Two New Partners Davidson Fink, LLP, in Rochester, New York, announced Andrew Burns and Jill Schultz joined the firm as partners. Both are former partners of the law firm Burns & Schultz, LLP, and each has more than 20 years' litigation experience. Burns has extensive experience in commercial and contract disputes, labor and employment litigation, and personal injury litigation. Burns earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law. Schultz's area of focus is civil litigation with an emphasis on labor and employment matters. She is a certified federal court mediator for the United States District Court for the Western District of New York. Schultz received her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University School of Law. United States Appraisals Appoints Chief Appraiser United States Appraisals named Richard Garrie chief appraiser. Garrie has more than 17 years' residential valuation experience, including eight years as a branch manager for Forsythe Appraisals, LLC. In his role at United States Appraisals, Garrie will direct the company's team of internal review appraisers and maintain appraisal compliance. Blueberry Systems Hires New Business Development Manager Blueberry Systems, LLC, recruited Jordan Houston to join the company as business development manager. Houston brings more than 12 years' mortgage and technology experience to his new position. Before joining Blueberry Systems, he held the roles of business development manager and national client success manager at QuestSoft. DAG Appoints Executive Director Default Attorney Group (DAG), a consortium of creditors' rights law firms, selected Katie Donovan as executive director. Donovan is responsible for marketing communications, public relations, and planning and organizing client events nationwide. She's also charged with managing daily operations. Donovan brings more than 12 years' related experience to DAG. Former Principal, Senior Portfolio Manager Returns to Smith Breeden Smith Breeden Associates announced the return of Carl D. Bell, CFA, to once again serve as principal and senior portfolio manager at the asset management firm. His area of focus is on the analysis and trading of structured credit, including securities backed by non-agency residential and commercial mortgages, as well as consumer receivables. Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen Announces Shareholder Appointment Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C., announced Beverly M. Weber became a shareholder at the firm as of March 1. She will continue her practice in civil litigation with an emphasis on banking and lending law, real property law, title insurance defense, and creditors' rights. She started with the firm in March 2003. Long & Foster Appoints Manager for Three Maryland Offices Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., appointed industry veteran Martha Witte Suss to manage three Maryland offices that are part of the company's Lacaze Meredith real estate brand. Suss first joined Lacaze Meredith's office in Easton in 2011. Now, she oversees the management of the Easton, St. Michaels, and Cambridge offices. Suss' real estate career spans more than 20 years. CONTINUED ON PAGE 37 34 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 longer-term interest rates low has helped spark recovery in the housing market and led to increased sales and production of automobiles and other durable goods," Bernanke said. Still, there are several potential risks involved, one of which is the possibility of rising inflation. "For example, if further expansion of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet were to undermine public confidence in our ability to exit smoothly from our accommodative policies at the appropriate time, inflation expectations could rise, putting the FOMC's price-stability objective at risk," Bernanke said. Another concern is the possibility low interest rates could, over time, "impair financial stability" if portfolio managers become dissatisfied with low returns and respond by taking on more risk. While certain types of risk-taking might occur, Bernanke says in some ways, risk is reduced by "encouraging firms to rely more on longer-term funding and by reducing debt service costs for households and businesses." Bernanke also expressed concern that as the economy continues to strengthen, the central bank's remittances to Treasury, which have tripled in recent years, will decline as policy accommodation is reduced. Bernanke also addressed challenges of reducing the federal budget and warned of the potential impact of the March 1 automatic spending cuts. "[A] substantial portion of the recent progress in lowering the deficit has been concentrated in near-term budget changes, which, taken together, could create a significant headwind for the economic recovery," Bernanke said. He advised, "replacing sharp, frontloaded spending cuts required by the sequestration with policies that reduce the federal deficit more gradually in the near term but more substantially in the longer run."

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