DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.
Issue link: http://digital.dsnews.com/i/1535182
MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 14 May 2025 E X P O S U R E POLICY PERSPECTIVES AND NEXT STEPS AT THIS YEAR'S GOVERNMENT FORUM A s the industry works to support the American Dream of homeownership, ensuring clear lines of communication between mortgage industry stakeholders and their government partners is more critical than ever. The 15th Annual Five Star Govern- ment Forum unfolded on Wednesday, April 16 in Washington, D.C., a daylong gathering where mortgage servicing lead- ers and government agencies can discuss the industry's most pressing issues and work to find solutions together. The Forum once again returned to the National Press Club. Since 1908, the National Press Club has hosted presi- dents, kings, queens, prime ministers, cabinet members, governors, members of Congress, and influential leaders in business, entertainment, sport, and society to share their views on signifi- cant topics and current events with the media and the public. The day's programming began with Ed Delgado, AMP, Managing Director of Mortgage Policy Advisors and Chairman Emeritus of Five Star Global, delivering his opening remarks and sharing an overview of the day's discussions and hot-button topics. Delgado then moderated an open- ing Fireside Chat with Ed DeMarco, President of the Housing Policy Council. The Housing Policy Council is a trade association comprised of the nation's leading firms in housing finance. Prior to joining the Council in 2017, DeMarco was a Senior Fellow in residence at the Milken Institute's Center for Financial Markets. From 2009-2014, DeMarco was Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), where he served as the conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and regulator of those companies and the Federal Home Loan Banks. DeMarco's 28-plus-year career in public service included positions at the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Depart- ment of the Treasury, and Government Accountability Office (GAO). Following the morning Keynote Session, the first of five General Sessions kicked off as Wes Isley, Senior Managing Director of Carrington Holding Compa- ny moderated a panel discussion on the topic of "D.C. Updates: Developments on Policy, Programs, and Regulations." A panel of experts explored how shifts in the administration and policy changes are reshaping the mortgage servicing environment. Speakers included Keith Becker, Partner at Gate House Strategies; George Lane, Chief Legal Officer for Auction.com; Ingrid Ripley, Executive Director of USDA; and Jake Williamson, SVP, Single-Family Collateral & Quality Risk Management for Fannie Mae. During General Session #2: Natural Disasters and Servicer Response," panel- ists discussed best practices and policies in response to disasters impacting home- owners and servicing portfolios. Candace Russell, VP at Carrington moderated a panel that included Bryan Bolton, SVP at U.S. Bank; George Gallagher, Senior Leader, Principal, Climate Risk, Natural Hazard and Spatial Solutions at Cotality; Michael Merritt, SVP, Customer Care & Mortgage Default at BOK Financial; and John Rohrbach, Executive Director, Prod- uct at National General Lender Services. In Session #3, industry economists discussed the state of the housing market, mortgage default, and the broader econo- my, while reviewing the potential impact of new policies impacting the mortgage market. Panelists taking part in the forecast included Molly Boesel, Senior Principal Economist with Cotality; John Comeau, Policy Economist for the Coun- cil of Federal Home Loan Banks; Mark Fleming, SVP, Decision Science and Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation; and Daren Blomquist, VP of Market Economics for Auction.com, who moderated the discussion. During lunch, Tim Rood, Founder & CEO of Impact Capitol, delivered his "View From the Hill" keynote, breaking down some of the recent developments unfolding in Washington, from scale- backs at the CFPB to leadership changes at HUD, FHFA, the GSEs, and others. Technology took center stage for the fourth session, "AI Impact on Mortgage Servicing," which explored how AI (artificial intelligence)-powered tools are streamlining workflows, helping forecast homebuyer and homeowner behavior, aiding compliance, and driving operation- al efficiency. Invited panelists included Rodney Cadwell, CEO of Quandis Inc.; Michael Greenbaum, COO for Safeguard Properties; Steve Holden, SVP, Single-Fam- ily Analytics & Modeling for Fannie Mae; and moderator Gagan Sharma, Founder & CEO of BSI Financial Services. The fifth and final session of the day, "Inside the C-Suite: Servicing Industry Spotlight," brought together top C-suite executives from leading servicing organi- zations to share their perspectives on the most pressing challenges and opportuni- ties facing the industry today. Shayna Ar- rington, Chief Risk Officer with Servbank moderated the discussion featuring Mike Blair, COO of LoanCare LLC; Shawn Miller, SVP–Client Relations & Business Development with Xome; David Sheeler, EVP, President of Residential Servicing with Freedom Mortgage; and John Vella, Chief Revenue Officer with Selene. This year's Government Forum spon- sors included Host Sponsor Auction.com; Presenting Sponsors National General Lender Services, Safeguard, and Xome; and Supporting Sponsors Guardian Asset Management and Selene Finance.