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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 50 2 0 2 5 W O M E N I N H O U S I N G A W A R D S CYNDI DANKO Single-Family Chief Credit Officer and SVP, Fannie Mae WHY SHE WAS NOMINATED: "Cyndi Danko is a trailblazer in America's housing system, driving innovation and responsible access as Chief Credit Officer and SVP for Fannie Mae's Single-Family business. She leads credit risk strategy for a $3.6 trillion portfolio and oversees credit policy, mortgage product design, counter- party risk oversight, and credit perfor- mance. Cyndi also directs the development of Fannie Mae's underwriting and acquisition solutions, including Desktop Underwriter®, Loan Delivery, and DU Validation Service. She helped modernize the mortgage experience through innovations like Day 1 Certainty® and Fannie Mae's Income Calculator, delivering greater speed, simplicity, and confidence to lenders and borrowers. A frequent speaker at housing forums, Cyndi's insights are sought by lenders, servicers, and industry partners alike. Respected for her strategic foresight and collaborative leadership, she brings a deep commitment to promoting safety and soundness while driving meaningful change for the industry and for generations of homebuyers." WHAT THIS NOMINATION MEANS TO HER: "Being named a finalist for the Women in Housing Award is a meaningful honor. It reflects the collective progress we've made in building a more collaborative, innovative, and responsible housing system. I'm proud to represent the mission-driven work we do at Fannie Mae to increase access to afford- able and lasting homeownership oppor- tunities that improve lives and strengthen communities. This recognition affirms the power of teamwork, strategic foresight, and a commitment to doing what's right — for lenders, for borrowers, and for future generations. I'm inspired by the incredible women in our industry and grateful to be part of this transformative journey." KENDRA GRAY VP of Single-Family Collateral & Loan Performance Products, Fannie Mae WHY SHE WAS NOMINATED: "Kendra Gray models visionary leadership in housing finance, driving innovation across different functions in the mortgage lifecycle. As a senior leader at Fannie Mae, she leads transformative initiatives that enhance operational excellence, improve loan quality, elevate servicing standards, and expand access to sustainable homeowner- ship. Her portfolio includes industry-shap- ing tools like Collateral Underwriter® and Condo Project Manager™, and initiatives like Valuation Modernization—delivering over $2.9 billion in borrower savings while reducing overall appraisal turn times. Kendra has developed several servicing-fac- ing tools and programs, such as Servicing Management Default Underwriter™. She also helped launch Fannie Mae's Pre-Fore- closure Property Inspection & Preservation program. Kendra's career spans decades across the GSEs and U.S. fintech, including foundational work on eMortgages, Loan Prospector (now Loan Advisor Suite), and the Making Home Affordable program. Through her strategic foresight and customer-centric innovation, Kendra is not just imagining the future of housing finance —she's building it." WHAT THIS NOMINATION MEANS TO HER: "Being nominated as a finalist for the Five Star Conference Public Sector Champi- on Award is both humbling and deeply meaningful. My career has been driven by a passion for expanding access to homeown- ership by implementing industry standards and driving innovation that removes friction from the mortgage finance process. Every improvement—whether saving borrowers time, reducing costs, or easing the path to financing—represents more families achieving the dream of homeownership. To me, this recognition affirms the importance of purposeful work that creates tangible impact, ensuring that the housing finance system works better for everyone it touches." T H E 2 0 2 5 F I V E S T A R C O N F E R E N C E A N D E X P O P R E S E N T S This award honors outstanding female leaders from government agencies and government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) whose work has profoundly impacted the housing and mortgage finance landscape. Whether through policy development, program innovation, regulatory leadership, or public-private collaboration, these trailblazers have advanced equitable access to homeownership and strengthened the stability of the U.S. housing market. The Public Sector Champion Award F I N A L I S T S