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98 opportunity to increase diversity at the highest levels." Among those high levels, at least, Barbone has witnessed the shifting dynamics at the proverbial table. "I see a much different group leading the industry forward today," he says. "ere's been a lot of progress." Recall, however, that Barbone spoke of perception‒‒what customers for mortgage and servicing companies perceive to be a diverse company that they can relate to. While the truth is that he regularly sees much more diversity within companies than in years past, representing more ages and backgrounds than ever, there is still a perception that banks and lenders are run by flesh-and-blood versions of the Monopoly guy. "e industry has been demonized during this crisis," Barbone says. e perception is "that servicing is closely aligned with Wall Street." at perception is holding a lot more progress back, he says. Broader representation among the American public, in a field that touches every group and sub-group in the country, is lagging because people simply don't trust‒‒often are, in fact, intimidated by‒‒ lenders and servicers. What companies need to do to fix this bad perception is, first, admit that it exists. Like Travis-Johnson, who believes true progress can only be achieved by companies wanting to move forward on the matter, Barbone says that regulation can only take progress so far. What is needed is top-notch customer service, with a hefty helping of diversity and inclusion training and awareness. Only then will people start to trust the system that so many believe purposely hurt them out of greed. LINKS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN Diversity and inclusion are, of course, not limited to the workforce. How everyone in the mortgage industry conducts its business with its vendors is an important step too. Buckley, who also chairs the AMDC's subcommittee on supply chain diversity, spends much time considering how vendor selection can be improved to promote diversity and is looking for ways to measure not only ownership diversity but also inclusion of diversity within the vendor workforce. In essence, vendor management can push the issue of diversity and inclusion by doing business with those vendors that themselves demonstrate diversity and inclusion in their ownership and/or workforce. "When you look at the supply chain," Buckley says, "you need to look at ownership, and then at inclusion within the vendor." In other words, with the right kind of attention, a more inclusive and more truly diverse industry will shape itself. Promoting diversity in the workforce will, in turn, drive diversity in ownership. So under it all, the way for lending and servicing companies to build their bottom lines through diversity and inclusion initiatives begins with building trust. It's about building community relations and showing the many, many communities in the United States that they can be part of the larger picture. "People are attracted to where they feel they have an opportunity," Travis-Johnson says. "It's a byproduct of how people of that community feel they are treated." ED BUCKLEY PRESIDENT, ASPEN GROVE SOLUTIONS "YOU NEED TO SEEK THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST. ONCE YOU HAVE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO SELECT FROM, YOU CAN APPLY OTHER FACTORS LIKE DIVERSITY INTO THE HIRING PROCESS."

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