“Our management philosophy at MBA is to have strong and deep bench strength within each division,” said Jonathan L. Kempner, MBA’s President and Chief Executive Officer.  “While we will miss Kurt and value the outstanding contributions he has made to MBA during the past five years, our depth of management strategy will serve MBA and the industry well. We have tremendous talent within our government affairs team.  Steve’s industry knowledge and policy expertise, coupled with that of the exceptional staff, will ensure MBA does not miss a beat during this critical time for our industry.”

MBA announced seven additional promotions within the Government Affairs department. 

Erick Gustafson, previously Vice President of Legislative Affairs, will be promoted to Senior Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs.  In this role, Gustafson will oversee political outreach, including MBA’s PAC and grass roots activities, and direct federal and state legislative affairs.

Francis Creighton, previously Senior Director of Legislative Affairs, will be promoted to Vice President of Legislative Affairs where he will manage the day-to-day activities of federal legislative affairs.

Paul Richman, previously Senior Director of State and Local Legislative Affairs, will be promoted to Vice President of State Government Affairs where he will manage the association’s state legislative efforts.

Josh Denney, previously Director of Public Policy, will be promoted to Senior Director of Public Policy where he will be responsible for managing day-to-day policy development and implementation throughout the association.

Paul Hilliar, previously Director of Government Affairs, will be promoted to Senior Director of Legislative Affairs where he will have overall responsibility for the daily operation of the association’s political  programs, specifically MORPAC and the Mortgage Action Alliance.

Sheryl Pardo, previously Director of Government Affairs, will be promoted to Senior Director of Government Affairs where she will be responsible for managing special advocacy and policy projects, including MBA's cultural diversity initiative.
 
Meghan Sullivan, previously Assistant Director of Government Affairs, will be promoted to Director of State Government Affairs where she will be responsible for coordinating MBA's advocacy efforts in key states, including outreach to state and local policy-makers and industry stakeholders.

“I am proud to honor the hard work and dedication of these individuals,” added Kempner.  “Their commitment to excellence has made a significant contribution to MBA.  In these expanded roles, they will each continue to play an important part in representing our industry both here in Washington and in state capitals across the country.”  

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The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is the national association representing the real estate finance industry, an industry that employs more than 370,000 people in virtually every community in the country. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the association works to ensure the continued strength of the nation's residential and commercial real estate markets; to expand homeownership and extend access to affordable housing to all Americans. MBA promotes fair and ethical lending practices and fosters professional excellence among real estate finance employees through a wide range of educational programs and a variety of publications. Its membership of over 2,400 companies includes all elements of real estate finance: mortgage companies, mortgage brokers, commercial banks, thrifts, Wall Street conduits, life insurance companies and others in the mortgage lending field. For additional information, visit MBA's Web site:  www.mortgagebankers.org.