TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/1075758
36 | TH E M R EP O RT TOP 25 INDUSTRY LEADERS & INFLUENCERS Special Section Jacqueline Comeau CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER, THE LOGS NETWORK YEARS IN INDUSTRY: 25+ J acqueline Comeau started her career over 25 years ago as an entry-level legal assistant in a Connecticut law firm and worked her way up to CCO at the LOGS Legal Network (LOGS), serving in a variety of roles along the way. Comeau is well versed in all aspects of law firm operations and admin- istration. For nearly five decades, LOGS has been a leader in designing comprehensive, and cost-effective legal and outsourcing solutions for the residential mortgage and consumer credit industry. Comeau has been a significant contributor to its success. Comeau effectively managed the unprecedented rapid change and transition of the industry to a more regulated environment and established a governance, risk and compliance department that supports 22 law firms in 32 states through the use of tech- nologically advanced compliance systems and old fashioned hard work. Comeau prioritizes creating a diverse, collaborative and fluid team of professionals with a growth mindset. Curios- ity is a core value for her team. She challenges team members to embrace the discomfort of change and disruption as opportunities to dem- onstrate initiative, add value, learn, and develop new skills. She always looks for ways to make processes more efficient and help develop others to maximize their potential. Avidly interested in diversity, Comeau ensures all team members have a voice. She believes candor and construc- tive communication is vital to success and growth. She leads by example, actively seeking feedback and encouraging retrospective learning opportunities. Comeau actively mentors team members for succession planning and career growth. A frequent contributor to the ALFN publications and participant in panels at various compliance and industry organizations, Comeau extends her mentoring skills to the ALFN WILL Group for women in legal leadership. John Crane MANAGING PARTNER, RAS CRANE LLC YEARS IN INDUSTRY: 20 A s Managing Partner at RAS Crane LLC, John Crane counsels national mortgage servicers on the myriad of federal and state laws impacting foreclosure, bankruptcy, loss mitigation, REO, eviction, and other areas of the default servic- ing industry. His areas of expertise include bankruptcy law, creditors' rights, foreclosure law, property law, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Truth-in-Lending, RESPA, mort- gage regulatory compliance, banking regula- tions, and FCRA. Crane has devoted much of his time to the consumer bankruptcy industry and has played an active role in the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees Mortgage Committee, where he currently serves as the Committee's Co-Chairman. Before joining the firm, Crane was the Deputy General Counsel of Citi's North American Operations where he provided legal support to the default servic- ing areas within Citi's consumer businesses. Crane's leadership style focuses on a client- first culture by supporting his legal team and their needs at every level. His time leading a legal team within a prominent servicing shop provided insights into the needs of clients, so each project begins and ends with, "How does this solve our client's problem?" In the words of John C. Maxwell in his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Crane has mastered "the Law of Process." Crane also goes the extra mile to recognize effort, excellence, and achievement in the firm's team, from parale- gals to partners. Recognition is provided each month in the Leadership meetings organized and supported by a nomination committee for employee recognition. Crane passionately be- lieves that diverse and inclusive firms make for more innovative, engaged, and happy teams (and clients). Kathy Cummings SVP, HOMEOWNERSHIP SOLUTIONS & AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS, BANK OF AMERICA YEARS IN INDUSTRY: 27 K athy Cummings joined Bank of America in 2003 as the Technol- ogy Service Delivery Manager and also served as the National Pricing Manager. She managed non-profit strategic relationships and the bank's Connect to Own homebuyer counseling program since 2008. Before joining Bank of America, Cummings held roles at other large financial institutions. Beyond her role at Bank of America, she volunteers in underserved communities and is a member of the Community Link Board of Directors, NCHEC Advisory Council, and the National Industry Standards Advisory Council. Cummings currently serves as Chair of the American Mortgage Diversity Council (AMDC), which works to help the industry embrace diversity and inclusion as essential to innovation and optimal business results. As Chair of the AMDC, Cummings over- sees the organization's work of shaping the diversity agenda while supporting a broad range of member initiatives that include sup- ply chain diversity, as well as challenges faced by minorities, LGBT, and women-owned businesses. In 2018, this included a series of LGBT Roundtable events held in several cities around the country, which brought together participating servicers and local LGBT com- munity groups for discussion regarding issues affecting the LGBT community, both from homeownership perspective and workplace inclusion perspectives. Colleagues have de- scribed Cummings as possessing an infectious combination of passion and commitment to homeownership education, along with a skill for evaluating the needs of a project and figuring out the best way to apply the talents of her team to the challenges at hand.