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M R EP O RT | 11 MCROWD operations to provide clients with enhanced efficiency. Larsen joined Black Knight as CFO in 2014 and led the company through its initial public offering in 2015. In his expanded role, Larsen will also assume responsibility for the compli- ance, enterprise risk management, human resources, internal audit, legal and marketing functions, and will work closely with Nackashi to achieve the company's strategic goals. ELIJAH PALLANTE Consumer lending and real estate services provider loanDepot, Inc., has announced that Elijah Pallante has been promoted to CDO. In this newly created role, Pallante will be responsible for leading the develop- ment and implementation of the company's enterprise data and information strategy. "I am excited to collaborate with George and his team to leverage our proprietary technology in ways that further Anthony's vision of creating a responsive, nimble experience for our customers—ensuring that the dream of homeownership, or the achieving personal goals through a refinance—is effortless and intuitive," Pallante said. As CDO, Pallante will be instru- mental in optimizing the role of data across the enterprise and will provide strategic guidance and direction to take the company's market-leading products into the next generation of the lifecycle both in application and technology evolutions. This is an area of strength for Pallante, who will retain his current responsibilities as head of the company's Enterprise Innovation Team, where he will continue to lead the development of product and service enhancements. "I am extremely proud of how our company attracts the brightest minds in the industry, people who share our passion to deliver a seamless, exceptional mortgage experience to digital savvy customers," loanDepot Founder and CEO Anthony Hsieh said. "Elijah has played a critical role in supporting our goals, and now, under the leadership of Chief Digital Officer George Brady, the future is even brighter, and filled with im- mense opportunity that will benefit our team, and, most important, our customers." Pallante joined the company in 2014 as VP, Corporate Development, and, in 2018 was promoted to SVP, Enterprise Innovation. Prior to joining loanDepot, he held key positions in the financial services industry, work- ing with such companies as Discover Financial Services, Performance Capital and Merrill Lynch. "Elijah's ability to identify opera- tional areas of opportunity is derived from his impressive ability to use data as a path to change," Brady said. "His new role will enable him to further expand that talent beyond operations into all areas of our business, the re- sult of which will be further enhance- ments that deliver exceptional value to our customers." SCOTT SHEPHERD Scott Shepherd has been named Director of Marketing for ReverseVision, overseeing the company's marketing department and will be responsible for the design and implementation of ReverseVision's new marketing strategy. "I am elated to join the highly passionate, dedicated team at ReverseVision and look forward to taking its marketing and branding to the next level," Shepherd said. "Following a high-volume refi boom, the mortgage industry's changing business landscape is ripe to increase the adoption of reverse loan prod- ucts via multiple delivery methods. ReverseVision is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities, while helping the mortgage industry expand and evolve with these much- needed loan products." Over the course of his career spanning more 25 years, Shepherd developed a broad base of knowl- edge involving nearly all facets of marketing in multiple industries within different sectors. He has man- aged marketing communications for several companies ranging from nonprofit entities, private, interna- tional, government, education, and consulting firms. In addition, he has been an editor, journalist, and a public relations specialist. Over the course of six years, Shepherd played a pivotal role in the development and growth of the eOriginal brand into one of the preeminent digital mortgage lending platforms in the country, ultimately leading to an acquisition by Wolters Kluwer in 2020. Prior to joining ReverseVision, Shepherd headed the marketing strategy at Unleashed Technologies, a web development and digital services firm with commercial and non-profit clients in multiple vertical markets, including financial ser- vices. His strategic marketing efforts resulted in the company successfully positioning its solutions in an easy- to-understand, digestible manner for prospects. "We welcome Scott to the team at ReverseVision and since join- ing us, he's already had a positive impact internally and externally," said Bill Mitchell, CRO at ReverseVision. "Scott is an experienced marketing professional who is accustomed to working in fast-paced, dynamic envi- ronments operating in growth mode. We are lucky to have him on board at a pivotal juncture as we experi- ence a surge in demand for reverse mortgage technologies." AWARDS RUTH JOHNSON Down Payment Resource (DPR), the nationwide database for U.S. homebuyer assistance programs, today announced that Ruth Johnson, Founder and CEO of Homes for Heroes, has been selected the winner of its fourth annual 2021 Beverly Faull Affordable Housing Leadership Award. Each year, the Beverly Faull Affordable Housing Leadership Award recognizes an individual or organization that has demonstrated outstanding leadership in broadening access to homeownership and affordable housing finance solutions. Johnson was selected for founding Homes for Heroes, a national network of real estate, mortgage and local business specialists that provide housing services at a reduced cost to healthcare professionals, teachers, first responders, active military, and veterans. To date, Homes for Heroes has helped give back $100 million in Hero Rewards to more than 50,000 heroes and their families so they can reach their homeownership dreams. Each year, DPR makes a financial donation to the recipient's housing nonprofit of choice. Johnson has requested the donation be made to the Homes for Heroes Foundation, 501(c)3 nonprofit that aids heroes suffering from housing insecurity with housing assistance and home modification services. The foundation recently celebrated raising $1 million dollars to support heroes in need. "I am incredibly honored to be named a Beverly Faull Affordable Housing Leadership Award recipient," Johnson said. "In the age of Covid, it is more important than ever to give back to the brave heroes that have remained dedicated to serving our country and its diverse communities throughout this crisis. Helping those heroes has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I look forward to continu- ing this mission with Homes for Heroes for years to come." The Beverly Faull Affordable Housing Leadership Award is named in memory of Beverly Faull, a highly regarded housing industry veteran and one of DPR's first employees, who fully embraced the company's mission to provide greater visibility and access to down payment assis- tance programs. Previous winners of this award include The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the oldest professional organization for Black and minority real estate professionals, Tonya Todd, Housing Director for Hilltop Securities, Inc. and John O'Callaghan, President and CEO of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, Inc. know someone moving up in the industry? email us at Editor@theMReport.com.