TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/1491913
M R EP O RT | 11 Michael Dubeck, CEO and President of Planet Financial Group, parent of Planet Home Lending, added, "Planet prides itself in its abil- ity to bring together teams of expe- rienced mortgage professionals who are dedicated to the communities they serve. The Kissimmee team is deeply connected to the members of their community and bring a shared understanding to the homeownership journey." KIMBERLY EVERS Union Home Mortgage (UHM) has named Kimberly Evers as Branch Manager for its Fayetteville, North Carolina, location. In her new role, Evers will leverage her 23 years of banking experience to assist customers in obtaining financing to purchase, refinance, or build a home while also managing other loan officers in helping individuals and families achieve the dream of homeowner- ship. "UHM is pleased to announce Kimberly's appointment as the new Branch Manager for our Fayetteville office," said Bryan Wright, VP of Retail Sales for UHM. "Her robust mortgage lending experience and track record of successfully manag- ing loan officers will serve as the foundation in helping ensure we are providing the best customer experi- ence possible as we strive to fulfill our mission of making homeownership more accessible to everyone." Evers is an industry veteran with more than two decades of bank- ing experience. She has served as a Branch Manager for more than a de- cade, including two years with UHM in this capacity. Prior to her appoint- ment at UHM's Fayetteville branch, she served as a Branch Manager, Loan Officer and VP of Sales for the Southern Region at American Neighborhood and OVM Financial. "I am excited to join Union Home Mortgage in my role as Branch Manager," Evers said. "The com- pany's collaborative culture and team approach to helping clients is instrumental to our work serving the community of Fayetteville. When everyone throughout the origination process has the client top of mind, the result is exemplary customer service. I look forward to continuing to bring this level of service in helping our neighbors realize homeownership." JUSTIN MESSER Prosperity Home Mortgage, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America, has promoted Justin Messer to the role of President and CEO. Tim Wilson, who has served as President and CEO since 2014, will continue as Chairman of the Board. Messer most recently served as Prosperity's COO, where he developed a keen understanding of the company's operations, culture, and growth strategies. "Tim and I have worked together for many years, and his strategic insight and vision have been at the center of Prosperity's continued suc- cess," Messer said. "I look forward to leading Prosperity to its next stage of growth and performance, supported by our outstanding loan officers and world-class management team and talented employees." Gino Blefari, CEO of HomeServices of America, the parent company to Prosperity Home Mortgage, added, "Tim's leadership helped guide Prosperity to become a national mortgage bank expanding its licensed footprint to forty-nine jurisdictions and building a wide range of loan products. On behalf of HomeServices, we thank Tim for his many contributions, and we wish him well as he enters this new chapter of his life." MIKE MELL Freedom Mortgage has named Mike Mell SVP of Wholesale Lending, overseeing a national sales team that includes regional sales managers and AEs across the country. Mell is a 27-year mortgage industry veteran with deep expertise in wholesale lending operations, joined Freedom Mortgage in 2005, and previously served as SVP of Sales. "While there's major turbulence in our industry, especially in wholesale lending, Freedom Mortgage has the right leadership and strategy in place to help our partners weather the storm," said Stanley C. Middleman, Freedom Mortgage President and CEO. "Mike is already doing a fantas- tic job leading his team and working with mortgage brokers across the country to provide customized solu- tions to close each loan." Mell added, "I'm thrilled to be lead- ing Freedom Mortgage's Wholesale Division. We're already one of the na- tion's top wholesale lenders with ex- pertise in helping mortgage brokers close loans, especially VA and FHA products. In fact, our government lending experience is unmatched. I look forward to expanding our whole- sale business and helping our sales partners thrive by providing their clients with the financing to achieve their homeownership dreams." SARAH CARPENTER OLGA ROSALES MELISSA WAGNER RICO GARCIA National mortgage lender Waterstone Mortgage Corporation has announced the promotions of Sarah Carpenter to Director of Marketing; Olga Rosales to Director of Business Insights; Melissa Wagner to Director of Human Resources; and Rico Garcia to VP– Enterprise Risk. Carpenter has more than 12 years of experience in market- ing management, brand manage- ment, and graphic design. She joined Waterstone Mortgage in April 2021 as the Marketing Manager and was promoted to Senior Marketing Manager in 2022. In her new role, Carpenter will continue to lead the Marketing and Creative teams, work- ing closely with the Sales Leadership team. She will also collaborate with sales solutions and services teams (Branch Administration, Sales Optimization, and Business Insights) to continue supporting Waterstone Mortgage's branch and sales op- erations and to grow the company's existing market shares. Rosales joined Waterstone Mortgage in April 2019. Throughout her time with the company, she has led the business insight strategy and platform build and has established the company's data governance prac- tice. In her new role, Rosales will lead the Business Insights team, which leverages data to provide actionable insights that are evidence-based. This will help the Waterstone Mortgage business teams make the best deci- sions on how to increase produc- tion, decrease costs, and be more efficient. Rosales has nearly 20 years of Business Intelligence leadership experience, including a 15-year career at MGIC. Wagner joined Waterstone Mortgage in July 2020 as an HR Business Partner. She was promoted to HR Manager in 2021 and Senior HR Manager in 2022. Prior to join- ing Waterstone Mortgage, Wagner worked in human resources at a private equity firm and interned at an investment management firm while attending graduate school. In her new role as Waterstone Mortgage Director of Human Resources, Wagner will oversee the Human Resources team, which includes employee relations, payroll, benefits, and recruiting and onboarding/offboarding. In his new role as VP of Enterprise Risk, Garcia will oversee the Waterstone Mortgage Quality Control, Title Services, Portfolio Risk Management, and Compliance teams. Aside from providing general oversight in these departments, he also works with the company's other corporate teams to identify efficien- cies, lead cross training efforts, and solidify communication with both internal and external customers. Garcia joined Waterstone Mortgage in July 2017 as the Quality Control Manager. Previously, he had held vari- ous positions in mortgage lending, including roles as a loan originator, processor, and underwriter. He also co-owned and managed a mortgage due diligence firm. KELLY ZITLOW Kelly Zitlow has been named EVP of Sales & Engagement for Cornerstone Home Lending (CHL). A mortgage industry veteran, Zitlow is approaching her 27th year in residential home finance. She was a top-producing loan originator at CHL from 2017 to 2022, and consistently ranks among the top producers in the nation. Cornerstone Home Lending's acquisition of The Roscoe State Bank, resulting in the formation of Cornerstone Capital Bank, SSB, was the perfect timing for Zitlow's return. MCROWD