TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/1494596
14 | M R EP O RT MCROWD to dig in deeper with our sales force and marketing team to further build our origination business, open new re- lationships, and continue to be the best retail mortgage provider in the U.S." TIM NOLAN Planet Home Lending, a national mortgage lender and servicer, has opened a new branch in Dallas, Texas, to be led by Retail Branch Managers Tim Nolan and Jerry Frye, and Assistant Branch Manager Jim Loughborough. "Like other major markets around the country, the Dallas market has slowed in the last year, but we expect to see activity pick up in 2023," Nolan said, noting that Zillow recently ranked Dallas as fourth on its list of hottest housing markets this year. "With Planet's comprehensive suite of lend- ing solutions, we can support more people on the journey to homeowner- ship. Whether it's down payment and closing costs assistance for first-time homebuyers, buydowns that tempo- rarily lower the effective interest rate for move-up buyers, or no money down loans backed by USDA and VA, Planet Home Lending has the tools to thrive in today's real estate market." The Dallas team also serves real estate investors with special landlord loans based on rental cash flows rather than borrower income. "The Dallas team has decades of local experience, and they are a terrific addition to the Planet family," said Michael Dubeck, CEO and President of Planet Financial Group, parent of Planet Home Lending. "They are deeply committed to offering support and industry knowledge on the road home." KYM POLADSKY Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation has announced that mortgage veteran Kym Poladsky has joined the company in its Denver region working with the Mandie Pallone team. "We are beyond excited to have someone like Kym, who is a mortgage legend in our part of Colorado, join us at Fairway," Fairway Branch Manager Pallone said. "Kym is a $70 million plus producer who will fit right into the Fairway culture." Poladsky was most recently with Flagstar Bank and Guaranteed Rate Mortgage before that. She brings 40 years of mortgage and real estate experience to Fairway. "I chose to make a career in resi- dential mortgage lending, because I believe homeownership can be a basis for lifetime financial security," Poladsky said. "And having the power of Fairway's operations behind us, and its ability to deliver the fastest and most dependable closings in the industry is going to be a great fit." Fairway Independent Mortgage has more than 7,000 team members and 500 branches nationwide and funded $42 billion in 2022. BRIAN WESSELHOFF National mortgage lender Waterstone Mortgage Corporation has promoted Brian Wesselhoff to the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Pewaukee-based corporate office. Wesselhoff joined Waterstone Mortgage in March 2018, when he was hired as the company's IT Manager. In January 2021, he was promoted to VP– Information Technology. Wesselhoff's most recent promotion comes on the heels of former Waterstone Mortgage CIO Tom Knapp's retirement. When Wesselhoff joined Waterstone Mortgage in 2018, he had more than 20 years of experi- ence in IT management. During his tenure with the mortgage lender, he has led several large-scale initiatives and critical projects to support the company's secure and advanced technology environment. Wesselhoff and his team also led the change to a work-from-home environment at the start of COVID-19, ensuring a seamless transition for Waterstone Mortgage employees nationwide. Wesselhoff's most recent accom- plishments include the moderniza- tion of the corporate data center; enhancement of the new employee IT onboarding process for individu- als and branches; increased reliability and uptime for all IT infrastructure systems; and more. "Brian is a proven professional in all aspects of IT," Waterstone Mortgage President & CEO Jeff McGuiness said. "In addition, he has built a strong team and developed personal and meaningful relationships with his team members and key vendor partners that comprise our IT infrastructure. Brian is direct and clear in his communica- tion and prioritizes providing a high level of reliable IT services. He has built the trust of our Waterstone Mortgage personnel by delivering results and focusing on a high level of customer service." In his new role as CIO, Wesselhoff will lead Waterstone's many technol- ogy initiatives, such as hardware, servers, data center, data and voice technologies, and security measures. He will also oversee the management of the company's ticketing system, which streamlines requests across vari- ous departments. "I appreciate the opportunity Waterstone Mortgage has provided me to continue to develop as a profession- al and a leader within the organization," Wesselhoff said. "I wouldn't be where I am today without—first and fore- most—my family, the support of my talented employees who execute our strategy, and our supportive and ac- cessible executive leadership team at Waterstone Mortgage. I look forward to our continued investment in reliable, efficient, and innovative technology solutions that enable our organization to continue delivering the American Dream of homeownership." SERVICE PROVIDERS ALLEN ILLGEN Mortgage Connect LP, a national mortgage services provider, has announced the hiring of Allen Illgen as National Sales Executive, Originations. Illgen will work directly with clients to provide expertise as they leverage Mortgage Connect's suite of products to optimize their workflow by building greater efficiency and automation into their originations processes. For home equity lenders, Illgen will assist clients using Mortgage Connect's ground-breaking proprietary FINTRAC technology to reduce costs, automate workflow, and move loans quickly and seamlessly from point-of-sale to close. Illgen has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry. He worked previously as Director of National Services for Title365, and prior to that, as VP of National Sales at American Title, and VP at Indecomm Global Services. "We are excited to welcome Allen to Mortgage Connect. Allen is a well- known and respected professional in our industry," said Cristy Ward, Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Mortgage Connect. "He brings a tremendous amount of expertise that will be a great benefit as we continue to expand our national footprint." Mortgage Connect has been providing cutting-edge solutions to mortgage lenders for 15 years, and last year, Mortgage Connect made Inc. 5000's list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies by growing 540% over three years. The honor marked the third consecutive time Mortgage Connect has made the Inc. 5000 list and the fourth time overall. "At Mortgage Connect, we are always focused on the consumer expe- rience and how we can best serve cli- ents through our innovative solutions, advanced technologies, and industry expertise," said Jeff Coury, CEO of Mortgage Connect. "We are thrilled to welcome Allen to our team and know he will be an integral part in helping us deliver the level of service our clients are accustomed to." JOE MOWERY Joe Mowery has joined Incenter LLC as SVP of Enterprise Business Development, drawing on more than 20 years of leadership roles in the mortgage and title industries. In his new role, Mowery will introduce C-level mortgage executives to Incenter's solutions for optimizing their operations, from origination and servicing to mortgage servicing rights (MSR) trading. Based in Denver, Mowery brings a strong operational and business development background to his new firm. His previous positions include President of Title365 (rising from COO), and leadership roles with Cherry Creek Mortgage, Voxtur, LenderLive Network, First American Title Insurance Company, and several other national businesses. "Mortgage leaders will find Joe's experience to be particularly helpful in today's challenging market," said Tom Piercy, President, National Enterprise Business Development, Incenter and Managing Director, Incenter Mortgage Advisors. "He understands how to combine process re-engineering with outsourcing to increase revenues and profits." "Even during tough times, mortgage lenders have tremendous opportuni- ties to diversify into other revenue-pro- ducing areas, efficiently and at scale," said Mowery. "In anticipation of their