The Week Ahead: Streamlining Operations in the Digital Age

January 24, 2025 Eric C. Peck

Next Thursday, January 30, the Five Star Institute, in partnership with DocMagic, will present the next installment in the Five Star Institute Webinar Series, “Optimizing Your Business With eNotes” at 1:00 p.m. Central. The Five Star Institute Webinar Series aims to broaden the horizons of the mortgage industry. These webinars serve as a source for complimentary insight and education on critical industry topics, led by subject-matter experts and company sponsors.

Optimizing Your Business With eNotes,” will feature a panel of experts discussing how eNotes can transform mortgage operations for the digital age. Attendees will learn about:

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  • The current state of eNote adoption and the benefits of eNotes across the entire eClosing process
  • How to improve efficiency, enhance security, and streamline post-closing workflows
  • The simple steps to take to transition from paper notes to eNotes
  • The positive effects eNotes will have on your business and secondary market partners

Optimizing Your Business With eNotes” will feature a panel of experts including:

Featured Speakers

Bode founded and ran the original iteration of Mid America Mortgage in 1989, during which time he also became the first lender to develop an interface inside Calyx Point. In 2003, Bode sold Mid America to Aegis Mortgage and focused on developing Mortgage Machine, a proprietary loan origination system (LOS) and creating a tax lien business. In 2010, he purchased Schmidt Mortgage Company and reorganized its operations to incorporate the loan production of another mortgage operating unit he managed prior to the acquisition, resulting in the re-emergence of Mid America Mortgage in December 2011. Mid America Mortgage was the first independent mortgage lender in the nation to implement electronic mortgage closings (eClosings) and electronic promissory notes (eNotes) throughout its retail, wholesale, and correspondent divisions. In 2022, Mid America Mortgage sold the majority of its retail lending division and rebranded to Click n’ Close.

MacMillan is the Client Services Co-Head of Deutsche Bank’s Document Custody Team. A frequent speaker on mortgages and digital assets, he is a recognized expert on trust and agency trends. MacMillan has served in executive and leadership roles at Deutsche Bank and ABN AMRO LaSalle Bank NA, supporting a variety of structured finance products, technology platform transformation, and new products development.

Pannell drives DocMagic’s success in eMortgage solutions. As a visionary leader, Pannell takes charge of all post-sales activities, ensuring seamless integration of eMortgage (eSign, eNotary, and eVault) and post-closing (MERS eRegistry) technologies to enhance customer business models. Before joining DocMagic, Pannell made significant strides as the VP of Client Services for eSignSystems, further solidifying his expertise in the field. Prior to that, his illustrious 17-year tenure at Fannie Mae has showcased his abilities as a Senior Manager, responsible for forging strategic third-party technology and business relationships. Pannel holds a B.A. in economics with a minor in computer science from Virginia Military Institute, an MBA in eBusiness from the University of Phoenix, and a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute.

Penugonda currently leads Freddie Mac’s eMortgage program, and is responsible for managing and improving the program. In addition to identifying and managing internal strategic initiatives, he works closely with various industry stakeholders to increase eMortgage adoption.

Sommerville is an integral member of DocMagic’s eClosing team and is focused on the strategy, development, and promotion of innovative digital mortgage solutions to move the industry forward. Sommerville excels in guiding lenders through the transition from paper to digital mortgages. She fosters strategic partnerships among various stakeholders, including lenders, settlement agents, attorneys, notaries, real estate agents, investors, and warehouse lenders, to advance digital mortgage initiatives. Her adaptive and agile approach has facilitated comprehensive automation of the eClose process by collaborating with leading LOS platforms, settlement applications, and third-party systems. She has overseen thousands of successful eClosings and helped hundreds of organizations achieve eClosing adoption.

Click here for more information of to register for the Five Star Institute Webinar “Optimizing Your Business With eNotes.”

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The post The Week Ahead: Streamlining Operations in the Digital Age first appeared on The MortgagePoint.

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