In This Issue
2017-2018 Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Pat Gaver
Capital City Bank
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Matthew Goldman, CLO, CRO
Atlantic Home Loans  
VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Azzarello, CMB
Caliber Home Loans
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Sherry Gallitz
Union Home Mortgage
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Michelle Knoebel, CMB
Freedom Mortgage
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Kevin W. Strickland, AMP
iberiabank Mortgage Company
LOCAL CHAPTER REP
Jaime Fiore
Synovus Mortgage

Cammie Aucoin
Plaza Home Mortgage
Richard Peek
The Mortgage Firm, Inc.
Francine Villa
American BancShares Mortgage
Doug Leever
Tropical Financial Credit Union
Jeff Kaufman
iberiabank Mortgage Company
Teresa Hale
HomeBridge Financial Services 
Timothy Bazell
Fidelity Bank Mortgage
Dawn Henshaw
Genworth Mortgage Insurance
 
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
Margie Fletcher (elected 2005)
Georges Lussier (elected 2010)
BB&T
Local Chapter Presidents

MBA OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Nate Morris
Waterstone Mortgage
GULF COAST MBA
Chris Palese
MBA OF JACKSONVILLE
Michelle L Glass, Esq.
MBA OF THE PALM BEACHES
Ben Eachus
 MBA OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Charlie Suarez
American Bancshares Mortgage
 MBA OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Mary Adams
 MBA OF TALLAHASSEE
Jaime Fiore
SunTrust Mortgage, Inc.
 MBA OF TAMPA BAY
Cindy Maxie
Mason Title & Escrow Co.
Future Leaders
Congratulations to our newest Future Leader, Amy Ellmore! Amy is a Senior Encompass Analyst at  
Home Point Financial Corporation and is an active member of her local chapter, the MBA of Central Florida. We are excited to have Amy in the program and look forward to working with her on the state level.

Do you have someone in your organization that is a candidate?

MBAF's Future Leaders Program is dedicated to identifying and cultivating the next generation  
of industry leaders by delivering 
a comprehensive leadership 
training experience for participants. For more information or to nominate a Future Leader please contact 
the committee chair,

Michelle Knoebel, CMB
904-708-8434 
Winter News March 2018

Welcome to our Winter News. We know March in Florida is super close to Summer, since Spring barely knows us. We love living here! 
Presidents Message
by Pat Gaver, President
We are half way through our fiscal year and it has been a busy one. Our eight local chapters have had phenomenal success with their events and meetings. The legislative session continues here in Florida with nothing exceptionally troublesome to the mortgage banking industry. Eric, our legislative representation provided a brief report below in this newsletter. We recently held our 15th Annual Eastern Secondary Market Conference & Exhibits with a lower attendance this year but still good networking and speakers. We are reevaluating this conference and the schedule to possibly condense it. Surveys regarding this have been sent to past attendees and exhibitors to get their ideas and advice. Please take a minute to respond. A reminder was sent on 2/27. If you did not receive it, email  mbaf@mbaf.org and our state office will send you a link to complete.
 
The next thing we are very much looking forward to is our 65th Annual Convention to be held June 20-21 at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort in St. Petersburg. The committee has been working to get some great speakers and planning some fun and networking time for all to enjoy. There is more information included below. Registration is open and ready for you!
 
We stepped up our efforts and we need to work to continue to include new mortgage bankers in this association. Some of our members of the local markets are still missing out on the benefits of participation in our state functions. The MBA of Florida conferences introduce us to new roles and avenues to follow in our career paths. It is an opportunity missed and once you come you will find the benefits to come again. There is so much information to gain that is tough to find anywhere else.  Economic updates, product changes, mortgage delivery, and GSE reform are just some of the topics. MBAF is our industry resource to become better and more intelligent lenders. Please continue to strive to get the new faces, and the leaders of tomorrow to attend our upcoming events. 
 
It continues to be one of the great honors of my career to serve as your state MBA President.  It is hard to believe we are halfway through the year.  There is still much to accomplish.  I look forward to seeing all of you in June!
Legislative Update-Session 2018
by Eric Prutsman, Esq.
american-flag-banner.jpg
It's been a whirlwind of activity in the Capitol with the 2018 Session that started on January 9 th. The MBAF Board of Directors decided it was the perfect time to hold a Board meeting and do our annual Day on the Hill in Tallahassee on January 9 th & 10 th. The Board and a some members that were in town, met with numerous State Representatives and State Senators, including House Insurance & Banking Committee Chair, Representative Danny Burgess, Senate Banking & Insurance Committee Member, Senator Doug Broxson, and Senator Aaron Bean. We also attended a legislative committee meeting to watch the Legislature in action. As in past trips to Tallahassee, the time spent with our elected state representatives and senators was productive and reinforced our message that the MBAF is a valuable resource on mortgage banking issues.



The Legislature is actively working on legislation related to insurance, foreclosures, and online notaries, and the MBAF is engaged on each of these issues. We will continue to provide updates as legislation moves forward. So far, so good.
Mortgage Action Alliance, Inc.® (MAA) - Sign Up Now
You can help amplify MBA's voice by taking-action with the Mortgage Action Alliance (MAA). Speak directly with your members of Congress and state legislators about the impact of proposed legislation.
 
It's free and open to anyone working in the real estate finance industry.  MORPAC, is MBA's non-partisan affiliated political action committee (PAC), is another critical component of our advocacy efforts.

As a reminder, at the MBA's 2017 National Advocacy Conference in DC the MBA rolled out the "Mortgage Action Alliance" app:
  • Receive updates on bills affecting the real estate finance industry
  • Let your elected officials know how those bills will impact you directly
  • Research bills that MBA is watching
  • Find contact information for your members of Congress
  • Join MAA, MBA's free grassroots network
  • Learn about MORPAC, MBA's political action committee
Download the MAA App for FREE: 
Online Store - Education and Designations
65th Annual Convention-June 20-21, 2018


Convention Schedule - A Few More Updates Coming Soon - Additional Speakers Being Secured!
Wednesday June 20
 
8 AM   GOLF-Isla Del Sol Yacht & Country Club-6000 Sun Boulevard-St. Petersburg, Florida 33715
The 18-hole "Isla Del Sol" course in Saint Petersburg features 6,392 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71. Designed by Mark Mahannah, ASGCA, the Isla Del Sol golf course opened in 1977. The course is about 9 miles from the hotel and the drive is about 20 minutes. This will give you plenty of time to get back to the hotel for the 2 PM start of the convention.
To register please check and pay via your registration form. Georges Lussier is the golf leader (thank you Georges!), and he will be in contact with you with specific information. He will provide the foursomes to the course and you can request your own via your form

10 AM-5 PM Attendee Registration Open-Time to pick up your badge and convention materials.
 
2-4 PM          Annual Business Meeting-Everyone please attend to see how your association works!
·  MBAF Presidents Address and Welcome to the Convention, Pat Gaver, President
·  Legislative Report, Eric Prutsman, MBAF Legislative Representative
·  Committee Reports, Committee Chairs
·  Nominating Report/Election, presented by Kevin Strickland, Immediate Past President
·  Member to Member - Learn about your professional association, MBA of Florida, and what we do for you. Hear from fellow members what their involvement has meant professionally and personally for them. If you are new or been around a while you will surely hear something you didn't know.
·  Board of Directors and Committee Awards of Appreciation, presented by Pat Gaver, President
 
4-5 PM          The MindSide of Championship Excellence: Breaking the FishBowl
In this presentation, Bhrett McCabe, PhD, a leading clinical and sports performance psychologist, will layout the plan that top programs and athletes across the country rely upon to reach their own level of excellence. In today's sports and corporate world, the smallest of margins separate those who succeed from those who fail, but those minor differences are often significant ones on the mental side of the game. It is not just how you think, but what influences how you think, what influences your perception, and how each contributes to developing greatness.
 
Dr. McCabe is the owner of The MindSide, LLC, in Birmingham, AL, and through The MindSide, consults with numerous collegiate and professional organizations for establishing empirically sound psychological performance programs. He is the consulting sports psychologist for The University of Alabama Athletic Department, working across all sports in the department. He also works with numerous PGA, LPGA, and developmental tour golfers, as well as coaches and instructors.
 
Dr. McCabe is an oft-requested presenter for keynote presentations, teaching summits, and organizational leadership conferences. His presentations have a common theme - informational inspiration. Blending the scientific background with the sound principles of the applied landscape, Dr. McCabe challenges each attendee to evaluate their current way of living and learn to challenge the status quo, what he calls "Breaking the FishBowl," through their thinking, their behavior, and their vision.
 
5 PM    Incoming Local Chapter Presidents Meet / Greet
All Incoming Local Chapter Presidents please meet at the MBAF Registration Desk. The purpose of this meeting is for introductions prior to the formal meeting tomorrow morning to elect your Local Chapter Representative.
 
5:30-7:30 PM           Opening Welcome Reception with the Escape Game!   
 
Thursday June 21
 
8 AM             Attendee Registration Open-Time to pick up your badge and convention materials.
 
8-9 AM          Attendee Breakfast
 
8-9 AM          Incoming Local Chapter Presidents Breakfast-Election of Local Chapter Representative

9-10 AM       MBA National Update
                        David Motley, CMB, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association,
                        President of Colonial Savings, F.A. and its divisions -
                        Colonial National Mortgage and CU Members Mortgage
                       https://www.mba.org/who-we-are/officers/j-david-motley-cmb
   
10-11 AM      Session, Speaker TBA
 
11 AM             Refreshment Break
 
11:15 AM -     Digital Mortgages
12:15 PM        Chris will present "mortgage intelligence" coming up where there will be lots of activity and development this year. This is the concept that with digital data, we have the ability to create a more intelligent process that can predict follow-ups and additional data that will be needed, and bring these tasks up earlier in the process. This saves time/resources/money and creates a better process for lender and borrower. Brian will cover anything in the e-market of e-closings, e-recording and e-notary.
                        Chris Trani , Head of Commercial Sales - East, blend
                        Brian D. Hughes, Chief Operating Officer, Title Source
 
12:15-2 PM   Installation Luncheon and Brown L Whatley Award Presentation
We are keeping with our new format having the Installation of Officers and Brown L Whatley presentation during the lunch instead of dinner. The Golf presentations will also take place. We hope you enjoy this extra special event!
 
2-3 PM          Agency Panel Updates
                        Dan Rogers, III, Director, Atlanta Homeownership Center
                        Christy Moss, Senior Account Manager, Business Development, Fannie Mae
                        Sharvon Jackson, Asst. Loan Production Officer, VA, St. Pete
 
3 PM                Refreshments Available
 
3 - 3:45 PM          Low and Moderate Housing
David Westcott , Director of Homeownership Programs at Florida Housing Finance Corporation
Mark Hendrickson , President, The Hendrickson Company and At-Large BOD Member, Florida Housing Coalition
Hear about the Sadowski Housing Coalition and the issues that have transpired and also FTHB Bond Products overview.
 
3:45-             Death by Cliché and Other Business Buzzwords,Steve Richman, Genworth
5 PM             Don't Build Your Business Off of Something You Read on A Bumper Sticker
In this session, we will explore common business clichés and how they need to be changed to be relevant in today's evolving market.  But we won't stop simply at the exploration of these concepts and buzzwords.  We will explore actions that you can take today to update your business plan, improve communications and differentiate yourself from the competition.

5:30 - 7:30 PM Cocktail Reception with All Convention Drawings / Giveaways FUNdraising Take Place Here-So MUCH FUN! 
 
(Dinners on your own)
 
Friday June 23
 
8-11 AM        2018/2019 Incoming Board of Directors Meeting and Breakfast
Convention Information Brochure with Speakers, Sponsorship and Registration Links
Convention Hotel Information
Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club 
501 5th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Direct 727-894-1000 Reservation Toll Free: 1-888-789-3090
Reservations Local Phone: 1-888-303-4430
Reservation Cut-Off Date-TUESDAY-MAY 29, 2018
 
MBA of Florida Group Hotel Reservation Online link:
Single/Double Occupancy $215
Complimentary Internet in guestrooms for Marriott Reward Members.
Non-Members will receive a discount ($7 per room, per night)
Group rate honored (3) days pre-and-post event dates, based on availability
MBA of Tampa Bay, by Cindy Maxie
MBA Tampa Bay's 33 rd Annual Children's Home Network Auction
which was held on November 9th was another huge success! We will be presenting a check for $20,000 to the Children's Home Network at our February 13th meeting. Past President, Brian Hiatt and his committee put on a fantastic event! Special thanks to Tina Gordon for sponsoring the artwork project - canvases which were painted by children who live at the home.We would like to thank MBAF for scheduling the board meeting in Tampa on the day of our auction and especially to those board members who participated in our event.
We truly appreciate your support!  



On December 12 th, our featured speaker was Matthew Froning, Founder/CEO of Security assurance Facilitation Experts, LLC. His topic was 'Cyber Security...Are You At Risk?' This was an excellent presentation - we learned just how vulnerable lenders and realtors are to cyber-crimes.
 


December 14 th was our joint annual Social & Toy Drive with Gulf Coast FAMP at Bascom's Chop House in Clearwater. We collected gift cards and toys for children at The Children's Home. Hard to believe this is almost three months ago! We are looking forward to the 2018 holiday season already.
 Lastly for now, February 13th we had Steve Richman 'Death By Cliché'. We are presenting this meeting as a seminar with a slight increase for admission. These additional funds will be donated to MPAC.

Thank You Members!
We value and appreciate your continued support. The new fiscal year begins in a few months so look for information to sign on to one of our committees!


Financial Institution Members
Academy Mortgage Corporation
* Acopia Home Loans
American Bancshares Mortgage
Ameris Bank
Assurance Financial
Atlantic Coast Bank
Atlantic Home Loans
*Branch Banking & Trust
Capital City Bank
Centennial Bank
Chase
* Christensen Financial, Inc.
Community Bank, Destin
Consumer Real Estate Finance Co.
Embrace HomeLoans
EverBank
Farm Credit of Northwest Florida
Fidelity Bank Mortgage
First Bank and Trust Mortgage, LLC
First Commerce Credit Union
First Federal Bank of Florida
First Home Bank
Florida Capital Bank N.A.
* Florida Community Bank
Franklin American Mortgage Company
Freddie Mac
Freedom Mortgage Corp.
Group One Mortgage, Inc.
Gulf Coast Bank & Trust
* Hancock Bank
* HomeBridge Financial Services, Inc.
Home Point Financial Corporation
*Iberiabank Mortgage Company
K Hovnanian Companies
NattyMac
Prime Meridian Bank
Prime Mortgage Group
PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company
Quicken Loans
Regions Mortgage
ResMac, Inc.
*SunTrust Mortgage
Synovus Mortgage
* The Mortgage Firm
Union Home Mortgage
VyStar Credit Union
Waterstone Mortgage
United States Automobile Association
 

Associate Members
* Arch MI
CATIC
*Doc Probe (will be ALL Chapter Member 2018/2019)
Essent Guaranty
* Genworth Mortgage Insurance
KOW Building Consultants
Mason Title & Escrow Co
MERSCORP Holdings, Inc.
* Mortgage Guaranty Ins. Corp.
Mortgage Information Services
*National MI
O'Kelley & Sorohan, Attorneys At Law, LLC
Private Eyes
Radian
Rumberger Kirk & Cardwell
*Seeman Holtz Property and Casualty, LLC
Shapiro, Fishman & Gache, LLC
The StoneHill Group
*ValuAmerica
Western Technologies Group, LLC
 
Individual Members
Mary Adams
Michael Azzarello, CMB
Wlliam Cannova
Stephen Capps
Michael Dunn
Amy Ellmore 
Michelle Glass, Esq.
David Greif
Karen Kohler
Doug Leever
Coleen T. Regan
Tolly Spence
Alan Verch, CMB
 
Local Chapters
MBA of Central Florida
Gulf Coast MBA
MBA of Jacksonville
MBA of the Palm Beaches
MBA of South Florida
MBA of SW Florida
MBA of Tallahassee
MBA of Tampa Bay

Thank You to Our 15th Annual Eastern Secondary Market Conference & Exhibits Sponsors
Mobile App
Reminder - We have been testing a Mobile App for the past couple of years with having just convention / conference and web information. It was put to good use by attendees and so we moved forward in keeping it going. We are in the process of updates to the app with current information, which should be done soon. If you have not yet downloaded the app we included below the Google and Apple store links.

Name in the Apple Store:

Mortgage Bankers Association of Florida

We really hope to expand this communication tool and we tha nk Easy Mortgage Apps, LLC for setting this up for us and Matthew Goldman for taking the lead in making it happen.

By Easy Mortgage Apps, LLC