46th Annual WMBA

Real Estate Finance

Conference

April 22-23, 2020
 
 

Speaker Bios

General Session Opening
8:05 am-8:45 am
William Kooper, MPA
Vice President of State Government Affairs and Industry Relations
Mortgage Bankers Association

William Kooper is Vice President of State Government Affairs and Industry Relations at the Mortgage Bankers Association and in that capacity leads MBA's advocacy efforts at the state and local level as well as MBA's engagement with mortgage banking associations across the country. William is responsible for the MBA State Legislative and Regulatory Committee, staffs the State Association Relations Committee and leads the State Relations Initiative -- MBA's program to partner with state associations to align business development, communications and advocacy interests.

William joined MBA in January 2001 as Director of Government Affairs, and has had a variety of roles assisting MBA members. Before leading the state program, he was Associate Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs where he directed MBA's nationwide grassroots advocacy program, the Mortgage Action Alliance, Inc. and the planning and execution of MBA's National Advocacy Conference. He also served as staff to MBA's political action committee, MORPAC.

Prior to joining MBA, William was appointed by President Bill Clinton as Special Assistant and Briefing Coordinator to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo. At HUD, William prepared the Secretary's daily event briefings, wrote the Secretary's weekly report to the President and also made contributions to Presidential and Vice Presidential briefing documents.  William's other positions in and out of government have included Manager of Government Relations at HIP Health Plans in New York City, Senior Legislative Associate to the New York State Assembly Committee on Health, Research Analyst for the New York State Assembly's Council on Health Care Financing, and Confidential Assistant to New York Governor Mario Cuomo. 

William was born in New York City and raised in Newtown, Connecticut. He received his MPA with a concentration in management from New York University in 1991 and his BA in International Affairs from Trinity University in 1986. William also studied at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and attended the Chase Collegiate School in Waterbury, CT.


General Session 1
8:45 - 9:45 am
Scott Happ, CEO
Optimal Blue

Scott Happ has thirty years of experience in financial services and mortgage lending technology. He founded Mortgagebot in 1997 and built the company into a nationally recognized SaaS solutions provider, selling the company to D+H in 2011. In 2016, Scott teamed with GTCR, a leading private equity firm, to acquire Optimal Blue, where he serves as CEO.


General Session 2
10:30 am-11:15 am
Isaac Boltansky, Director of Policy Research
Compass Point


As the Director of Policy Research for Compass Point Research & Trading, Mr. Boltansky coordinates the firm’s Washington policy analysis and follows financial services policy issues with a particular focus on mortgage finance, consumer lending, education services, and tax policy.
 
Mr. Boltansky joined Compass Point from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Congressional Oversight Panel and previously worked as an analyst at EJF Capital, LLC. Mr. Boltansky earned his B.A. in Political Science and History from Ohio Wesleyan University.

 
Breakout Session 1
11:15 am-12:15 pm
Jeremy Moreno, Regional VP of Sales 
Optimal Blue
Optimal Blue - Technology Breakout session

Jeremy Moreno is an experienced sales process and business development professional with a keen focus on building and managing sales teams to increase business-to-business revenues and profits. Jeremy has been with Optimal Blue for over 7 years having started with Optimal Blue building and managing the sales force for the Secondary Services division.  For the last two years, Jeremy has held the title of Regional VP of Sales - working with and creating mortgage technology solutions for Mortgage Banks, Independent Mortgage Bank and Credit Unions both small and large across the country. Jeremy holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Adams State University and a 2015 graduate of the MBA Future Leaders Program.

 
Breakout Session 1
11:15 am-12:15 pm
E-Closing and Remote Online Notarization-Knight Barry Title

An-Shih Lee, Project Manager
Knight Barry Title


An-Shih is a Project Manager with Knight Barry Title designing and implementing internal departments as well as key projects to advance Knight Barry Title in the real estate industry. With a background in New York and Virginia as a real estate paralegal and in Wisconsin coordinating residential real estate transactions at a real estate brokerage, An-Shih joined Knight Barry Title in 2017. An-Shih serves as the point-person for the research, vetting, and implementation of electronic workflow and closings.

 
Breakout Session 1
11:15 am-12:15 pm
E-Closing and Remote Online Notarization-Knight Barry Title

Cheri Hipenbecker, General Counsel
Knight Barry Title


Cheri Hipenbecker is General Counsel for the Knight Barry Title, which is a title and settlement company with over 60 offices and almost 400 title and closing professionals, covering all 72 counties in the State of Wisconsin and beyond. Cheri joined Knight Barry Title in 2007 when the company’s presence was limited to Southeastern Wisconsin. Since joining Knight Barry Title in 2007 Cheri, along with the other members of Knight Barry Title’s Executive Team, saw expansion opportunities and began aggressively increasing the company’s footprint by acquiring at least 1 title company every year since 2007.

In addition to acquisition mode, Cheri serves as a first point of contact for Knight Barry Title’s staff on all things “legal” including implementation of ALTA’s Best Practices, being the preeminent standard for title policy issuance and escrow account administration. But Cheri’s dedication to real property conveyances doesn’t start and end with Knight Barry Title. She has been actively engaged with the Wisconsin Land Title Association since 2007 and is the current President of the WLTA. In an effort to advance land records administration Cheri frequently reviews and drafts Wisconsin legislation on the topic, including the hot “RON”  (Remote On-Line Notarization) laws which are sweeping the nation.

 
Breakout Session 1
11:15 am-12:15 pm
Affordable Housing Panel Discussion
Geoff Cooper, Vice President, Product Development
MGIC
Moderator


Geoffrey is Vice President ─ Product Development at Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), where he oversees the Product Development and Business Insights (BI) teams.
Geoffrey rejoined MGIC in June 2014 after six years as the Director – Single Family at Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), Wisconsin’s state housing finance agency (HFA). In that capacity, Geoffrey oversaw all facets of WHEDA’s single family residential mortgage business including origination, servicing, quality control, and secondary marketing. Prior to joining WHEDA, Geoffrey worked 14 years at MGIC, including a stint as Director – Emerging Markets in which he oversaw all affordable lending products and programs in Risk Management. Prior to joining MGIC in 1993 he served as chief policy advisor to the commissioner at Wisconsin’s bank regulatory agency.

Geoffrey has served on 18 housing and housing-related boards and commissions over his career including the Fannie Mae National Lender Advisory Board; the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association Board of Directors; the Freddie Mac Affordable Housing Advisory Council; the City of Milwaukee Foreclosure Task Force; the National Industry Standards Committee of the NeighborWorks Center for Homebuyer Education and Counseling (NCHEC); and the boards of several Milwaukee housing initiatives and non-profit organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (NWSCDC), a Milwaukee-based community development financial institution (CDFI); and is a member of the National Mortgage Bankers Association’s Advisory Council on Affordable Homeownership.
 
Breakout Session 1
11:15 am-12:15 pm
Affordable Housing Panel Discussion
Steve O'Connor,Senior Vice President of Affordable Housing Initiatives
MBA

Steve O'Connor is Senior Vice President for Affordable Housing Initiatives at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).  He manages MBA's efforts to support the affordable housing policy and business objectives of our members. He is also responsible for outreach to industry groups, consumer organizations, and other key stakeholders. O'Connor is a regular guest speaker on industry issues. 

O'Connor leads MBA's Consumer Affairs Advisory Council.  He also serves on a number of industry boards, including the National Housing Conference, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, Freddie Mac's Affordable Housing Advisory Council, the National Urban League's Business Solutions Council, the Homeownership Council of America, and Quick Loans Consumer Advisory Council.

O'Connor joined MBA in 1996.  Previously, he worked in government affairs for the National Association of Realtors and Freddie Mac.  He also worked for Skyline Financial Services Corporation. O'Connor holds a Bachelor's degree in political science from Marquette University and a Master's degree in political science from American University.


Breakout Session 1
11:15 am-12:15 pm
Affordable Housing Panel Discussion
Dave Rouse,Director, Single Family Housing
WHEDA


David Rouse began work as WHEDA’s Director of Single Family Housing September, 2014. Prior to becoming Director of Single Family Housing, Mr. Rouse served for more than 11 years as Vice President / Director of Residential Loan Production at Bank Mutual, Regional Loan Manager at Anchor Bank and Vice President / Reginal Director and Lending Division Manager at West Allis Savings Bank. He has loan origination, sales management and underwriting experience from his work at Firstar Bank, City Mortgage Corp., M&I Wauwatosa State Bank, M&I Mortgage Corp., WestAmerica Mortgage, and Grootemaat Corporation. Mr. Rouse served for over two decades on the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association Board of Directors and served two terms as President. Mr. Rouse served as the WMBA Foundation President working with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation to provide annual scholarships to Wisconsin college students. He was also a past member of the WHEDA Lender Advisory Board.  In August of 2017, Mr. Rouse was appointed by Governor Scott Walker to the Governor’s Council of Financial Literacy extended by Governor Tony Evers, chairing the Financial Literacy Awards Committee .Rouse also serves as a member of the Wisconsin Interagency Financial Literacy Committee. At the WMBA 2019 Best in Business Awards David was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award. David has three children Ryan and twins Natalie and Emily, lives with his wife of 30 years, Jane in Brookfield.

Breakout Session 1
11:15 am-12:15 pm
Affordable Housing Panel Discussion
Tony Panciera, Director
​MKE United
   
Lunch/Keynote Speaker
12:15 - 1:30pm
Peggy Williams-Smith
President & CEO, VISIT Milwaukee

Peggy Williams-Smith is a Milwaukee native and veteran of the hospitality industry. In 2019, she was named the first female President & CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. Prior to that, she was with Marcus Hotels & Resorts for over 22 years and held leadership positions at varying levels throughout the division.  During her tenure at Marcus, she served as Senior Vice President, Marcus Hotels and SafeHouse Restaurants for three years, and before that she oversaw food and beverage.  In her various roles, she led multiple rebranding initiatives for Marcus Hotels properties across the country, including Milwaukee, Chicago, and Lincoln.
 
Peggy is a past president of Tempo Milwaukee, past Chair of the board for the American Heart Association of Southeastern WI, Research Chair on the board for Milwaukee Women Inc. and sits on the boards of the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation, Professional Dimensions, BID 21, and Destination Wisconsin.  She was the honorary chair for the UWM Women’s Leadership Conference in 2016 and the 2016 city wide co-chair for the United Performing Arts Fund. She also co-chaired the 2011 Best Buddies Leadership Event, the 2012 Go Red For Women Luncheon, 2018 Humane Society Gala, the 2018 Leadership Breakfast for the Three Harbors Council for the Boy Scouts, and the 2019 Pathfinders “Takin it to the Streets” event. Additionally, she participates in committee work for many other non-profit organizations such as Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, UPAF and United Way.
 
Peggy was honored in 2010 as one Milwaukee’s 40 under 40 presented by the Business Journal and was awarded the Peak Performer Award in 2009 from Junior Achievement.  She was also named a 2017 “Women of Influence” winner by the Business Journal, as well as one of the city’s 100 Power Brokers for five years.  She resides in Milwaukee with her husband, Tim Smith, their niece, Jocelyn and their Boston Terrier, Tito Fenway.


 

 
Breakout Session 2
2:15-3:15 pm
Managing Remote Staff Effectively
Jenny Heus, Underwriting Manager
GSF Mortgage Corporation

Jenny Heus has been with GSF Mortgage Corp for over 11 years and an Underwriting Manager for 9 years.  She currently oversees the Conventional Underwriting Dept which includes Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bond Loans, Renovation Loans and the Single Close Construction Loans.  Her current designations include FHA Chums ID and VA Credit Underwriter/SAR. Jenny’s core competencies include risk management, financial analysis, compliance, guideline trainer, process management, and goal achievement, just to name a few.  In total, she has been in the mortgage industry for 21 years.  Her past experience also includes being a Mortgage Underwriter and a National Auditor in prime, subprime and government markets.  Outside of work she enjoys sports such as basketball, football and baseball.

Breakout Session 2
2:15-3:15 pm
Managing Remote Staff Effectively
Phil Roever, Underwriting Production Manager - Contract Underwriting  Solutions
MGIC

Philip Roever is an Underwriting Production Manager in the Contract Underwriting Solutions department at MGIC where he manages a team of underwriters working remotely throughout the country.  He joined the company in 2007 and has held various positions in Claims, Risk Management, and Field Operations. 

Before joining MGIC, he was a mortgage underwriter, mortgage loan officer, and Realtor®.  He has a BBA from Wisconsin Lutheran College and an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University.  In his free time, he enjoys hiking, bicycling, traveling, playing the piano and organ, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Breakout Session 2
2:15-3:15 pm
Managing Remote Staff Effectively
 
Breakout Session 2
2:15-3:15 pm
Servicing Panel Discussion
 
Breakout Session 2
2:15-3:15 pm
Ginger Bell, Founder
Edumarketing
Sales Presentation - 2020 Branding Trends you Need to Use


About Ginger Bell
Prior to beginning her mortgage training career, Ginger Bell was a Training Consultant for Dale Carnegie Training.  She is a 3-time Best-Selling Author, Speaker and Education and Marketing Specialist with Edumarketing, a full-service content development and marketing agency focused on utilizing the power of education, new technologies, media, and personality-driven marketing to position individuals and companies as experts in their field.
 
Ginger helps companies and entrepreneurs create educational marketing campaigns and strategies to increase their customer base and grow their business.  Her clients hire her to develop training and marketing programs, design online education programs and create educational marketing and branding strategies.
 
Her client list includes Re/Max, Motto Mortgage, Finance of America, First American Title, FirstFunding, Tovuti, Fidelity National Title, Arch MI, Windermere and countless entrepreneurs and small-business owners across the US.

A sought-after speaker and published author to audiences nationwide, Ginger has been named as one of Mortgage Banking’s Most Powerful Women, 50 Most Connected Professionals, and Elite Women of Lending.  Ginger has also been awarded the “Professional Woman of the Year” award by the National Association of Professional Women for her commitment to training and education.
 


 
Breakout Session 3
3:15-4:00 pm
Ginger Bell, Founder
Edumarketing
Sales Workshop - How to Create Compelling Video Using your Mobile Device




 
Breakout Session 3
3:15-4:00 pm
Tian Liu, Chief Economist
Genworth Mortgage Insurance

Tian Liu is the Chief Economist at Genworth Mortgage Insurance, responsible for economic, housing, and mortgage origination forecasts. He also authors the company’s First-Time Homebuyer Market Report and Weekly Economic Report, and provides regular updates on U.S. and regional economies, as well as the housing and mortgage market. Mr. Liu’s commentary has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNBC, Reuters, Inside Mortgage Finance, and other media.  
 
Mr. Liu began his economics career in the Australian Treasury Department in 1997.  He started covering the U.S. housing market with Cemex in 2007, where he was the Director of Economics responsible for economics and housing market analysis. He was later hired by Owens Corning to lead its economics team in 2011.  Mr. Liu joined Genworth Mortgage Insurance as its Chief Economist in 2014.
 
Mr. Liu has a Masters in Economics from the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the Australian National University.  He resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife and two children.

 

General Session Closing
4:00 - 4:15
Mike Theo, President & CEO
Wisconsin Realtors Association
  • Mr. Theo joined the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA) staff in 1985, managing the association’s legal, legislative, political, research and public relations operations.
  • Mr. Theo was named President and CEO of the WRA in 2011. 
  •  He attended the UW-Madison and holds a Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives and the REALTORS Certified Executive (RCE) designation from the National Association of REALTORS®. 
  • Activities include leadership roles in: 
    • Board of Advisors, Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, UW-Madison School of Business
    • Executive Committee, Competitive Wisconsin Inc.
    • 2020 President, The Madison Club
    • Past Chairman of the Board, Wisconsin Society of Association Executives
    • Past Chairman, Association Executives Committee – National Association of REALTORS®
  •  Life-long resident of Madison. Family: Married to wife Sheryl for 38 years and has two adult children.

 
 
 

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Exhibitors