Thank you to everyone who attended the Eastern Regional Meeting.
Registered attendees can access copies of the PowerPoint slides by visiting the Eastern Regional Meeting landing page and logging into the web site with your username and password. Links to the audio recordings will be added at a later date.
Accessing Session Recordings and Slides
- Login to NRMLAonline.org with your username and password
- Once you’re logged in, come back to this page and look for the Documents tab located at the top of this page next to the Registration Fees tab
- Once you click the Documents tab, the session slides will be displayed in the same order they were presented in the agenda.
If you need assistance, please email Darryl Hicks, VP,, Communications, at dhicks@dworbell.com.
John is an expert in financial analysis and investment modeling in a range of industries, including the last 18 years in reverse mortgages. John draws on deep experience and extensive relationships with leaders at top lenders, servicers and investors in the space to focus RMI’s product development and sales in productive niches for clients. Prior to founding RMI in March 2007, John led the Business Metrics & Analysis team at Financial Freedom to deliver comprehensive ongoing internal performance analysis across all lines of business in the company: Marketing, Sales, Operations and Servicing. John previously worked at AT&T Wireless, Cendant Settlement Services and MetaMarkets.com and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance from California State University San Bernardino.
Jon McCue, Reverse Market Insight, Inc.
Peter Bell is the founder and CEO of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. He has a 46-year background as a housing policy analyst and advocate in Washington, DC. In addition to his work on reverse mortgages and retirement finance issues, he is a nationally recognized authority on affordable housing development and finance issues and is frequently called upon to testify before Congress or advise federal agencies on housing matters. In addition to NRMLA, Bell also serves as the CEO of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association.
Melody H. Fennel is a public policy and government relations consultant, specializing in service to affordable housing and banking clients. Previously, she served as Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Prior to her appointment to the Executive Branch, Fennel served the United States Senate Banking Committee as its chief housing finance and economic development policy advisor. As an in-house industry lobbyist, she represented the National Association of Home Builders and advocated for the National Council of State Housing Agencies. Ms. Fennel is a graduate of Vassar College.
David has spent most of the past 22 years providing government relations advocacy and strategic advice for a broad range of clients. Prior to starting his own lobbying practice, David spent six years working for Representative Rick Lazio as his Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel for the House of Representatives Banking, Housing, and Community Opportunity Committee. During 2008-2009 David was the Chief of Staff for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In his practice, David interacts extensively with Congress and the Executive Agencies, primarily the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the Office of Management and Budget.
Scott Olson is the President of Olson Advocacy Group, a firm he founded in September 2011 to provide advocacy, lobbying, and consulting services in the area of financial services, specializing in mortgage finance and housing. Previously, Mr. Olson spent over 20 years working on Capitol Hill, 15 of which he served on the House Financial Services Committee, where he was the Housing Policy Director, Democratic Staff. He worked extensively on housing finance issues, including GSE reform and FHA policies, as well as mortgage provisions in Dodd-Frank, mortgage modification policies, and mortgage servicing issues. Prior to his work on the Committee, he spent five years as Legislative Director and Budget Associate for Rep. Bill Orton (D-UT). Mr. Olson also has six years private sector experience as a public finance investment banker and four years’ experience in commercial real estate finance and investments. He graduated with an M.B.A. from UCLA and a B.A. from Stanford University.
Tina serves as Senior Vice President of Allegiant Reverse Services, where she works closely with settlement teams and ARS clients. She started in the Title and Settlement Industry in 1981, and has worked in the areas of Commercial, Industrial, Residential and Subdivisions. Since 2003, Tina has specialized in the Reverse Mortgage industry.
John Connell has served for the past 12 years as an operational executive with an array of technology organizations. Throughout that time, he’s managed sales, marketing, customer success and product management across the technology industries of critical document and compliance management, relational databases, CMS, financial processing, and his current venture in mortgage finance technology. In his current role, John is applying his problem-solving skills to cultivate calm from the chaos of the mortgage finance technology market. By enlisting integrated technology solutions and strong partner relationships, typically challenging aspects of mortgage finance, like reverse mortgages and attorney signings, are being improved and friction is reduced – making for a better borrower experience.
Elly Johnson has spent over 40 years in mortgage banking with the past 27 years in an executive capacity with several of the industry’s largest reverse mortgage originators and servicing providers. She now uses her years of experience and knowledge of the Reverse Mortgage industry to assist others in all aspects of the Reverse business as the owner and President of All Reverse Pro. She is an active NRMLA member, industry speaker, co-chair of the NRMLA HUD issues committee and now serves on the NRMLA Board of Directors. In 2017, Elly received a “Career Achievement Award” from NRMLA for her thoughtful and tireless leadership in the Reverse Mortgage industry.
As president of NRMLA, Steve Irwin oversees the association’s initiatives to serve as an educational resource, policy advocate and public affairs center for consumers, lenders and related professionals. His background includes experience with strategic planning, organizational design, portfolio acquisition, risk management and quality control. He received his B.A. from Grinnell College and his MBA from the University of San Francisco.
Michael Kent has served as the President of Liberty since April 2015. Before joining Liberty, Michael spent four years at Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc. (RMS) and was the President of Loan Originations. In addition to his reverse background, he has over 30 years of “forward” mortgage experience, and has held leadership roles across various lending functions, including sales, operations, and secondary markets. He currently serves as an officer for the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). Michael was born and raised in Chicago Illinois and attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. He is active in several non-for-profits working in the areas of homeless, world hunger and women’s cancer.
A 27-year mortgage banker, Scott Norman led the original campaign to amend the Texas Constitution to authorize reverse mortgages in the state in 1999, when he founded the Texas Association of Reverse Mortgage Lenders. He later closed the very first reverse mortgage loan in Texas. Norman has also testified numerous times before the legislatures of California, Arkansas and Minnesota to help craft legislation to protect senior homeowners around the country. He got his start in the mortgage business in Austin in 1993, later becoming President of the Austin Mortgage Bankers Association. Norman is currently the vice president of Field Retail and Government Relations for Finance of America Reverse and he serves as Co-Chairman of NRMLA’s Board of Directors for the 2021-2022 term.
Neil Sweren is senior vice president, reverse mortgage division manager, at Atlantic Coast Mortgage. He has more than 30 years of residential lending experience. Prior to joining ACM in May 2017, Sweren was vice president of the reverse mortgage division at Southern Trust Mortgage from December 2009 to May 2017. He was also among the first group of people to earn the Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) designation, doing so in November 2010.
Patty Wills is the national reverse mortgage sales director at Open Mortgage. Wills and her colleague Charith Rodrigo are responsible for monitoring sales targets, strategizing business opportunities and training and developing new reverse mortgage sales professionals. Prior to joining Open Mortgage in January 2016, Wills was president/co-owner of Retirement Life Funding, LLC. She is a Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional, previously served on the NRMLA Board of Directors for five years, and is currently active on NRMLA’s Education Committee and is Co-Chair of the DEI Committee. Patty has been a leader in reverse mortgages for nearly 30 years and has a strong commitment to our reverse mortgage customers and the industry.
Jim is a founding member of the Weiner Brodsky law firm, who advises clients on strategic business initiatives, federal compliance and regulatory matters, mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases and sales, and secondary mortgage market transactions. As a former HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary, he has deep experience in FHA and Ginnie Mae (as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) requirements, issues and opportunities, and also is Co-General Counsel of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. Jim is a Director of Enterprise Community Development, the nation’s sixth largest affordable housing developer and community owner with over a billion dollars of investments in 16,000 homes in 110 communities in the mid-Atlantic.
Jim Milano is a member of the law firm of Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, based in Washington DC, where he practices in the areas of mortgage banking, consumer finance, financial institutions and mortgage and secured transactions law. Milano serves as co-general counsel to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association and is nationally recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the area of reverse mortgage law. A significant portion of Milano’s practice focuses on matters involving the marketing, origination and investment in, and servicing of, reverse mortgages.
Gail Balettie is Senior Vice President, Client Satisfaction for Celink. Prior to Celink, she spent 12 years at Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corporation where she initially served as First Vice President, National Production Operations Manager before moving over to servicing in 2011. Her reverse mortgage servicing experience has included leading borrower-facing functions, such as the call center, line of credit draws, payoffs and payment plan changes, as well as end of loan functions, like HUD Claims and Assignments. Balettie has over 25 years of mortgage operations and management experience, including 15 years in the reverse mortgage space. Balettie co-chairs NRMLA’s Servicing Committee and she is also active on the HUD Issues Committee.
Rex Lamb joined Celink in June 2018 and has over 25 years of mortgage operations, compliance, and management experience. Mr. Lamb is responsible for managing the Celink Risk Department which includes Risk Management, Escalations, Quality Control, Vendor Management, and State Licensing. Prior to joining Celink, Mr. Lamb was with Financial Freedom as Director of Late Stage Default including Foreclosure, REO, and Bankruptcy. Prior to joining Financial Freedom, Mr. Lamb held officer titles at Selene Finance and Litton Loan Servicing in Houston, TX. He was responsible for servicing compliance, default operations, and analytics in various positions. Mr. Lamb is an active member of NRMLA’s Servicing Committee.
Loren Riddick is a fifth generation native from the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. After earning an Associate Degree from Walters State Community College while playing basketball, Loren began a modeling and acting career in New York where he was featured in commercials and beyond with the likes of the “Cosby Show” and “All My Children.” Foregoing a promising career in show business, Loren followed his heart by leaving New York to be with his true love, Missi, who was attending East Tennessee State University. After earning a second degree from ETSU, Loren entered the mortgage business in 1999 and today is the National Sales Director, Reverse Mortgage Lending, at Thrive Mortgage. His passion for seniors and helping other forward mortgage professionals embrace the amazing news of the HECM is an undeniable passion for Loren and his team.
