July-Aug 2020

Darryl Hicks ( RM Exclusive , p. 8, and Talking Heads , p. 12) is vice president, communications, for NRMLA where he writes the Weekly Report and administers the Certified Reverse Mort- gage Professional, or CRMP, program. He roots for the Steelers and the Phillies and reads mysteries as he rides the Metro to work each morning. Steve Irwin , ( Moving Forward , p. 5) president of NRMLA, 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 expe- rience 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. Mark Olshaker ( CRMP: Across the Kitchen Table , p. 16, Counseling in a New Reality , p. 25, and Borrower Chronicles , p. 33) is a best- selling author of fiction and non-fiction and an accomplished researcher in the areas of crime and medicine, as well as a docu- mentary film writer and producer. Olshaker has written 16 books, including Law & Disorder with former FBI Agent John Douglas and Deadliest Enemy: OurWar Against Killer Germs , with Dr. Michael Osterholm. His latest book with Douglas, The Killer Across the Table , was published by Harper Collins in 2019. Their book, Mindhunter , is the basis for the current Netflix series. Scribes Meet This Month’s Contributors Thomas A. Barstow ( In Reverse , p. 3, and Using Tech to Connect , p. 22) is the senior editor for Reverse Mortgage magazine. Barstow is a licensed loan originator (NMLS # 1590611) for Virginia- based City Lending Inc., and he has had a 34-year career in journalism that has included being a reporter, writer and editor in Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New York. He currently teaches journalism at Gettysburg College and writes for various business publications. He is a former president of the Pennsylvania Society of News Editors and a former president of the Associated Press Media Editors in Pennsylvania. Joel Berg ( The New Normal , p. 18, and COVID-19 Boosts Re- verse Mortgage Appeal in Upper Midwest , p. 28) has been a busi- ness-to-business reporter and editor for more than 20 years, both in-house and freelance, covering finance, healthcare, environmental regulation and general business news for local, regional and national publications. Most recently he was editor of the Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business in Pennsylvania. He also has taught writing and communications at York College, Millersville University, Gettysburg College and Harrisburg University. 2 REVERSE MORTGAGE / JULY-AUGUST 2020