General Session: Trends and Hot Topics in the State Legislative and Regulatory Landscape

Liz Facemire, CMB

Associate Vice President, State Government Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association

Liz Facemire is the Associate Vice President of State Government Affairs at MBA and helps lead the association’s policy and advocacy engagement at the state and local levels, including serving as primary staff to the association’s State Legislative and Regulatory Committee. Prior to joining MBA in 2023, she spent her career in the industry in a variety of roles, including as a licensed mortgage loan originator and underwriter. In 2018, she served as a state policy lobbyist, mostly covering the Northwestern states. In 2021, she moved into a specialized role in mortgage policy, supporting MBA membership priorities and external advocacy efforts. Facemire has been a member of many of our state MBA counterparts and has assisted in driving MBA’s policy initiatives throughout her time in Government Affairs.

Joe Doyle, CMB, AMP

Co-Chair, State Relations Committee; MBA Ambassador of Wisconsin; MAA Midwest Vice Chair, Divisional Vice President, Arch Mortgage Insurance Company

Joe Doyle is a seasoned mortgage industry executive with more than 30 years of experience, having served in multiple sales roles at Arch MI since 2006, where he is currently Divisional Vice President. He has earned both the Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) designation and the Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) certification and currently serves as the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Ambassador to the State of Wisconsin and as the Midwest Vice-Chair for the Mortgage Action Alliance, contributing his voice and leadership to key industry advocacy initiatives. He has also served two terms as President of the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association. A recipient of both the Arch President’s Club Award and the Keystone Award, Doyle’s performance and leadership have been recognized at the highest levels.

Dahlia Brennan

Senior Specialist, Commercial/Multifamily Policy and Strategic Industry Engagement, Mortgage Bankers Association

Dahlia Brennan is a Senior Specialist for Commercial Real Estate Finance Policy at the Mortgage Bankers Association. In this role, she supports MBA’s work on commercial and multifamily housing, with a focus on affordable housing programs and state and local legislative developments in real estate finance. She prepares policy updates and research for MBA members and assists with the association’s engagement with industry leaders, coalition partners, and policymakers on housing finance matters. Prior to joining MBA in 2025, Brennan worked in public affairs, advising national trade associations on federal and state advocacy strategies. Her responsibilities included monitoring legislative and regulatory activity, developing policy briefings for association leadership, and supporting grassroots and stakeholder engagement across multiple industries. At MBA, she tracks legislative and regulatory trends in state and local housing policy and communicates their impact to industry stakeholders and policymakers.

Conor Fennessy

Director, Government Affairs, Rocket Mortgage, LLC

Conor Fennessy serves as Director of Government Affairs for Rocket, focusing on State legislators and policymakers in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Prior to joining Rocket, he had nearly three decades of experience in external affairs, working in campaign management, government relations, strategic planning, public policy, media/communications, coalition building, and grassroots operations for private-sector clients, NGOs, and non-profits. Fennessy is a graduate of Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

Matthew VanFossen, CMB

Chair, MBA State Legislative and Regulatory Committee; Past President/ Secretary of the MBA of New Jersey, Chief Executive Officer, Absolute Home Mortgage Corporation

Matthew VanFossen is the CEO of the Absolute Home Mortgage Corporation, a mid-size Independent Mortgage Banker located in Fairfield, NJ, and Mortgage Automation Technologies, a financial technology provider specializing in consumer mortgage technology. Matthew has been a driving force in the mortgage industry and is a respected figure in the community. Additionally, he serves as the president of the New Jersey Mortgage Bankers Association. VanFossen's passion for innovation and the industry is evidenced by his numerous industry achievements. He has been named a "Top Mortgage Professional Under 40" by National Mortgage News and has been featured in publications such as Forbes, Scotsman Guide, and HousingWire.

Nanci L. Weissgold, Esq.

MBA's 2025-2026 MORPAC Chair; Co-Chair, Financial Services Group, Alston & Bird, LLP

Nanci Weissgold co-chairs Alston & Bird's Financial Services Group and advises financial institutions and financial service providers on federal and state matters relating to mortgage lending and mortgage servicing, valuation, and other consumer lending issues as part of her national regulatory compliance and enforcement practice. She is a frequent speaker and presenter at legal and industry conferences and webinars, and has published numerous articles on mortgage banking, valuation, and consumer finance related topics. Her pragmatism preparing for, and responding to, CFPB, FHA, state, and other administrative actions is highly valued by her clients. Nanci is co-leader of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Legal Issues Committee, and the 2025-2026 MORPAC Chair.