CREF Track: Government’s Role in Multifamily Rental

Jamie Woodwell

Senior Vice President of Commercial/Multifamily Policy and Strategic Industry Engagement, Mortgage Bankers Association

Jamie Woodwell is Senior Vice President of Commercial/Multifamily Policy and Strategic Industry Engagement at MBA, where he oversees the association’s public policy and member engagement efforts across all commercial real estate finance sectors, working closely with member leaders and staff to advance MBA members’ business and policy objectives. Jamie and his work are regularly cited in the media, on Capitol Hill and in regulatory settings. He is a regular speaker at industry and corporate events; has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg and in other popular and trade press; and testified before the Congressional Oversight Panel for TARP. Jamie initiated many of MBA's research activities and created MBA's Peer Business Roundtables and the CREF Careers program. Jamie joined MBA in 2004 from Fannie Mae, where he was responsible for multifamily data initiatives.

Peter Cannava

Head of Multifamily Capital and Community Lending & Investment, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Peter Cannava is a managing director and head of Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital (MFC) and Community Lending and Investment (CLI), the country’s largest multifamily lender for both conventional and affordable developments. MFC specializes in permanent and bridge debt for multifamily assets financed through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac programs, Federal Housing Administration-insured financing programs, and the Wells Fargo balance sheet. Our CLI business provides construction loans, permanent financing and tax credit investments to support economic development and affordable housing projects in the communities where we live, work and play. Wells Fargo is one of the largest direct tax credit investors and helps to meet the Bank’s CRA goals through the investment and lending test. Peter has more than 24 years of experience on Wall Street as an investment banker raising capital to finance multifamily housing, infrastructure, hospitals, stadiums, and other real estate assets in the capital markets. Peter has held various leadership positions in Wells Fargo within the Corporate and Investment Bank including head of Public Finance and Structured Finance. During that time, Peter helped build a leading municipal finance practice serving as senior underwriter on $15 billion of municipal bonds annually, managing a $40 billion municipal derivative book and $6 billion investor leverage portfolio. Peter had the pleasure of leading some of the most innovative financings in the municipal marketplace that were recognized by the Bond Buyer and Environmental Finance Awards. Peter received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and computer information systems from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Currently, Peter is a board member for Community Preservation Corporation and the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. He maintains his Series 7, 63, 24, and 53 security license registrations.

DJ Effler

CEO & President, BWE

With over two decades of experience in commercial real estate investments and finance, DJ brings deep industry expertise and long-standing relationships to the leadership team of BWE. As CEO and President, DJ is responsible for executing corporate strategies and goals and leads new company-wide initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions, and lift-out activities, while helping drive production across the firm. He began his commercial real estate career at Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio, underwriting and originating first mortgage loans on all property types for the general account. DJ then joined Rockbridge Capital, a leading private equity firm focused on providing subordinate debt and equity to the hospitality industry, where he served as a Vice President of both the Investments Group and Capital Markets Group. DJ joined BWE in 2011, and quickly established himself as a top producer, team builder, and leader in the firm. DJ has been a partner in BWE since 2014, was named President of BWE in January 2021, and was named CEO in July 2023.

Hilary Branson Provinse

Executive Vice President, Production and Capital Markets, Berkadia

Hilary Provinse is Executive Vice President – Production and Capital Markets and a member of Berkadia’s Management Committee. In this role, Ms. Provinse oversees more than 380 experienced mortgage bankers, investment sales advisors and their teams located in more than 70 offices across the U.S. who serve clients across all multifamily and commercial real estate channels. Ms. Provinse manages Berkadia’s capital markets relationships and ensures that clients benefit from our market leadership and deep relationships with diverse capital sources, including Berkadia’s 31 life company correspondents, banks, CMBS, debt funds, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA / HUD. In 2024, Berkadia’s combined production volume exceeded $39 billion, of which $25 billion was attributed to the mortgage banking division. Berkadia was ranked the #1 Freddie Mac Lender by Volume and the #2 Fannie Mae DUS Lender by Volume in 2024. Previously, Ms. Provinse was SVP and Head of Customer Engagement at Fannie Mae, where she managed the team responsible for all of Fannie Mae’s production activities and customer relationships – overseeing more than $100 billion of production during her tenure. Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 2003, Ms. Provinse spent 10 years on Wall Street in investment banking, working for Goldman Sachs and Co. and Bear Stearns and Co. Ms. Provinse has a Bachelor of Arts in history from Dartmouth College and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors (COMBOG), a board member of The Beach Company, Chair of the ULI Multifamily Green Council, and a member of the International Women’s Forum.