CREF Track Session 2: Remarks from Representative Rudy Yakym (R-IN)

Rachel Kelley

Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association

Rachel Kelley is the Vice President of Legislative Affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association, focusing her lobbying efforts on the Republicans in the House of Representatives. She was previously Assistant Vice President of Political Affairs at the MBA since 2021. Kelley was formerly in political fundraising working for CLT Host 2020, Inc, the RNC (Republican National Committee), and NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee). Prior to fulltime political fundraising, she managed the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) PAC and helped represent ICSC on the Hill and worked on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) PAC. Before NAHB Kelley was a junior lobbyist at a boutique lobby firm.

Representative Rudy Yakym (R-IN)

Representative, U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman Rudy Yakym represents Indiana’s Second Congressional District and serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, where he was a critical piece in crafting the tax portion of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Additionally, he focuses on advancing pro-growth, fiscally responsible policies rooted in Hoosier values. Now in his second term, he has championed legislation like the Reducing Bureaucracy to Uplift Families Act and the bipartisan Improper Payments Transparency Act, both aimed at improving federal efficiency and supporting working families. A fourth-generation Hoosier, Rudy was born and raised in South Bend. He holds a business finance degree from Indiana University South Bend and an Executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame. Before Congress, he worked in the private sector, most recently as Director of Growth Initiatives at Kem Krest, where he led efforts to streamline supply chains and drive economic development. In his first term, Rep. Yakym served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he previously served as Vice Chair of the Aviation Authorization Act and led a bipartisan push to address the national air traffic controller shortage. Rudy and his wife Sallyann currently live in Granger, where they are raising their three wonderful children; Elle, Rudy IV, and Eliza. They worship at New Life Baptist Church, where Rudy serves the congregation as Head Usher.