GENERAL SESSION: MBA Opening Ceremony: Installation of 2026 Officers, CMB & Future Leaders Graduations & Awards
The Opening Ceremony honors leadership in the industry with the installation of MBA’s 2026 officers, the graduation ceremony for this year’s Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) and Future Leaders classes, and several prestigious awards in recognition of industry leadership.
Speakers
Facilitator
A 30-year mortgage industry veteran, Laura has held leadership positions with both bank-owned and independent mortgage companies overseeing all aspects of mortgage banking including production, operations, compliance, accounting and training. Her personal ground-level experience in every facet of mortgage lending has enabled her to manage and fully integrate all these departments within Lennar Mortgage. Escobar is also a licensed mental health counselor and devotes much of her time working with underprivileged women.
Mark Jones co-founded Amerifirst Home Mortgage in 1983, growing it from a single location in Kalamazoo, MI, to over 80 branches nationwide. Following Amerifirst’s 2023 merger with Union Home Mortgage, he now serves as President of the combined top 40 national lender. Under his leadership, Amerifirst became the No. 1 USDA and No. 3 FHA lender in Michigan, a Ginnie Mae issuer, and serviced a $6 billion loan portfolio. A past Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, Mark has held multiple leadership roles with the Mortgage Bankers Association, including 2024 MBA Chairman and Chair of the DEI Advisory Committee. He also serves on the board of Southwest Michigan First. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Mark was a champion diver and NCAA Regional Qualifier.
Featured Speakers
Christine Chandler has been with M&T since 1991 and has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate finance. Since 2018, she has been Chief Operating Officer and has overseen credit, asset management, compliance, technology and transformation. Active in various committees and groups related to the mortgage banking industry, Chandler is a voting member of MBA’s Board of Directors, served as the 2023 Chair of MBA’s Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors (COMBOG), and was served on MBA’s Audit Committee. She is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and is a passionate advocate for mPower, MBA Promoting Opportunities for Women to Extend their Reach, the largest networking organization for women in real estate finance.
A prominent MBA voice and industry volunteer over the years, Hedlund has served as a board member for several organizations, including as a member of MBA’s Board of Directors, Board Chairman of MISMO, Chairman of MBA’s Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG), Board Member and past Chairman of the California Mortgage Bankers Association, and Advisory Board Member for Automated Mortgage Systems, Inc., and FundingShield, LLC. Hedlund has served in senior leadership positions in the mortgage divisions at several large financial institutions during his career. He also co-founded and served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at AmeriHome Mortgage Company, where under his leadership, AmeriHome quickly grew to become the second-largest correspondent lender in the country. He helped lead the company’s sale to Western Alliance Bank in 2021, where he was a member of the leadership and executive team until 2024. He also founded and led of Adanac Advisors Group, a boutique advisory and consulting firm.
Owen Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of Success Mortgage Partners, Inc. (“SMP”). SMP is an independent mortgage bank headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan and operating in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Owen originally founded the company in 2002 with his father, Vincent. Owen is also the Managing Member of Title Partners, LLC., a full-service title insurance agency and settlement services company. Owen graduated with a BA in Political Science from Villanova University in 1992 and a Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University in 1996. wen is a proud member of the following organizations: State Bar of Michigan; Massachusetts Bar Association; Mortgage Bankers Association; Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association; The American Land Title Association.
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