GENERAL SESSION: The Political Landscape

Bill Killmer

Senior Vice President, Legislative and Political Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association

Bill Killmer is Senior Vice President for Legislative and Political Affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). A veteran of over twenty-five years in the housing arena, Bill is responsible for managing the real estate finance industry’s legislative, grassroots, and political fundraising activities, in close coordination with the MBA member leadership and its public policy and lobbying teams. He directs MBA’s outreach to Congress and is a regular guest speaker on the intersection of politics, policy, and industry issues. Previously named one of CEO Update's trade association Top Lobbyists, Killmer joined MBA in July 2010, after nearly twenty years in the policy space at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). During his NAHB tenure, Killmer served as the association's Chief Lobbyist and, more recently, as Executive Vice President for Advocacy, managing all aspects of the group's public policy outreach. He previously served as a Senior Legislative Officer for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor during the George H.W. Bush administration. Killmer holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration in Finance/Economics from Baylor University.

Alden Knowlton

Policy, Senior Manager, Coinbase

Alden is a seasoned professional with a strong background in political advocacy and legislative affairs. She is a regular guest speaker on the intersection of politics, policy, and industry issues. She currently serves as the Political Director for Coinbase, Inc., the largest US-based cryptocurrency exchange. In this role, she drives and implements strategies to advance Coinbase’s policy and political priorities on issues that affect the crypto industry at large, protect industry efforts, and improve the regulatory climate. She cultivates relationships with key policymakers and advocates before relevant elected officials and public entities, including Congress, the White House, and other federal agencies. Prior to her role at Coinbase, Alden served in various roles for over seven years at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). She most recently served as a Vice President of Legislative Affairs, where she advocated on behalf of MBA's legislative and policy priorities on Capitol Hill, with a primary focus on Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives. Prior to that, she served as MBA’s Associate Vice President of Political Affairs, where she oversaw the PAC (MORPAC) and Grassroots Advocacy (Mortgage Action Alliance) programs of the association and managed the association’s annual fly-in, the National Advocacy Conference. Under her leadership, grassroots participation through MAA tripled, while donations to MORPAC nearly doubled. In addition to her work in legislative affairs, she has held significant roles in political advocacy with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Angerholzer Broz Consulting. Knowlton brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the realm of political advocacy. Her passion for political engagement, coupled with her strategic acumen, makes her a driving force in shaping legislative agendas and advancing industry interests.

Kurt Pfotenhauer

Vice Chairman, First American

Kurt Pfotenhauer is Vice Chairman of First American Financial Corp (NYSE: FAF), a family of companies whose core business lines include title insurance, settlement services, property data, home warranty products, banking, trust, and wealth management services. Reporting directly to the CEO, Kurt is also a member of the corporation’s Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of its title insurance subsidiary. His responsibilities include maintaining executive level relationships with the company’s largest customers, the U.S. Congress, executive branch, and state regulators. He also has responsibility for the corporation’s marketing and communications functions. Prior to joining First American, Kurt served as chief executive officer of the Washington, D.C.-based American Land Title Association (ALTA). Prior to joining ALTA, Kurt served as senior vice president of government affairs for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), where he was twice named one of Washington, D.C.’s top lobbyists. He previously served as chief of staff for Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Rep. Denny Smith (R-OR) and was vice president of public affairs for United Parcel Service. Kurt currently serves on the Board of First American Title Insurance Company, the ICE Mortgage Services Board of Directors, the MBA Opens Doors Foundation Board of Directors, and the Housing Policy Council's executive committee. He previously chaired the Board of Directors of MERS Corp, is a past chair of the MBA’s political action committee (MORPAC) and past chairman of the Board of MISMO and had served on MBA’s Board of Directors. Kurt holds a master’s degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame.