GENERAL SESSION: Trends, Bends & Opportunities - The State of CRE Servicing Today

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 the Mortgage Bankers Association (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. He co-founded MBA’s CREF Careers program. Woodwell joined MBA in 2004, and most recently served as Vice President and Head of Commercial Real Estate Research, where he oversaw the association’s economic research and analysis covering commercial and multifamily real estate finance markets. He has also served as senior director of business development at CapitalThinking in New York, research director at the WMF Group in Virginia, and research manager at the National League of Cities in Washington, D.C. Jamie is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association and other professional and industry groups and a past member of the Counselors of Real Estate. He has served on various advisory groups, particularly around climate change and ESG, including for the National Institute of Building Sciences, Fannie Mae and Bright Power. Jamie received his bachelor's degree in economics and American studies from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He earned his master's degree in urban and regional planning from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Jamie lives in Washington DC.

Brett E. Adams

Senior Managing Director - Chief Servicing Officer, Berkadia

Mr. Brett Adams, a Senior Managing Director – Chief Servicing Officer of Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, manages Berkadia’s global servicing operations, asset management, tech initiatives, and business development for its $435 billion portfolio of commercial real estate loans. He also sits upon the Berkadia AI Council and is a past chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Servicing Council. Mr. Adams joined Berkadia and its predecessor company in 2006 and has 21 years of experience in real estate. Prior to joining Berkadia he worked in residential real estate lending with companies in both California and Arizona. Mr. Adams graduated with a BA in US History from California Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Frankie T. Jones, Jr., CCMS

Vice President & Managing Director, Lincoln Financial Group

Frankie Jones is a Vice President and Managing Director in the Mortgage & Real Estate Department for Lincoln Financial. In his role, Jones oversees mortgage closing, servicing, and asset management for Lincoln’s commercial mortgage loan portfolio. He is also responsible for manager selection, due diligence, and portfolio construction for Lincoln’s real estate private equity funds portfolio. He currently serves as a Chair of the MBA Servicer Council and has earned the CCMS designation. Prior to joining Lincoln Financial in his current capacity, Jones was a partner at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP where he primarily focused his law practice on commercial real estate, land use and corporate law. He is a graduate of Davidson College and UVA School of Law.

Katie Schwarting, Esq.

Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Katie is a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP and chair of the firm’s Servicing & Special Servicing practice. She focuses on commercial mortgaged back securities (CMBS) including conduit and single asset, single borrower securitizations, collateralized loan obligations (CLO), and Freddie Mac securitizations—both the K Series and Small Balance Loan products representing special servicers, master servicers, sub-servicers and investors (B Piece buyers). Her practice is firmly rooted in providing comprehensive legal solutions to clients' regulatory challenges related to securitization, portfolio, and warehouse servicing agreements, including disclosure, compliance, and audit requirements. Learn more: https://www.seyfarth.com/people/katie-schwarting.html

Chris Shamaly

Executive Managing Director, CBRE Loan Services, Inc.

Chris Shamaly currently serves as Executive Managing Director of CBRE Loan Services. He has over 30 years’ experience both as a real estate and capital markets professional as well as a commercial bank lawyer where he specialized in commercial and residential loan servicing, complex loan workouts, loan sales and REO asset management. Chris earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in both finance and real estate from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.