MBA Honors Susan Milazzo with Woodward Distinguished Service Award

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The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today honored Susan Milazzo, Chief Executive Officer of the California MBA (CMBA), with its Andrew D. Woodward Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes the dedication and prominent service to MBA and the mortgage lending industry in a variety of capacities involving both legislative and regulatory activities. Milazzo was presented with the award in a ceremony held here during MBA's 2022 Annual Convention & Expo.

“Susan is a dedicated champion for the real estate finance industry and is the perfect choice to be this year’s recipient of the Andrew D. Woodward Distinguished Service Award,” said Matt Rocco, 2023 MBA Chairman, and Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Grandbridge Real Estate Capital. “She is a tireless leader who has been at the forefront of numerous national, state, and local-level advocacy campaigns that have yielded favorable results for the industry.”

This year, Milazzo and members of the California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) worked with MBA to defeat a pair of proposed bills that would have been detrimental to the industry:

SB-1176 would have imposed costly community reinvestment burdens on Independent Mortgage Banks (IMBs) operating in California, despite overwhelming data that show IMBs leading the market in serving low- and moderate-income borrowers and communities.
SB-1323 would have created a risky and unworkable new foreclosure process for certain residential properties by requiring foreclosure trustees to list and sell properties without the borrower’s consent.

Additionally, Susan was a steadfast leader in guiding the industry through the challenges brought forth by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes successful efforts to defeat proposed California legislation AB 2501, a bill that would have had detrimental regulatory impacts on both single-family and multifamily property owners during the height of the state’s eviction moratorium.

Milazzo has led the California MBA since 2004 and became CEO in 2018. She is a strong advocate of MBA and for MBA’s political action programs. Milazzo has helped grow MBA’s National Advocacy Conference, held each year in Washington, D.C., and consistently serves as a state leader for her delegation during Advocacy Day on the Hill.

The Woodward Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor an individual can receive from his or her fellow MBA members. Nominees for the annual award must meet the following criteria:

Be associated with an MBA member firm;
Compile a record of long, sustained, and extraordinary service to MBA and the mortgage industry; and
Have a strong reputation for ethical and professional conduct.