mPower Session: Built to Lead: Shaping the Future of CRE Finance
The session brings together standout leaders from across the Commercial and Multifamily landscape to share the pivotal experiences, lessons, and defining moments that shaped their leadership journeys. In a market marked by volatility, shifting priorities, and constant change, these executives will offer candid insight into how they’ve navigated uncertainty, led teams with clarity and conviction, and continued to deliver strong results. Through personal stories and practical guidance, participants will leave inspired and better equipped to lead with resilience, purpose, and vision in today’s CRE evolving environment.
Speakers
Moderator
Kelli Burke is Vice President of Commercial Multifamily Finance (CMF) for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In this management role, Burke develops and executes MBA’s CMF member engagement strategy across the various sectors within commercial real estate finance and serves as a staff expert on several business functions, including originations, underwriting, securitization, servicing, and asset management. Her responsibilities also include leading the planning and content development for MBA’s annual CREF Convention and Expo, and Servicing and Technology conference. Burke has over two decades of experience in commercial real estate and hospitality. Before joining MBA, she held several hospitality management roles, including as sous chef, food event planner, and restaurateur for businesses in Dallas and San Diego. Prior to that, she worked for 11 years in expanding roles at Prudential Mortgage Capital Company, LLC, in Dallas, including as Vice President, Information Systems, where she partnered closely with the commercial servicing business of the company. Burke also worked for seven years in commercial servicing at GMAC Commercial Mortgage, a predecessor company of Berkadia, in Atlanta. Burke holds a Masters Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Phoenix in Dallas, and an Associate of Science in Culinary Arts from the Art Institute of California.
Speakers
Stacy Ackermann is a finance partner in the firm’s Charlotte office, the leader of the firm’s global finance practice, and a member of the firm’s management committee. Her work includes the representation of servicers, lenders, investors, and other market participants in all aspects of various real estate finance and structured credit transactions. Stacy has extensive experience representing servicers of commercial mortgage-backed securities, including securitizations, the purchase and sale of servicing rights and loan workout and restructurings. She also regularly represents servicers and lenders in all other aspects of asset management and regulatory compliance.
Chelsea is responsible for recruiting, on-boarding, and training/development for CBRE’s Capital Markets business in the United States. In this role, she oversees the development of the next generation of analysts and Property Sales/Debt and Structured Finance professionals in the U.S. Previously, she was Western Regional Manager of the Debt and Structured Finance within CBRE Capital Markets and holds extensive experience in the origination, structuring, underwriting, closing, and servicing of commercial real estate debt for multifamily and commercial with various debt sources, including agency lenders, life companies and banks. Prior to joining CBRE in 2010, Chelsea worked in underwriting and closing for Grandbridge Real Estate Capital working on various commercial and multifamily transactions. She began her career as in-house counsel at a commercial real estate development firm in the Houston area, where she focused on the acquisition of office, land, and multifamily properties with various nationwide equity partners.
