GENERAL SESSION: Global Market Trends that Impact You

President, Standard Mortgage Corporation

Edgar Bright, III, a Mathematics and Computer Science graduate from the University of Colorado, joined Standard Mortgage Corporation in 1989 as Vice President of Residential Loan Production and became President and Chief Executive Officer in 1995. Mr. Bright achieved his Certified Mortgage Banker designation in 2001, served on the Fannie Mae Southwest Advisory Board from 1997-2002, and is presently on the board of the IMB Executive Council. Under Mr. Bright’s leadership, Standard Mortgage Corporation has become a nationally respected Regional Independent Mortgage Banker with over $6 Billion in Residential Loan Servicing in 16 states. As one of the first Ginnie Mae Issuers in the nation, Standard Mortgage Corporation, has served as the Master Servicer for many State and Local Housing Finance Agencies and includes Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and USDA loans in its portfolio as well. The Bright Family has owned Standard Mortgage Corporation since 1964 and the Company will celebrate 100 years of existence in 2025.

President & Chief Executive Officer, Mortgage Bankers Association

Robert D. Broeksmit, CMB, is MBA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. He is a senior finance executive and corporate officer with over 30 years of experience in the mortgage sector. He has directed all aspects of lending activities, including marketing, sales, operations, secondary marketing, loan servicing, and default management. He has also served as a mortgage underwriting expert testifying on many large, high-profile cases. Prior to joining MBA, Broeksmit served as President and Chief Operating Officer with Treliant, heading the firm’s mortgage litigation support practice. He previously held senior leadership positions in the mortgage business, including 14 years with Chevy Chase Bank (including after its purchase by Capital One) and 7 years as Vice President at Prudential Home Mortgage. He has overseen annual originations of $9 billion, a balance sheet of $10 billion in residential mortgage, and a servicing portfolio of $20 billion. He is past Chairman of MBA’s Residential Board of Governors and a member of its Board of Directors.

Chief Executive Officer, Eustis Mortgage Corporation

Kate deKay, CEO of Eustis Mortgage, is a third-generation leader known for driving growth through innovative initiatives that enhance customer and employee experiences. She values her dedicated staff as the company's cornerstone and attributes her success to those who share her vision of serving customers. Kate's leadership extends beyond her company, earning her prestigious awards like the New Orleans CityBusiness 50 Most Influential People. She is deeply committed to positive community impact and serves on boards such as the Youth Empowerment Project and Raintree Children and Family Services. Kate also dedicates her time to industry organizations, including the Mortgage Collaborative Advisory Board and Mortgage Bankers Association Board of Directors.

Vice President and Head of Growth, HomeLight

Nick Friedman is the Head of Growth at HomeLight, where he spearheads the development of new growth channels and strategies for the company’s flagship financial product, Buy Before You Sell. Previously, Nick was the Co-Founder and COO/CRO at Accept.inc, a Denver-based proptech company that was acquired by HomeLight in June 2022. Under Nick’s leadership, Accept.inc led the company to nearly 30x growth in 2 years and raised over $100MM in debt & equity capital.

2024 MBA Chairman; President, Union Home Mortgage

Mark Jones is the 2024 MBA Chairman and President of Union Home Mortgage. Mark co-founded Amerifirst Home Mortgage in 1983, a company he grew from an individual location in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to over 80 full-service locations and 900 personnel nationwide. In January 2023, Amerifirst merged with Union Home Mortgage to form a top 40 national mortgage lender, where Mark now serves as President. Prior to the merger, Amerifirst was the No. 1 USDA lender and the No. 3 FHA lender in Michigan, and the No. 13 FHA lender in Florida. Amerifirst was also a Ginnie Mae issuer and serviced in-house a $6 billion loan portfolio. Amerifirst ranked as a Best and Brightest Company to Work for in the Nation for five consecutive years (2016-2020) and was named one of the top 50 Best Mortgage Companies to Work For in 2021. In 2016 Mark received the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Michigan and Northwest Ohio. In addition to his service as MBA’s Chairman-Elect, Mark currently serves as Chairman of MBA’s DEI Advisory Committee. He previously served as co-chair of MBA’s Independent Mortgage Bankers Executive Council. Mark also serves as a board member and Public Policy Committee Chair at Southwest Michigan First and serves as Chair of Southwest Michigan First PAC.

Managing Director and Founder, SAQ Economic Advisory LLC

Sarah Quinlan is the Managing Director and Founder of SAQ Economic Advisory LLC. Ms. Quinlan has over 25 years of macro-economic asset management experience utilizing all asset classes. She also has been a macro economic advisor to C-Suite executives from financial institutions, merchants and governments across over 50 countries. She creates custom actionable insights to direct strategic and digital objectives and evaluate historical results. Ms. Quinlan also delivers global economic forecasting to advise on expansion for companies within multiple countries. She focuses on digital and technological evolution and expansion with key clients globally. As a highly rated and experienced keynote speaker for industry conferences with multiple media appearances as an economic specialist, she continues to speak globally. Specifically, Ms. Quinlan spent the last six years as the Senior Vice President for Global Market Insights at Mastercard. Prior to that she was a Partner and Strategic Advisor at Matrix Advisors, working with corporations in industries ranging from insurance to glycol recycling. She previously was the CIO of a Family Office managing liquid and illiquid investments. She began her career in Commercial Real Estate Investment Banking at Salomon Brothers. Ms Quinlan has a B.A. and MBA from the University of Chicago.