Listen Over Lunch: Politics, Policy, and Election Trends

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Winnow Solutions, LLC

Chris Hilliard is the Chief Executive Officer of Winnow. He is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) and a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) with over 20 years of industry experience in consumer, commercial, residential mortgage lending, and general banking legal and compliance management. His experience includes executive, senior management, and mid-level management positions at major financial institutions and lenders, including online and startup platforms.

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 three decades in the housing arena, Bill joined MBA in 2010 and is responsible for managing the real estate finance industry's federal legislative, grassroots, and political fundraising activities, in close coordination with the MBA member leadership and its public policy, economics, public affairs, and lobbying teams. He oversees MBA's direct outreach to Congress, and is a regular guest speaker on the intersection of politics, policy, and industry issues. Under Killmer's leadership, grassroots participation through MBA's Mortgage Action Alliance has doubled, while donations to MORPAC, the industry's political action committee, have more than tripled, enhancing the association's ability to develop and execute effective advocacy strategies on the industry's behalf. Killmer came to MBA after nearly 20 years in the policy space at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where he last served as Executive Vice President for Advocacy, managing all aspects of the group's public policy outreach. During his tenure at both organizations, he has been named as a Washington trade association "Top Lobbyist" by publications such as The Hill and CEO Update. 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, from Baylor University.

Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association

Madisyn Rhone serves as the Vice President of Legislative Affairs, specializing in House Democratic affairs, at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). In this role, Rhone leads MBA's advocacy efforts within the House of Representatives, developing policy positions, and fostering relationships with House Democrats, congressional staff, and relevant stakeholders. Prior to her current position, Rhone held the role of Director of Government and Industry Relations at Enact, where she led the Democratic government relations efforts and developed policy positions at the federal level. She also served on the Structured Finance Association's Structured Finance Coalition Board of Directors and currently holds positions as Vice Chair of the Women in Government Relations Congressional Outreach Committee and Vice Chair of the Youth Excited About Sports Board of Directors. Rhone brings a wealth of industry experience from her previous roles, where she worked in various departments, including risk, pricing, and operations. Her diverse background equips her with a comprehensive understanding of the mortgage industry, informing her strategic approach to policy advocacy.

Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association

George Rogers is a strategic government affairs executive with 25 years of federal and state experience. With deep policy expertise, great government contacts, and expert procedural skills, George specializes in outmaneuvering the opposition. He joined MBA in 2023 after being a multiclient lobbyist for a decade, including work for MBA from 2016-23. Prior to his corporate work, George spent nearly fourteen years in key leadership roles in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, including serving as a senior Policy Advisor and Counsel to the Speaker of the House and to the Minority Leader. He also served as General Counsel of the Committee on Rules, as Oversight and Investigations Counsel for the Government Reform Committee, and as Legislative Counsel to the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Prior to DC, George was the Deputy Chief Counsel for the Indiana State Senate leadership. Before that he was an attorney in private practice. George is a 6th degree blackbelt and has a passion for scuba diving.