8:00am |
Registration Desk Open
The registration desk will be open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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8:00am |
Exhibit Area Open
The exhibit area will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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8:00am |
Breakfast
Sponsored by

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9:00am |
Level-Setting Client Expectations After Loan Closing--Armstrong 2
Servicing is a critical yet misunderstood part of the reverse mortgage process. Use this opportunity to understand better servicing policies and timelines so that you can better inform your clients and their families.
Moderator: Jay Wright, Attorney, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Birmingham, AL
Panelists:
- Gail Balettie, SVP, Borrower Care and Client Satisfaction, Celink, Austin, TX
- Leslie Flynne, SVP, Reverse Mortgage Servicing, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, San Diego, CA
Approved for 1 CRMP Credit

Speaker Bios
Gail Balettie is the Senior Vice President of Borrower Care and Client Satisfaction for Celink. Prior to Celink, she spent 12 years at Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corp. where she initially served as First Vice President, National Production Operations Manager, before moving over to servicing in 2011. Her reverse mortgage servicing experience includes leading borrower-facing functions, such as the call center, line of credit draws, payoffs, and payment plan changes, as well as end-of-loan functions, like HUD claims and assignments. Balettie has over 30 years of mortgage operations and management experience, including 17 years in the reverse mortgage space. Balettie co-chairs NRMLA’s Servicing Committee and she is also active on the HUD Issues Committee. Balettie attended the University of Texas in Austin, majoring in Business Administration.
Leslie Flynne joined the reverse mortgage industry in July 2011. Currently with Mutual of Omaha Mortgage she is responsible for servicing oversight. She was formerly with PHH Mortgage and Reverse Mortgage Solutions, where she was responsible for managing a reverse REO division, all aspects of servicing operations, HUD regulations and compliance within servicing and client relations. Previously, Flynne was a consultant for the SolomonEdwards Group where she was directly involved in banking resolutions and asset liquidation for a government entity. From 1989 to 2008, she served in a variety of financial and operational director positions within Washington Mutual Bank and its predecessor Bank United, which included servicing operations for the commercial real estate lending portfolio, servicing operations for the commercial banking operations, branch acquisitions and consolidation and corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Jay Wright advises some of the nation’s largest financial institutions and mortgage companies as they adapt to changes in the regulatory and judicial environments in which they operate. Wright’s regulatory practice involves assisting clients in the financial services and mortgage industries comply with obligations imposed on them by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and a host of state banking regulators and court systems. A significant portion of his practice is devoted to helping lenders and servicers of HECM reverse mortgages implement regulatory changes mandated by HUD, as well as interfacing directly with HUD to seek clarification about, or revision to, proposed regulatory changes.
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10:45am |
The Doctor Is In: Learn the Symptoms Before Giving a Diagnosis--Armstrong 1
Three of the industry’s top trainers share insights on outcome-based selling and knowing what is right for your borrower
Presenters:
- Craig Barnes, CRMP, Wholesale Training Director, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, New Windsor, NY
- Sue Haviland, CRMP, Founder and Coach, Reverse Mortgage Mastery, Marco Island, FL
- Jim McMinn, Director of Training, Longbridge Financial, Glastonbury, CT
Speaker Bios
In his role as Wholesale Training Director at Mutual of Omaha Reverse Mortgage, Craig Barnes, CRMP, provides training for all reverse wholesale partners. Barnes is a regular speaker at NRMLA events and has been a Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) since 2010. He serves on the Independent Certification Committee, which oversees the CRMP designation, and on NRMLA’s Education Committee. Barnes has been in the reverse space for nearly 20 years and a trainer for more than 30 years. He is a DDI Certified Master Trainer and holds a BS in Business Education.
Sue Haviland’s background includes nearly 35 years in the mortgage business, the last 20 of which were focused on the reverse space. Sue is a CRMP, a member of NRMLA’s Education Committee, an ATD Master Trainer, and holds the CAPS designation through the National Association of Home Builders. She has been an originator, trainer, speaker, and author, and hosted her own radio show, “Senior Spotlight with Sue Haviland.” Sue is the founder of Reverse Mortgage Mastery, a coaching practice that works with loan officers who want to excel in the reverse space. Sue is President of Step Smart, an all-volunteer non-profit in southwest Florida that educates the public on the importance of fall prevention and the simple steps they can take to make their home safer. She is also a board member of the National Aging in Place Council.
Jim McMinn is the Director of Training at Longbridge Financial, LLC. An industry veteran, Jim brings 25 years of experience in sales, training and leadership roles and has worked exclusively in the reverse mortgage industry since 2002. Throughout his career, Jim has worked with several major mortgage lenders including Wells Fargo, MetLife, and most recently, Finance of America Reverse. In his role with Longbridge, Jim specializes in teaching others about all things reverse – the products, the history, the regulations, and his proven sales techniques. He has a passion for building relationships and takes a special sense of pride in coaching Longbridge sales staff and its partners so that clients can improve their cash flow to have a better retirement.
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10:45am |
Effective Strategies to Mitigate Government Investigation & Litigation Risk--Armstrong 2
NRMLA’s outside general counsel reviews current government investigations, examinations, and civil litigation impacting the reverse mortgage industry, including the latest on appraisal discrimination lawsuits. Learn what to watch out for, how best to avoid and prepare for it, and what to do if you become a target.
Presenters:
- Jim Brodsky, Partner, Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, Washington, DC
- Tim Ofak, Partner, Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, Washington, DC
- Bob Niemi, Director of Government Affairs, Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, Washington, DC
- Soroush Shahin, Partner, Weiner Brodsky PC, Washington, DC
Approved for 1 CRMP Credit

Speaker bios
Jim Brodsky is a founding member of the Washington, DC law firm of Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, who advises clients on strategic business initiatives, federal compliance and regulatory matters, mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases and sales, and secondary mortgage market transactions. As a former HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary, he has deep experience in FHA and Ginnie Mae (as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) requirements, issues, and opportunities, and also is Co-General Counsel of NRMLA. Jim is a Director of Enterprise Community Development, the nation’s fifth-largest affordable housing developer and community owner with well over a billion dollars of investments in almost 13,000 homes with more than 21,000 residents in 112 communities in four mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia. Jim also formerly served as a director (and as initial lead director and as chair of the Compensation Committee) of MFA Financial, Inc., a multi-billion-dollar NYSE-listed REIT that invests, on a leveraged basis, in residential mortgage financial assets and that is the owner of Lima One Capital.
Tim Ofak represents companies in the financial services and mortgage industries nationwide in federal and state litigation and government investigations. Tim’s practice includes general business and commercial litigation, including contract disputes, defending consumer class actions, suits under state consumer protection statutes, and claims under various federal statutes, including the False Claims Act, RESPA, TILA, FCRA, TCPA, FDCPA, EFTA, and PFCRA. Tim also advises clients in connection with investigations and enforcement actions brought by federal and state agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Bob Niemi brings a unique perspective to achieving workable outcomes for complex matters. He uses his experience and relationships to advise lenders on a wide array of regulatory and compliance matters, including licensing, examination and acquisitions. Bob’s work in the mortgage industry began over 35 years ago and includes positions held at all levels of bank and non-bank mortgage companies. Bob served as Executive Director of the Ohio Mortgage Bankers Association Board and then Deputy Superintendent for the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions. During that time, he was elected to serve as the NMLS Ombudsman, appointed to the NMLS Policy Committee and also elected to the AARMR Board of Trustees where he served as Treasurer. Since returning to the industry side in 2016, Bob has earned the Certified Mortgage Banker accreditation from the MBA.
Soroush Shahin’s practice focuses on federal and state regulatory compliance matters related to the financial services industry. He advises mortgage companies, financial institutions, and secondary market investors on federal and state law in the areas of mortgage banking, real estate finance and consumer finance, including requirements under FHA regulations, TILA, RESPA, ECOA, FCRA, FDCPA, TCPA, GLBA, ILSA, and the E-Sign Act. In addition, Soroush regularly counsels clients on origination and servicing requirements, marketing practices, compliance management systems, compensation issues, and regulatory approvals. Prior to joining the firm, he was Corporate Counsel and Vice President of Operations for an automotive lender.
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11:45am |
Lunch-Marketstreet
Lunch Patron

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1:15pm |
The Honorable Alanna McCargo, President, Ginnie Mae--Ballroom
President McCargo will focus on Ginnie Mae’s mission and support for the Biden administration, its commitment to the HMBS program, and efforts to mitigate and overcome liquidity challenges.
Introductions by Michael McCully, Partner, New View Advisors, Naples, FL
Speaker Bio
Alanna McCargo was sworn in as Ginnie Mae’s 18th President in December 2021. She began her work with the Biden-Harris Administration as a Presidential Appointee in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as Senior Advisor for Housing Finance for Secretary Marcia L. Fudge.
Ms. McCargo’s career in housing finance spans decades and has centrally focused on how America’s housing finance system can equitably and affordably serve the capital and credit needs of all households. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Ms. McCargo was Vice President of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, a social and economic policy research firm where she led and developed evidence-based research and analysis on the U.S Housing Finance system. She helped to advance the national policy conversation around reducing racial homeownership and wealth gaps and removing barriers to accessing credit and capital. Ms. McCargo also served as Executive Director of the Mortgage Servicing Collaborative, a cross-sector initiative that identified and developed policy recommendations for mortgage servicing and securitization reforms to enable stability for the housing finance system through all economic cycles.
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1:45pm |
Interview With a Nashville Area Musician--Ballroom
The HECM program was critical for one Music City musician during the COVID-19 pandemic. It helped provide economic security when it was difficult to make money touring. Our special guest will discuss her professional career and experiences getting a reverse mortgage.
Interviewer:
- Robert M. Filippone, VP and Branch Manager, Norcom Mortgage, Avon, CT
Speaker bio
Robert Filippone is a seasoned mortgage veteran with over 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry. He has a diverse background in supporting homeownership initiatives and solutions tailored to the changing needs of borrowers. His primary focus is on the specialized needs of senior homeowners regarding reverse mortgage solutions. In addition to his role as Vice President, Branch Manager at Norcom Mortgage, Rob currently sits on the board of Western Connecticut Area on Aging, Neighborhood Housing Services and the Advisory Council of Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust.
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2:15pm |
David Berenbaum, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Housing Counseling--Ballroom
DAS Berenbaum will discuss recent changes to the housing counseling handbook and other housing counseling priorities and trends.
Introductions by Elly Johnson, President, All Reverse Pro, and Chairwoman, NRMLA HUD Issues Committee
Speaker bio
David Berenbaum serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Office of Housing Counseling’s mission is to ensure that families have the knowledge they need to obtain, sustain and retain their housing via HUD’s network of over 1,650 housing counseling agencies and their Certified Housing Counselors. The Program’s far-reaching outcomes annually impact over one million consumers and support numerous departmental programs, including the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family housing program.
As a member of the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Berenbaum collaborates with HUD’s leadership, professional staff, and partners to provide the high impact services to ensure that every American has a place to call home and the ability to achieve their financial dreams. David brings more than 30 years of leadership and program experience to the Office of Housing Counseling and to the issues of fair, affordable & sustainable housing and related public and private sector housing counseling initiatives. He is nationally recognized as a trusted voice for consumers and as a champion for a vibrant marketplace that celebrates the importance of counseling, financial education, and open housing so that every neighborhood is a community of opportunity.
David previously served as the chief executive officer of the Homeownership Preservation Foundation and has held executive positions with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, the Equal Rights Center, the Fair Housing Council of Greater Washington, and Long Island Housing Services.
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3:00pm |
An Outsider’s Perspectives on Reverse Mortgages--Ballroom
We invited an advertising executive from outside the reverse mortgage industry to share his insights on branding, overcoming product misconceptions, and what lessons he has learned over 25 years representing clients such as American Express.
Presenter:
- Jason Oke, Global Client President, Dentsu, New York
Speaker Bio
Jason Oke is a global marketing leader who has built and led advertising agency teams on five continents. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he has also lived in Hong Kong, Paris, Chicago, New Orleans, and New York. Jason comes from a strategic background, starting his career as a brand strategist at leading agencies including Chiat/Day, Leo Burnett, and Y&R, developing strategy for companies ranging from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, and Wrigley’s to P&G, Unilever, Starbucks, Nintendo and TD Bank before moving into agency leadership roles a decade ago. Jason spent a decade at WPP where he led their huge Colgate-Palmolive relationship, first in APAC and later in EMEA, and built one of the industry’s most integrated and awarded client teams. He was then asked to lead and restructure WPP’s global relationship with Walgreens Boots. Jason joined Dentsu in 2021 and leads the company’s global relationships with both American Express and Marriott International. He is tasked with driving client growth and service model innovation.
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4:00pm |
The Reverse Mortgage Counseling Process: What Loan Officers Need to Know--Armstrong 1
Counseling remains a critical component of the reverse mortgage process. Two HUD-certified housing counselors highlight the key elements of HUD’s protocols for conducting a reverse mortgage counseling session.
Moderator: Neil Sweren, CRMP, Senior Vice President, Atlantic Coast Mortgage, LLC, Baltimore, MD
Presenters:
- Jennifer Cosentini, Housing Director, Cambridge Credit Counseling, Agawam, MA
- Justin Lally, Reverse Mortgage Counseling Manager, Cambridge Credit Counseling, Agawam, MA
Speaker Bios
Jennifer Cosentini is the Housing Director at Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp. In this role, Jennifer oversees all aspects of the company’s Housing Counseling service offerings, including program development, execution, analysis, evaluation, innovation / refinement, and internal and external partnership management. Other responsibilities include supervising all counseling staff, hiring, and training new staff as needed, and ensuring that the program pipeline from intake to file closure meets or exceeds National Industry Standards and complies with all funding and regulatory requirements. Jennifer is also a HUD Certified Housing Counselor and has personally counseled over 3,500 potential reverse mortgage borrowers since 2011.
Justin Lally is the Reverse Mortgage Counseling Manager at Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp., a 501(c)3 non-profit agency that offers housing, credit, bankruptcy and student loan counseling nationwide. He has been approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and has been providing HECM counseling since 2010. Justin is also a HUD Certified Housing Counselor, has obtained NCHEC Certification in Homeownership Counseling, and is a PFE Certified Debt Management Professional. Justin’s responsibilities include the training and continuing education of both new and current reverse mortgage counseling staff, development of new policies and procedures, and ensuring compliance with both internal and external agency requirements.
Neil Sweren is a nationally certified reverse mortgage professional (CRMP) with an extensive background originating a wide range of conventional and government-insured loan programs. Neil has been in retail mortgage lending since 1989 and has focused solely on FHA’s “HECM” and other Reverse Mortgage Loan programs since 2009. Neil and his team have helped thousands of senior homeowners and homebuyers over the span of his career. Neil is currently Senior Vice-President at Atlantic Coast Mortgage charged with overseeing its Reverse Mortgage Division and continues to originate Reverse Mortgages. Neil and his team are consistently ranked among the top reverse mortgage producers in the nation and are noted industry experts in helping seniors use reverse mortgages to more affordably stay in their homes and to purchase new homes. Neil speaks often and teaches continuing education classes for related industry professionals and consumer groups on topics related to reverse mortgages and senior financial and housing-related issues.
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4:00pm |
Understanding Ginnie Mae and Its Relationship to the HECM Program-Armstrong 2
Our panel of capital markets experts will discuss the critical role played by Ginnie Mae, with particular attention paid to the HECM marketplace, and provide insights on recent liquidity challenges impacting HMBS issuers and what’s being done to address these issues.
Moderator: Caroline Jensen, Counsel, Mayer Brown, Chicago, IL
Presenters:
- Joe Kelly, Partner, New View Advisors LLC, New Providence, NJ
- Tim Wilkinson, Vice President, Capital Markets & Pricing, Longbridge Financial, LLC, Mahwah, NJ
Approved for 1 CRMP Credit

Speaker Bios
Caroline Jensen is counsel in the Chicago office of Mayer Brown’s Banking & Finance practice. She represents issuers, underwriters, REITs and other corporate borrowers and investors in structuring and negotiating transactions involving residential and commercial mortgage loans, RMBS, CMBS, servicing advances and servicing rights. Caroline’s experience includes structured finance transactions, warehouse financings, portfolio sales, sales and acquisitions of servicing platforms and mortgage servicing rights, and issuances of term notes and variable funding notes.
Joe Kelly is a veteran securitization professional, primarily in prime mortgage assets, including reverse mortgages. Before establishing New View Advisors, Kelly managed all aspects of Lehman Brothers’ prime mortgage finance agenda, including the first U.S. reverse mortgage securitization in 1999, and SASCO 2006-RM1, one of three securitizations nominated for Total Securitization’s North American RMBS Deal of the Year. As a partner at New View Advisors, he provides product development, valuation, strategic advice and transaction management to HMBS issuers, proprietary whole loan issuers, servicers, investors, broker-dealers, lenders, and rating agencies.
Tim Wilkinson, Vice President of Capital Markets and Pricing at Longbridge Financial, LLC, has over 15 years of experience in financial markets, primarily in mortgages, with a focus in the reverse segment. He has experience in a variety of roles, ranging from loan trading and portfolio management to operations and systems implementation. Tim was one of the initial participants in the HMBS market and was involved in proprietary reverse mortgage securitization while at Lehman Brothers. Tim has extensive interest rate and credit hedging experience, and at Aurora Bank FSB, was responsible for daily pricing for mortgage origination. During his tenure at Longbridge, Tim was instrumental in obtaining Ginnie Mae HMBS Issuer approval, and since that time Tim has managed the issuance of over $7bn of HMBS pools. Tim has played a key role in Longbridge’s development of proprietary reverse mortgage products, as well as being responsible for pricing across all of Longbridge’s origination channels.
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