People in the News Feb. 15, 2022: Pharrah Jackson-Rowell Rejoins Greystone; Leadership Transition at First American

Pharrah Jackson-Rowell Rejoins Greystone’s Affordable Lending Team as Vice President of Originations

Greystone, New York, named Pharrah Jackson-Rowell Vice President and loan originator on the firm’s affordable lending team. She is responsible for affordable housing underwriting, finance, development and loan sizing to assist property owners and investors with their capital needs nationwide.

Jackson-Rowell has more than 20 years of industry experience. She previously served as Vice President of Finance for Greystone Affordable Development, where she oversaw a team of analysts and underwriters responsible for securing debt and equity for all of Greystone’s affordable housing development transactions, both preservation-based and new construction. During her time at Greystone in various roles spanning 18 total years, she has been involved in the financing of more than 1,000 affordable housing properties totaling more than $8 billion in debt, having previously served as a Managing Director of the affordable lending group. She is also a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Affordable Rental Housing Advisory Council. 

First American Financial Announces Leadership Transition; DeGiorgio Named CEO; Gilmore Chairman

First American Financial Corp., Santa Ana, Calif., announced Kenneth D. DeGiorgio, who most recently served as the company’s president, has been appointed CEO, while Dennis J. Gilmore, First American’s CEO since 2010, transitions to become chairman of the board of directors.

DeGiorgio was named president in May 2021, when he assumed responsibility for the corporation’s operating groups, including its title insurance, specialty insurance and data and analytics businesses. Since joining the company in 1999, he has at various times in his tenure overseen the company’s banking operations, international division and multiple corporate functions.

Gilmore joined First American in 1993. Under his leadership, the company advanced a culture that has placed it on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the past six years. The company also delivered strong financial results to shareholders, realizing an annualized total shareholder return of 18.2 percent.

Stewart Title Names Laura Perry Division President for Tennessee

Stewart Title, Houston, named Laura Perry Division President for Tennessee Direct Operations. In her new role, she will oversee all direct operations in the state, focusing on development, customer experience and technology adoption as she works to grow market share.

Perry joined Stewart last month through its acquisition of Homeland Title. She founded the company in 2003 and grew it to three locations in Franklin, Nashville and Spring Hill, Tenn.

SitusAMC Taps Jeff Osheka, Tom Costanzo to Lead Residential Sales Teams

SitusAMC, New York, appointed Jeff Osheka as Director and Head of Residential Technology Sales, and Tom Costanzo as Managing Director and Head of Residential Services Sales. They will be responsible for the strategic direction and operational oversight of SitusAMC’s residential technology and residential services sales, respectively, setting the mission and vision for their respective teams and working hand-in-hand with business leaders to support growth objectives.

Osheka brings more than three decades of experience in financial technology and mortgage banking to SitusAMC. Prior to joining SitusAMC, he served as Vice President of Sales with ISGN Corporate, a mortgage technology provider, where he led expansion of the firm’s technology footprint with both existing and new clients. Prior to ISGN, he served as Vice President – Banker Sales with Ellie Mae, and led sales for Lending Space, Lydian Technology Group, ZC Sterling Corporate and Ultraprise Loan Technologies.

Costanzo joined SitusAMC in February 2020 to lead the firm’s residential sales efforts. That same year, he took on additional responsibilities as Head of Brokerage and Transaction Advisory. Prior to joining SitusAMC, he held senior roles with private equity firms investing in mortgage opportunities, as well as a mortgage company and an investment bank where he was involved in MSR purchases, analytics, and servicing growth opportunities.

NewPoint Taps Trevor Ritter in Atlanta

NewPoint Real Estate Capital LLC, Atlanta, hired Trevor Ritter as Managing Director to anchor the firm’s recently established Atlanta office and expands the firm’s reach throughout the Southeast and Sun Belt regions of the United States.

Ritter served previously with KeyBank Real Estate Capital, where he led production efforts in the Southeastern U.S., focusing on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA/HUD, CMBS and bridge products. Before that, he was with Colliers International in Atlanta, where he placed debt and equity for owners and operators across the country.

ACES Quality Management Adds MBA Economist Edward Seiler to ACES ENGAGE Agenda

ACES Quality Management, Denver, added Edward Seiler, housing economist with the Mortgage Bankers Association and executive director of the MBA’s think tank Research Institute for Housing America, to its speaker line-up for the upcoming ACES ENGAGE conference, where he will share his thoughts and observations on the economic outlook heading into the second half of 2022. Seiler joins New York Times Bestselling Author Aron Ralston and mortgage quality control and risk expert Steve Spies as headlining speakers for this year’s event.

Taking place at the historic Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs on May 23-25, ACES ENGAGE is designed to bring together the nation’s top financial services quality management professionals to discuss industry trends and best practices across the mortgage lending, loan servicing and consumer lending spectrums. Through a mix of general session presentations, panel discussions and breakout session tracks, attendees will have the unique opportunity to learn from industry experts and thought leaders, network and leave with the knowledge necessary to increase efficiencies, improve productivity and further quality at their organizations. For more information, click https://www.acesquality.com/aces-engage-2022.

Spring EQ Promotes Paul Saurbier, Adds Shawn O’Brien as VPs

Spring EQ, Philadelphia, promoted Paul Saurbier to senior vice president of its wholesale lending division and hired Shawn O’Brien as vice president of sales in wholesale lending.

Saurbier joined Spring EQ in 2019 as vice president of sales, where he co-created a new wholesale division for the Company. In his new role as SVP of wholesale lending, he will be responsible for the division’s overall results and profitability. Saurbier has more than 30 years of experience in the mortgage business and has held leadership positions with several companies including Quicken Loans, HSBC, Indymac Bank, Key Bank and GE Capital.

O’Brien brings nearly 30 years of industry experience to his new role of vice president of sales for Spring EQ’s wholesale lending group, where he will manage the sales team and partnership relationships. Most recently, he served as divisional vice president for Quicken Loans, where he spent more than a decade. Prior to this, he held roles at HSBC and various mortgage banking firms.