MBA Swears in 2021 Officers: Susan Stewart, Kristy Fercho, Matt Rocco

The Mortgage Bankers Association on Monday swore in Susan Stewart as its 2021 Chair; Kristy Fercho as Chair-Elect; and Matt Rocco as Vice Chair at its virtual 2020 Annual Convention & Expo.

Susan Stewart

Stewart is CEO of SWBC Mortgage Corp., San Antonio, Texas. She has been an active MBA member for many years, holding several leadership positions within the organization. She currently serves as a member of the MBA Board of Directors, sits on the MBA Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG) and is on the board of the MBA Opens Doors Foundation. In addition to serving on the ODF board, both Stewart and SWBC Mortgage Corp. have been recognized as Guardian-level donors of the organization. Last year, Stewart was recognized as one of HousingWire’s 2019 Women of Influence.

“It is a privilege to serve as MBA’s 2021 Chairman,” Stewart said. “I look forward to working with Kristy and Matt to address the challenges facing our industry, as well as help MBA members deal with the issues most affecting their businesses.”

Kristy Fercho

Kristy Fercho, Executive Vice President and Head of Wells Fargo Home Lending, and Matt Rocco, Chairman of the Board and of Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, were also sworn in as Chairman-Elect and Vice Chairman, respectively.

Fercho joined Wells Fargo in 2020 from Flagstar Bank, where she had served as president of the company’s mortgage division since 2017. Prior to joining Flagstar, she spent 15 years with Fannie Mae, where she led the strategy and business performance of single-family customers in the western United States and also served in customer engagement and human resources roles. Fercho began her career and served in a variety of sales, operations, and human resources roles at Baxter International before moving to Pepsi Co. Inc., where she ultimately was director of worldwide corporate human resources.

Fercho currently serves as vice chair of the MBA Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, co-chair of its Affordable Housing Council and a member of its Residential Board of Governors. She also serves on the boards of City Year and the Detroit Zoological Society.

Matt Rocco

Rocco currently sits on MBA’s Commercial Real Estate Finance Board of Governors (COMBOG). A graduate of MBA’s Future Leaders Program, he has also served on MBA’s Origination Council and DUS Peer Group. In addition to being an active member of MBA, and the Mortgage Action Alliance, Rocco is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), NAIOP, Urban Land Institute (ULI), National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and Pension Real Estate Association (PREA).

Rocco joined Grandbridge, a subsidiary of Truist Bank, in 1998. He is currently a member of the firm’s Board of Managers, Senior Leadership Team, and Risk Committee, where his responsibilities include corporate initiatives and Grandbridge’s overall loan origination efforts, as well as the company’s Agency Underwriting (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA) and Balance Sheet Closing groups. Rocco is as an advisory member to many of the nation’s largest investors and capital correspondents. Prior to Grandbridge, Rocco was engaged in investment banking, bond issuance, underwriting and real estate asset management.