MBA Promotes Kooper to Vice President; Singhas to Assistant Director

The Mortgage Bankers Association promoted William Kooper to Vice President of State Government Affairs and Industry Relations, effective April 1.

Kooper has served in numerous public policy and member relations roles during his 15-year career with MBA. He will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of MBA’s state government affairs program and will serve as the principal staff representative to the State Relations Initiative, MBA’s strategic program of alignment in advocacy, communications and business development with the more than 40 mortgage banking trade associations around the country.

“William has played a critical role rebuilding and transforming MBA’s state relations function into a robust organization that not just coordinates and lobbies on state and local legislative and regulatory issues, but identifies and fosters business partnerships that strengthen companies, state organizations, MBA and the industry as a whole,” said MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB. “William has worked hard to develop relationships across the country that will allow him to further strengthen and grow MBA’s relationships with state and local organizations.”

Kooper joined MBA in January 2001 as Director of Government Affairs, and has held a variety of roles assisting MBA members. Before leading the state program, he was Associate Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs, where he directed MBA’s nationwide grassroots advocacy program, the Mortgage Action Alliance Inc., and planning and execution of the annual MBA National Advocacy Conference. He also served as staff to MBA’s political action committee, MORPAC.

Prior to joining MBA, Kooper was appointed by President Bill Clinton as Special Assistant and Briefing Coordinator to HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo. At HUD, William prepared the Secretary’s daily event briefings, wrote the Secretary’s weekly report to the President and also made contributions to Presidential and Vice Presidential briefing documents.

MBA also promoted Sara Singhas to Assistant Director of Public Policy. She joined MBA three years ago and has become a recognized industry expert on numerous issues, including flood insurance, FHA servicing requirements, property preservation standards and other complex issues in the Loan Administration portfolio.