MBA Announces Retirement of COO Marcia Davies, Executive Promotions and Additions to Senior Management Team
The Mortgage Bankers Association announced that Marcia M. Davies, MBA’s Chief Operating Officer and founder of mPower, MBA’s networking platform for women in the real estate finance industry, will retire on December 31, 2025.
MBA also announced the promotion of three current association leaders as part of a restructuring of the functions led by Davies.
Davies joined MBA in 2011 as Chief of Staff to past President and CEO David H. Stevens, and Senior Vice President of Conferences and Meetings. In 2014, she was promoted to COO.
“For well over a decade, MBA and its members have benefited tremendously from Marcia’s vision and passion for the mission and the people of the real estate finance industry,” said MBA’s President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB. “Her most vital contribution to MBA was her leadership in restoring financial stability to the association. Her legacy in the industry will be the founding and development of mPower, enhancing the ability of thousands of women in our industry to strengthen their networks, conduct more business, and experience personal and professional growth. I have been blessed to have her leading by my side for the past seven years.”
As COO, Davies has been responsible for ensuring cross-organizational alignment and facilitating the implementation of MBA’s strategic initiatives, as well as maintaining oversight of key organizational priorities. She is also the lead strategist for MBA’s external activities, providing leadership, guidance, and overall management to the public affairs and marketing divisions. In addition, she provides strategic direction and management of MBA’s Conferences, Membership, Education, Information Technology, and Office Services divisions and is a past board member of MBA’s Opens Doors Foundation.
In 2016, Davies founded mPower (MBA Promoting Opportunities for Women to Extend their Reach). Under her leadership, mPower has grown into an engaged community of more than 26,000 industry members, providing best-in-class conference and webinar programming, networking events, and online opportunities to promote the advancement of women in the mortgage industry.
Previously, Davies worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner. She directed HUD’s industry relations program to strengthen relationships, garner support, streamline communications, and resolve policy and regulatory issues. Before joining HUD, Marcia spent 21 years at Freddie Mac, where she held a variety of senior management positions in communications, customer outreach, marketing, servicer relations, and policy.
Peter J. Grace, AMP, previously Senior Vice President of Membership, Education, Technology, and Strategy, has been promoted to Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President of Industry Education and Technology. Laura Hopkins, AMP, previously Vice President of Membership, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Membership and Meetings. John T. Mechem, who had been Vice President of Public Affairs, was promoted to Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Marketing. Hopkins and Mechem will join MBA’s Senior Management team, of which Grace was already a member. Each will report to MBA’s President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB.
“MBA is blessed with a strong bench of up-and-coming proven leaders, allowing us to create upward mobility for these three talented individuals already on staff,” said Broeksmit. “Peter, Laura, and John each bring exceptional and unique talents to their expanded roles, and I look forward to seeing them continue to grow and MBA’s members gaining the benefit of their experience and new perspectives.”
Grace started at MBA in 2012 as Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Strategic Management, before being promoted to Senior Vice President in 2014. In his new role, he will oversee Strategy, Operations, IT, Finance, Legal, Human Resources, and the MBA Opens Doors Foundation, in addition to his existing responsibilities for Education and Industry Technology. He will also continue to serve as the MBA representative on the MISMO Board of Directors. Grace came to MBA in 2012 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he served as Chief of Staff for the Acting Deputy Secretary. Before joining HUD, Grace was Associate Commissioner of the Office of Strategic Planning, Technology, and Research at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. He began his career at Accenture, where he advised companies in the telecommunications industry on organizational strategy and transformation. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. His full bio can be found here.
Hopkins joined MBA in 2017 as Director of Membership after nearly two decades of sales and management expertise in the mortgage banking sector, including positions in sales and marketing. In 2021, she was promoted to Vice President of Member Relations, and in 2024 assumed the role of VP of Membership, which includes the Member Services, Associate Membership, and Commercial/Multifamily Membership functions. In her new role, she will add responsibility for leading the strategic direction and management of MBA’s conferences and meetings, as well as mPower, MBA’s networking platform for women in the real estate finance industry. Hopkins was recognized by HousingWire in 2025 with its Women of Influence award. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Business Management and Merchandising. Her full bio can be found here.
Mechem started at MBA in 2006 as Manager of Public Affairs and has held a series of roles of growing responsibility strengthening MBA’s voice, brand, and influence. In 2015, he was promoted to Vice President of Public Affairs where he managed all public affairs activity for the association, including media relations, speechwriting, social and digital media, and member and executive communications. In his new role, he will serve as lead strategist for external messaging, providing vision, leadership, and strategic direction across all aspects of public affairs, media relations, product and event marketing, digital engagement, publications, and brand management. Before joining MBA, he served as Director of Communications at the American Forest & Paper Association. He began his career on Capitol Hill, where he worked in communications for U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Jim Bunning (R-KY). Mechem graduated from Colby College with a degree in Government and American Studies. His full bio can be found here.
