Marcia Davies on Lessons Learned Over 10 Years of mPower
(Image courtesy of Brittney Prophete)
LAS VEGAS–Marcia Davies, Mortgage Bankers Association chief operating officer, took the stage at mPowering You, MBA’s Summit for Women in Real Estate Finance Oct. 18, to share reflections on her experiences over the past decade.
It’s officially the tenth anniversary of mPower, said Davies, noting that while the name came about a year later, the first event for women was in 2015 in San Diego.
“Look how far we’ve come,” she said. “After 10 years, more than 28,000 women have now participated in mPower events. This isn’t just a once-a-year meeting. It’s a nationwide movement.”
Davies reminisced about the history of mPower, recalling that she rallied women in the industry to get involved when she was first starting the group.
“I hit the road, I traveled across the country, meeting with women from every part of our industry. And everywhere I went, I delivered the same, simple message–women are powerful. Women are influential.”
And, Davies listed three of the biggest lessons she’s learned over the past decade.
For one, she said women in the industry can do incredible things. “We’ve made this industry an even better place for women to work,” she said.
Second, she highlighted the importance of courage. Davies recalled how mPower helped her open up and seek emotional support when her husband, Scott, was diagnosed with cancer four years ago. Scott has now been in remission for more than two years, but Davies emphasized the importance of mPower’s support throughout the process.
Support–and the courage required to seek it–extends to both members’ personal and professional lives.
“This is why I started mPower–to let women know we’re not alone. We need to find each other and share our struggles,” she said. “It’s essential to breaking barriers and moving forward. And when times are tough, we need to have each other’s backs.”
A final lesson: The fight is never over. While women have made great progress in the industry, there’s more work to do, and the progress that has been made must be defended, she said.
“We have our work cut out for us. When you look at America today, women are on the defensive again,” she said, pointing to studies such as McKinsey’s “women in the workplace” research, showing that the gains women have made across the economy are more fragile and less extensive than they might appear.
Davies also shared what’s next for mPower–and for herself. She announced her retirement from MBA, and mPower, a few weeks ago; she’s set to step down at the end of the year.
She said it’s not just time for her, personally, but it’s also a “professional necessity.”
“We’re all here because we know that women need to reach down and pull other women up. That’s what I’m doing,” she said. “It’s time for others to climb this ladder. It’s time for them to have their turn. I’ve been at the table a long time. Now we need new voices and faces.”
With that in mind, she introduced the crowd to her successor at mPower: Laura Hopkins, MBA senior vice president of membership and meetings.
Davies thanked the attendees for the past 10 years. But, she said: “I may be retiring, but I’m not saying goodbye. I’m still going to come here every year that you’ll have me. I’m still going to keep in contact with all the friends I’ve made. You feel like my family, and this community feels like home.”
