Leadership Spotlight: A Conversation With MBA’s Community Bank Network Co-Chairs
(Tammie L. Gravlee and Matt Cammarota)
Community Banks are playing a pivotal role in shaping the mortgage industry’s future, leveraging digital innovations like online account opening and enhanced customer service to meet evolving needs. Despite challenges such as rising interest rates, cybersecurity risks and regulatory pressures, their adaptability and community-focused approach position them as essential drivers of growth and stability in today’s housing market.
To support these efforts, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Community Bank Network provides a valuable forum for community-based lenders to share insights on emerging trends, challenges and solutions, ensuring that their priorities are reflected in MBA’s advocacy and education initiatives. This group connects in person at MBA’s Annual Convention & Expo and virtually throughout the year, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the industry.
MBA’s Associate Director of Strategic Industry Engagement for Residential Policy Monique Ellis, AMP, recently shared with MBA NewsLink a conversation she had with the Community Bank Network co-chairs, Matt Cammarota, head of retail lending, Liberty Bank, and Tammie L. Gravlee, CMB, president, Mortgage Division, Bank of Tennessee, about their experience with the network, their vision for the community and the value they see in the collective mission.
Monique Ellis: What inspired you to join and get involved in the Community Bank Network?
Tammie L. Gravlee: Meeting other members, hearing from each member and understanding how we all have the same struggles, ultimately working together to create better and different ideas, as well as networking.
Matt Cammarota: My experience with similar networks and the opportunity to connect with peers and share best practices.
Monique Ellis: What has been the most significant opportunity or connection the network has facilitated for you?
Tammie L. Gravlee: Understanding who and how the MBA can open doors for other opportunities and assistance in our state and local needs. Meeting those at MBA and other community banks has allowed me opportunity for broader conversations and learning from others as well as how MBA can support each facet of our business with knowledge and education.
Matt Cammarota: Firstly, the opportunity to learn best practices has been invaluable. Networking with peers has broadened my perspective and provided me with new and actionable insights. Additionally, connecting with third-party suppliers has allowed me to stay updated on new and emerging technologies.
Monique Ellis: What unique value does our network bring to its members and the broader organization?
Tammie L. Gravlee: Allowing, at a higher level, a better understanding of what is happening nationally and how it affects us locally. Offering the opportunity to participate in areas that we may otherwise not realize existed, for example advocacy, which plays a very large role in how we are allowed to operate and its effect on us at the community bank level.
Matt Cammarota: Understanding industry trends and hearing from experts at the MBA, particularly the economic updates and government affairs work, has been incredibly beneficial.
Monique Ellis: In what ways has your involvement with this network influenced your professional or personal growth?
Tammie L. Gravlee: Surrounding myself with the members challenges me to be better, stay more informed and be more involved. The knowledge in a roundtable or Zoom call discussion has been invaluable to take my thought process to manage to a better and more productive level. Sharing and discussion with the group isn’t guarded as we become sponges to soak up what our peers have to offer in knowledge, lessons learned and opportunities to explore a better way to do business. We often are able to share and save others from obstacles that we have already faced. Collaboration is golden!
Matt Cammarota: I often attribute this network and other bank forums as the single most important item in my personal development. The ability to learn from others and bring that information back to our bank has been very impactful.
Monique Ellis: What is your vision for the future of our community, and how do you see us evolving in the next few years?
Tammie L. Gravlee: Next level speakers, requests of our member committee to speak on specific topics that we each face, more round table conversations in person and/or Zoom. Growing the community with additional membership to the MBA overall and to our specific network.
Matt Cammarota: Continue to share insights, and I would love to see more in-person meetings. Currently, we have one opportunity at MBA Annual. I would suggest having one additional in-person meeting, perhaps a meeting that can coincide with the [National Advocacy Conference] in Washington, D.C.
Monique Ellis: What advice would you give to members who want to get more involved and make the most of this community?
Tammie L. Gravlee: Make yourself available and offer your expertise to others. Be involved at any level, no doubt you will be better for it and you will learn from others in the process. Never feel that you have arrived, continue to educate and use MBA as the catalyst for the learning.
Matt Cammarota: Get involved and stay involved.
The Community Bank Network thrives on collaboration and shared expertise. If you’re passionate about shaping the future of community banking and want to connect with peers who share your commitment, the network would love to have you involved.
To learn more or become part of the network, reach out to Monique Ellis at mellis@mba.org or click here. Your voice can help drive meaningful impact in the industry.
Matthew Cammarota is the senior vice president and head of retail lending at Liberty Bank based in Middletown, Conn. He joined Liberty Bank in 2021 after more than 13 years at Webster Bank where he held a number of key leadership positions, most recently as the Director of Consumer & Business Credit. Cammarota is a 25-year industry leader in community banking and brings to Liberty Bank a wealth of experience in consumer and mortgage lending, loan fulfillment, operations, customer experience and risk management.
Tammie Gravlee, with over 35 years of experience in the mortgage industry, currently serves as the president of mortgage at Bank of Tennessee. Throughout her career, she has held various roles from origination to corporate executive positions, showcasing her versatility and deep understanding of the business. Gravlee’s leadership has consistently delivered results across Retail, Consumer Direct, Wholesale, Reverse, and Correspondent sectors, focusing on improving efficiency in mortgage operations. Actively engaged in industry associations, Gravlee served as the President of the Nashville Mortgage Bankers Association in 2022 and was a board member for the Nashville MBA for five years from 2019 to 2023. She earned the Certified Mortgage Banker designation in 2019. In 2023, Gravlee was honored as Mortgage Banker of the Year by the Nashville Mortgage Bankers Association. Gravlee is also a passionate advocate for the mortgage industry. She collaborates with elected officials and stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of mortgage advocacy.
