Tai Christensen, Director, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, CBC Mortgage Agency (Chenoa Fund), addresses the crowd in D.C.
In late April, the Five Star Institute hosted the 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Symposium [1] “Opening Doors” at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Five Star’s Diversity and Inclusion Symposium [1] focused on advancing the diversity conversation within the mortgage industry, as industry professionals from across the country converged on D.C. to chart the course for finding strength in our differences through critical dialogue about the most pressing diversity issues facing the industry. Attendees enjoyed a day of active engagement, networking, and advancing progress within the housing industry, and participated in several sessions, including:
- “In the Loop: How D&I Relates to Present-Day Mortgage Industry Practices:” The day’s keynote which focused on the state of the industry and how D&I is vital to the trade.
- “A Comprehensive View of Opportunities in Diversity & Inclusion:” Top leaders in the industry shared the countless D&I opportunities available in the mortgage space and how to take advantage of them.
- “The Great Resignation Is a Great Opportunity:” Human resources are not the only departments are not the only ones responsible for D&I outreach, nor are they the only ones with the power to implement talent strategies that will benefit everyone.
- “Making an Impact Where You Are:” This session discussed how when internal culture changes, business get a kick-start, and the D&I ripple is soon felt across the marketplace.
- “The Four Pillars of D&l:” This session detailed how D&I initiatives must be constructed on thoughtful and resilient ideas, otherwise they simply being a nod to the call for more diversity.
The day featured some of the industry’s foremost D&I experts, imparting their knowledge throughout the day, including:
- Jerry Ascencio, Broker and Owner of San Fernando Realty and current Chairman of NAHREP Foundation
- Ewunike Brady, VP, African American Segment Lead, Wells Fargo
- Tai Christensen, Director, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, CBC Mortgage Agency (Chenoa Fund)
- Victoria Garcia DeLuca, VP of Marketplace Diversity Strategy, Guild Mortgage
- Paul Gigliotti, CEO, Co-Founder & Chair, AXIS Lending Academy
- Jose Morin, VP of Servicing, Brace
- Timika Scott, SVP of Recovery & Loss Prevention, US Bank
- Tony Thompson, Founder & CEO, NAMMBA
- Woody White, SVP, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Homebridge Financial Services Inc.
Woody White, Paul Gigliotti, Rickey Green and Lola Oyewole take part in the "Great Resignation Is a Great Opportunity" panel discussion