These industry professionals will elevate the industry—and your opportunity for success—through advocacy, standards of excellence, and education.
The American Association of Private Lenders’ Education, Ethics, and Government Relations committees provide direction for initiatives that shape the industry, its best practices, and safeguard future growth.
The following are just a few key highlights they’ve delivered to the private lending industry.
- They helped inform innovations such as our Certified Private Lender Associate and Certified Fund Manager courses, which today have armed more than 500 professionals with foundational knowledge and association-backed credentialing.
- They built the industry’s first Code of Ethics, a continually evolving set of standards that protects the industry’s reputation and viability without unnecessarily burdening membership with impractical expectations.
- They crafted our grassroots mobilization process to fight harmful legislation, which has earned a 100% track record of success on outcomes with more than 20 bills across the nation.
Our committee members are the industry visionaries and your day-to-day voice guiding our next steps.
Interested in adding your voice to the direction of the private lending industry? Find out more about our committees and submit your application at aaplonline.com/committees.
Arthur Budimir, Account Executive & Broker Success Advisor, COGO Capital
Henry Chavez, Principal, Spiegel Accountancy Corp.
I have more than 28 years of experience in financial accounting and reporting, assurance, and business consulting. Throughout my career, I’ve worked to share my extensive knowledge with clients, peers, and industry professionals by developing resource documents and presentations for numerous internal and external training courses with the purpose of educating and providing progressive solutions.
David Cook, Contessa Capital, LLC
Before starting my private lending company, I spent over 25 years in the commercial finance and banking industries. Lending personal and bank capital, I focus primarily on funding fix-and-flips, rent/rehabs, cash-out refinancings, and commercial properties. I also have completed a handful of my own rehabs to hold as rentals and recently ventured into being a residential homebuilder.
I look forward to bringing the perspective of a small lender using personal funds. I believe educating, growing, and inspiring the small lender community is critical to our industry’s evolution.
Dana Georgiou
I have nearly 30 years’ mortgage lending experience supporting teams in credit, secondary, compliance and sales. I have a passion for education and training and believe knowledge is meant to be shared. I have created training and education content used by AllRegs in the conventional and government lending spectrum and have been a certified master trainer in their program. I also served with the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association in advocacy for education in mortgage lending. We all have to be advocates for advancing the education in private lending.
Building on my strong desire for teaching and advising, I bring a unique combination of 30 years’ experience in technology, fintech, in-depth process optimization and streamlining, Big Four consulting, and Fortune 500 executive leadership. And, as a founder, I am well-versed in building sales and topline growth to enhance knowledge and best practices in the industry.
Erica LaCentra, Chief Marketing Officer, RCN Capital
I am responsible for planning, developing, and implementing RCN Capital’s strategic marketing plan. With more than a decade of experience in private lending and financial marketing, I strive to bring valuable insights about real estate market conditions and industry trends, as well as expertise in developing and overseeing internal processes for a private lending company. I am currently a member of AAPL’s Education Advisory Committee and am marketing and communications chair for AREAA Boston.
As a CPA and debt fund specialist, I co-founded High Divide Management, a fund administrator and consulting firm, to fill a need I witnessed in the private debt industry. I directly provide clients fund administration and outsourced CFO services. I specialize in building back offices, driving investor and financial reporting, and working with tax and audit teams. I started my career at PwC and have over 10 years of experience in asset management, with over five years in the direct lending space.
Kendra Rommel, Principal & Co-Founder, FUTURES Financial
With 27 years’ experience, I possess a well-rounded knowledge of the mortgage industry. Ranging from consumer, A paper lending to subprime, to asset management, loss mitigation, NPL/PL’s, and private sector, I can contribute to most industry-related topics.
My career started in sales and evolved into leading a sales team of over 130 and training over 500. Through growth and acquisition, I became president of a leading publicly traded lending company in the early 2000s. I then spent 10 years building and training internal and external marketing-dependent companies (unrelated to lending). I’ve focused the last four years building a niche lending company specializing in fix-and-flip/rent. I’ve been in the small to mid-sized entrepreneurial space my entire career.
Scott Ward, Regional Director, HouseMax Funding
After 25 years in private lending, I have a deep knowledge of of our industry. I love this space for the growth and opportunity it creates for investors and communities. The main thing needed, especially now; is clear and defined education along with mentorship. That is especially what AAPL offers. I want to shape the best practices for those who want to do things the right way and also help those with questions.
I bring legal expertise to AAPL’s Education Advisory Committee. In my day job, I advise lenders, brokers, and other members of the private lending industry on how to lend nationwide and remain compliant. I know how to balance legal concerns with business decisions to help private lenders navigate through issues no matter where or how they operate. I use this expertise and experience when working with AAPL and the committee to help advise best practices for our industry.
Beeta Lecha, Managing Partner, REIL Fund Services
As a CPA, I help keep clients out of trouble. My first year as a tax advisor was during the 2007-2008 financial crisis, working primarily with private lending funds, and I witnessed the impact of bad lending practices on investors and borrowers. I was privileged to serve on the education committee and share my insights into the issues lenders face. It is an honor to join the ethics committee and work with professionals who hold each other to such a high standard.
John Beacham, CEO & Founder, Toorak Capital Partners
After 20 years career at institutions like Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, I’m aware of the discrepancy between the need for versus the availability of financing for entrepreneurs looking to develop and renovate homes across.
I launched Toorak Capital Partners in 2016 to buy high-quality loans shortly after origination from lending partners, freeing up lenders’ capital to make more loans—creating a Fannie Mae for the rehab space, if you will.
We have funded $10+ billion in loans and made 50,000+ units.
Gene Buccola, CEO, High Plateau LLC
I have been in the real estate, investment, and banking arena for more than 40 years. I have supported clients and associates and observed competitors in the best and worst of times. The AAPL Ethics Committee gives me the opportunity to shape best practices in our industry. My thanks to the committee for including me, as we work together to practice, enforce, participate, and grow in the principles of our industry.
Kemra Norsworthy, Founder & CEO, Bull Funding
I started as a residential lender at a correspondent broker in 2003. I continued with a profitable net branch until 2009 and then brought my team to a large national bank. During the mortgage crash, I started focusing on private lending, becoming an underwriter for a small private lender. In 2019 I started creating a fund. Currently, I am a GP of a $50 million fund focusing on cold storage and multifamily. We have a $20 million fund for SFR fix-and-flip, ground-up construction.
Michael Fordham, Founder & CEO, Silverstream Funding
I can help represent newer private lenders who are looking to grow their business. I also practiced corporate and securities law for 18 years with investment banks like JPMorgan Chase and Credit Suisse. I bring a perspective of a private lender’s two clients: investors and borrowers. I’ve purchased and improved single-family homes, land, and multifamily properties, and I’ve syndicated multifamily property investments. I am glad to contribute and find great value in AAPL membership.
Jonathan Janikies, Spindrift Investments
My career in the real estate industry brought me to private lending. In 2008 I started working with a large real estate attorney’s office that introduced me to several investors. After experiencing the challenges of getting a loan from a traditional bank , I made a conscious decision to never be like that. I believe in lending primarily based off the value in the asset. In 15 years, I have never foreclosed on anyone. There are always alternatives.
David Rosenberg, Principal & Co-Founder, FUTURES Financial
I bring 15 years of on-the-ground experience and knowledge in the private lending sector. It has always been extremely important to me to make sure all my deals and actions are transparent. This is something I’ve always done to build trust. It has enabled me to build unique relationships. This is also why my investors rarely leave.
Jacob Therrien, Business Development Specialist, Bridge Loan Network
I help brokers and lenders grow their businesses with Bridge Loan Network’s cloud-based origination software. I have a strong knowledge of the industry, the legislation, and the negative connotations associated with private lending I’ve helped countless brokerages understand the ethics and best practices in this sector. My experience gives me a unique perspective to share with the Ethics committee and an understanding of how to educate brokers.
Ex-Officio: Kevin Kim, Partner, Geraci LLP & AAPL’s General Counsel
I’ve been an attorney serving the private lending industry for nearly 10 years. I’ve also served AAPL as an adviser, instructor, and sponsor. This background gives me a unique insight into the ethical and acceptable practices of a private lender.
Alex Breshears, Infinite Road Investments
I have experience heading social action groups, nonprofit committees, and educational groups in and out of the private lending sector. I’ve also presented to large groups on a variety of topics and am an advocate for small private lenders across the U.S.
I have over 30 years experience’ as an attorney, investor, and mortgage servicer, assisting clients with default legal representation and vendor management on residential and commercial loans. In 1994, I co-founded a company that purchases nonperforming first mortgage loans and REO. The company expanded nationally as a lender, NPL purchaser, and specialty mortgage loan servicer. I was a licensed mortgage loan originator in 22 states and a licensed collection agency manager.
Mike Fallot, CEO, MM Lending
As a direct private lender operating in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio for 17 years, we’ve developed deep relationships with many leaders and investors, providing us with a good perspective of the challenges our investors face. It also enables us to to respond to legislative proposals. This experience enables me to collaborate effectively with the strong legal resources on the GRC to advocate for the private lender community.
I graduated law school and practiced for several years.I have lobbied in Washington, D.C. several times during the past 10yearson behalf of causes important to me. During my 25-year mortgage career, I have dealt with several legal/regulatory issues.
I’m a 30 year real estate and finance veteran impacting the delivery of successful services to consumers, entrepreneurs, and real estate developers/investors. This includes legislative and regulatory affairs, community and industry relations with deep experience with non-profit and peer trade associations. I hope my sincere desire to help grow awareness and best practices specific to private lending and aligning with appropriate partners while incorporating a robust communication strategy is of value.
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