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Ashland Joins County Land Bank

Land Bank Update
April 11, 2016

MAHANOY CITY — The Borough of Ashland recently decided to become part of the Schuylkill County Land Bank, Keith Karlavage, the land bank’s chairman, said Thursday.

The other eight taxing bodies that have signed on to date are Schuylkill County, Delano Township, Mahanoy Area School District, Mahanoy City borough, Minersville Area School District, Minersville borough, Shenandoah borough and Shenandoah Valley School District, according to Clyde C. “Champ” Holman, chairman of the Northern Schuylkill Council of Governments.

“We’re hoping the Borough of Frackville and North Schuylkill School District also sign on,” Holman said Thursday.

The land bank is still in the process of setting up shop.

At its April meeting Wednesday, held at Mahanoy City Borough Hall, 239 E. Pine St., Mahanoy City, the land bank’s board of directors voted to open a checking account at M&T Bank, Karlavage said.

At its next meeting, slated for 7 p.m. May 4 at borough hall, the board will review the organization’s strategic plan.

A land bank is a public or community-owned entity established to acquire, manage, maintain and repurpose vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties, according to the website for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Schuylkill County Land Bank is the first land bank established in the county since the state House and Senate approved Act 153 of 2012, which enabled municipalities in Pennsylvania to create them.

The land bank held its first meeting in February.

At its second meeting in March, the group appointed its first board of directors. Its members include chairman, Karlavage, who is also chairman of the board of supervisors at Delano Township; vice chairman, Carl McBreen, who is superintendent at Minersville Area School District; and secretary/treasurer, Ian Mahal, who is a member of Minersville Borough Council.

Other members of the board include Joe Brady, Daniel L. Lynch, Jeffrey A. Feeser, Gary Bender, Sean Macleary, Jack J. Hurst, Eileen Burke and Ray Jones, according to Holman.

The land bank’s solicitor is Chris Riedlinger, an attorney from Pottsville who works with the Northern Schuylkill COG and numerous municipalities, according to Holman.

The land bank’s consultant is Chris Gulotta, a blight consultant with the Gulotta Group, Carlisle, Holman said.

Source: republicanherald.com

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CEO

Alan Jaffa

Alan Jaffa is the Chief Executive Officer for Safeguard Properties, steering the company as the mortgage field services industry leader. He also serves on the board of advisors for SCG Partners, a middle-market private equity fund focused on diversifying and expanding Safeguard Properties’ business model into complimentary markets.

Alan joined Safeguard in 1995, learning the business from the ground up. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2002, and was named CEO in May 2010. His hands-on experience has given him unique insights as a leader to innovate, improve and strengthen Safeguard’s processes to assure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and customer service.

Under Alan’s leadership, Safeguard has grown significantly with strategies that have included new and expanded services, technology investments that deliver higher quality and greater efficiency to clients, and strategic acquisitions. He takes a team approach to process improvement, involving staff at all levels of the organization to address issues, brainstorm solutions, and identify new and better ways to serve clients.

In 2008, Alan was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business in its annual “40-Under-40” profile of young leaders. He also was named a NEO Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award finalist in 2013.

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Linda Erkkila

Linda Erkkila is the General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Safeguard Properties, with oversight of legal, human resources, training, and compliance. Linda’s broad scope of oversight covers regulatory issues that impact Safeguard’s operations, risk mitigation, strategic planning, human resources and training initiatives, compliance, insurance, litigation and claims management, and counsel related to mergers, acquisition and joint ventures.

Linda assures that Safeguard’s strategic initiatives align with its resources, leverage opportunities across the company, and contemplate compliance mandates. She has practiced law for 25 years and her experience, both as outside and in-house counsel, covers a wide range of corporate matters, including regulatory disclosure, corporate governance compliance, risk assessment, compensation and benefits, litigation management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Linda earned her JD at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She holds a degree in economics from Miami University and an MBA. Linda was previously named as both a “Woman of Influence” by HousingWire and as a “Leading Lady” by MReport.

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Michael Greenbaum

Michael Greenbaum is the Chief Operating Officer of Safeguard Properties, where he has played a pivotal role since joining the company in July 2010. Initially brought on as Vice President of REO, Mike’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision quickly propelled him to Vice President of Operations in 2013, and ultimately to COO in 2015. Over his 14-year tenure at Safeguard, Mike has been instrumental in driving change and fostering innovation within the Property Preservation sector, consistently delivering excellence and becoming a trusted partner to clients and investors.

A distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mike earned a degree in Quantitative Economics. Following his graduation, he served in the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Branch, where he specialized in supply chain management. Before his tenure at Safeguard, Mike honed his expertise by managing global supply chains for 13 years, leveraging his military and civilian experience to lead with precision and efficacy.

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Joe Iafigliola

Joe Iafigliola is the Chief Financial Officer for Safeguard Properties. Joe is responsible for the Control, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Marketing, Accounting, and Information Security departments. At the core of his responsibilities is the drive to ensure that Safeguard’s focus remains rooted in Customer Service = Resolution. Through his executive leadership role, he actively supports SGPNOW.com, an on-demand service geared towards real estate and property management professionals as well as individual home owners in need of inspection and property preservation services. Joe is also an integral force behind Compliance Connections, a branch of Safeguard Properties that allows code enforcement professionals to report violations at properties that can then be addressed by the Safeguard vendor network. Compliance Connections also researches and shares vacant property ordinance information with Safeguard clients.

Joe has an MBA from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University’s Honors Accounting program.

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Carrie Tackett

Business Development Safeguard Properties