CFPB: Advisory Committee Member Announcement

Industry Update
October 3, 2019

Source: CFPB

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathleen L. Kraninger today announced the appointment of members to the Consumer Advisory Board (CAB), Community Bank Advisory Council (CBAC), Credit Union Advisory Council (CUAC), and Academic Research Council (ARC). These experts advise Bureau leadership on a broad range of consumer financial issues and emerging market trends.

“The Bureau is able to protect consumers in the financial marketplace better when it receives input from a wide range of experts and stakeholders,” said Director Kraninger. “With the enhancements we made earlier this year to the structure of the advisory committee program, I am confident that these groups will be able to hit the ground running in their efforts to provide meaningful feedback on Bureau policy and regulations. I look forward to working with them.”

In spring 2019, Director Kraninger announced a series of enhancements to the Bureau’s advisory committee charters, including: expanding the focus of the meetings to cover broad policy matters; increasing the frequency of in-person meetings from two times a year to three times a year for the CAB, CBAC, and CUAC; elevating the ARC to a Director-level advisory committee and increasing its meeting frequency; and increasing term lengths from one year to two years, among other enhancements.

The CAB is mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to advise and consult with the Bureau’s Director on a variety of consumer financial issues. The Bureau also created three additional discretionary councils: the CBAC, CUAC, and ARC. The CBAC and CUAC advise and consult with the Bureau on consumer financial issues related to community banks and credit unions. The ARC advises the Bureau on its strategic research planning process and research agenda and provides feedback on research methodologies, data collection strategies, and methods of analysis, including methodologies and strategies for quantifying the costs and benefits of regulatory actions.

The following members will serve on each of their respective committees:

Consumer Advisory Board (CAB)

  • Chair of the CAB – Brent Neiser, Senior Director, National Endowment for Financial Education (Denver, CO)
  • Nikitra Bailey, EVP, Center for Responsible Lending (Durham, NC)
  • Nadine Cohen, Managing Attorney, Greater Boston Legal Services (Boston, MA)
  • Sameh Elamawy, CEO, Scratch Services, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
  • Manning Field, COO, Acorns (Irvine, CA)
  • Clint Gwin, President & CEO, Pathway Lending (Nashville, TN)
  • Ronald Johnson, Former President, Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA)
  • Tim Lampkin, CEO, Higher Purpose Co. (Clarksdale, MS)
  • Eric Kaplan, Director – Housing Finance Program, Milken Institute (Washington, DC)
  • Sophie Raseman, Director of Product, Brightside (San Francisco, CA)
  • Rebecca Steele, President/CEO, National Foundation for Credit Counseling (Washington, DC)
  • Tim Welsh, Vice Chairman Consumer and Business Banking, U.S. Bank (Minneapolis, MN)

Community Bank Advisory Council (CBAC) 

  • Chair of the CBAC – Aubrey Hulings, VP, Operations Manager, The Farmers National Bank of Emlenton (Emlenton, PA)
  • J. Erik Beguin, Founder, CEO and President, Austin Capital Bank (Austin, TX)
  • Maureen Busch, VP Compliance and CRA Officer, The Bank of Tampa (Tampa, FL)
  • Patrick Ervin, EVP, Independent Bank (Troy, MI)
  • Shan Hayes, President and CEO, Heartland Tri-State Bank (Elkhart, KS)
  • Bruce Ocko, Senior VP Director of Mortgage & Consumer Lending, Bangor Savings Bank (Bangor, ME)
  • Valerie Quiett, SVP and Chief Legal Officer, Mechanics and Farmers (M&F) Bank (Durham, NC)
  • Heidi Sexton, EVP/Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, Sound Community Bank (Seattle, WA)

Credit Union Advisory Council (CUAC)

  • Chair of the CUAC – Sean Cahill, President & CEO, TrueSky Credit Union (Oklahoma City, OK)
  • Arlene Babwah, VP Risk Management, Coastal Federal Credit Union (Raleigh, NC)
  • Teresa Campbell, President & CEO, San Diego County Credit Union (San Diego, CA)
  • Rick Durante, VP, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Government Affairs, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union (Chadds Ford, PA)
  • Doe Gregersen, Vice President & General Counsel, Landmark Credit Union (New Berlin, WI)
  • Brian Holst, General Counsel, Elevations Credit Union (Boulder, CO)
  • Racardo McLaughlin, VP Mortgage Originations/Operations (TwinStar Credit Union, Lacey, WA)
  • Rick Schmidt, President & CEO, WestStar Credit Union (Las Vegas, NV)

Academic Research Council (ARC) 

  • Michael Baye, Bert Elwert Professor of Business Economics, Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)
  • Karen Dynan, Professor of the Practice of Economics, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
  • Terri Friedline, Associate Professor, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • John Lynch, Jr., Director of the Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision Making and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)
  • Brigitte Madrian, Dean/Marriott Distinguished Professor, Brigham Young University (Provo, UT)
  • Tom Miller, Professor of Finance and Jack R. Lee Chair, Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, MS)
  • Joshua Wright, Professor, Scalia Law School at George Mason University (Arlington, VA)

 

 

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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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Esq., General Counsel and EVP

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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COO

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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CFO

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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Business Development

Carrie Tackett

Business Development Safeguard Properties