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Community Initiatives Education Outreach Extends Nationwide

During the first quarter of 2015, the Safeguard Properties Community Initiatives Department travelled across the country to meet with municipal leaders and deliver educational messages regarding the servicing industry’s best practices in preserving vacant properties.

Safeguard’s Community Initiatives Outreach: First Quarter, 2015

The first quarter of 2015 provided continued opportunities for Safeguard’s community initiatives department to deliver outreach and education to municipal leaders across the country. These opportunities generally stemmed from community representatives telling other cities of their success in receiving assistance and solutions from Safeguard to address vacant and abandoned properties.

The community initiatives department focuses on two fundamental areas. The first is an overview of the servicing industry’s best practices in preserving vacant properties. And the second is detailed information and a demo of Compliance Connections®, an innovative technology solution that connects relevant parties to preserve the value of communities and real estate portfolios.

Safeguard’s Director of Community Initiatives Michael Halpern states, “Municipal staff members on all levels often lack the necessary perspective. It is our objective to keep properties off the radar of code enforcement by following the required industry property preservation guidelines. Therefore, they may not be aware of all the efforts and expenditures of the industry. When issues arise at a particular property, they typically view these properties as the rule, opposed to the exception. We try to share the message of common goals and partnerships throughout communities”.

Creating channels of open communication continues to be the biggest challenge for code officers, yet it is attainable. By becoming familiar with banking and servicing procedures, local code enforcement and building officials have been able to identify and communicate directly with the proper loan servicer. This eases the frustration of not receiving a response to their warnings and violation notices that may have been unintentionally sent to the wrong parties.

Compliance Connections is offered at no cost to communities across the country. This system removes the burden of research from code officers and creates transparency by utilizing public, private and proprietary databases. This solution identifies the responsible party, facilitates direct communication, and expedites compliance with local code.

“We hear time and time again about the positive change in local perception regarding the servicing industry, as well as the cost savings to the industry and the city. It is a win-win for all,” says Safeguard’s Community Relations Liaison Heather Lazar, who believes Compliance Connections is the solution to connect the necessary parties working to preserve communities nationwide.

Safeguard’s community initiatives department would like to extend its appreciation to the following organizations for allowing it to participate in various ways to share the industry’s message during the first quarter of 2015:

Non-profit organizations play a critical role in our outreach.  The department continues to work with state and national groups that can also benefit from resources that create win-win opportunities for local communities and the industry.

After  the recent National Community Reinvestment Coalition annual conference (Washington, DC), and the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey workshop (Trenton NJ), the department will soon be attending  conferences and events hosted  by:

 For additional information regarding the department and its activities, please contact community.initiatives@s.safeguardproperties.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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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