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Industry Leaders Take on Housing Challenges at National Property Preservation Conference

On November 6, DS News released an article discussing the 2014 National Property Preservation Conference (NPPC), hosted by Safeguard Properties.  The article features comments by Safeguard CEO Alan Jaffa and Founder and Chairman Robert Klein discussing the role of the conference to be a platform for open communication within the housing industry.

Industry Leaders Take On Housing Challenges at National Property Preservation Conference

Housing industry leaders gathered Thursday at the 11th annual National Property Preservation Conference (NPPC) to discuss some of the greatest challenges facing housing today and collaborate on how to tackle them head-on.

Hosted by Safeguard Properties in Washington, D.C., this year’s conference featured pannel discussions boasting a host of policy experts offering insights on what’s happening inside the  beltway, including Laurie Maggiano, program manager for servicing and secondary markets at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Ivery Himes, director of HUD’s Office of Single Family Asset Management; and Meg Burns, former senior associate director at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and current managing director at the Collingwood Group, among others.

Some of the housing industry’s leading minds—including representatives from Freddie Mac, Safeguard, SolutionStar, and TSI Appraisal—were also in attendance to discuss the current state of housing and property preservation and expectations for the future.

Together, the panels, led by Five Star Institute President and CEO Ed Delgado, fielded questions on topics ranging from compliance challenges to the government’s growing oversight of the housing industry, including what’s on the agenda for 2015.

“It’s clear that property preservation companies are increasingly playing a larger role in the stabilization of homeownership and communities” said Caroline Reaves, CEO of MCS, one of the nations leading property preservation companies and a key sponsor of NPPC.  “The dialog from this event will go a long way in establishing best practices and compliance as an industry for 2015 and beyond.”

The event kicked off Thursday morning with remarks from Delgado, who described the outlook for housing as one of “reserved confidence.” That was followed by a keynote address delivered by Leonard Kiefer, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac.

Alan Jaffa, CEO of Safeguard Properties, said the conference serves as a jumping-off point for a dialogue that will hopefully continue.

“I’m hearing a lot of great conversations taking place around the roles we all play in maintaining properties and communities,” Jaffa said. “We all come from a different perspective, but property preservation is a team effort.”

Safeguard’s founder and chairman, Robert Klein, echoed Jaffa’s sentiment.

“When I initiated the conference 10 years ago, my goal was to create a platform for open communication—an opportunity for truly honest dialogue about the issues we face as an industry,” he said. “In these discussions, everyone’s perspective is important, and everyone, from lenders to policy makers, GSEs and community groups, has a seat at the table. A decade later, the conversation continues to evolve and produce real solutions.”

Please click here to view the article online.

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the largest mortgage field services company in the U.S. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and based in Valley View, Ohio, the company inspects and maintains defaulted and foreclosed properties for mortgage servicers, lenders, and other financial institutions. Safeguard employs approximately 1,700 people, in addition to a network of thousands of contractors nationally.
Website: www.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