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Senate Banking Committee Approves Castro as Next HUD Head

On June 26, National Mortgage Professional published an article titled Senate Banking Committee Approves Castro as Next HUD Head.

Senate Banking Committee Approves Castro as Next HUD Head

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has approved the nomination of San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as next head of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) by a 16-6 vote on Wednesday.

“As Mayor of San Antonio, Mayor Castro has been on the frontlines of helping his community reach its housing and economic development goals,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD). “In his tenure as Mayor, he has focused on attracting well-paying jobs in 21st Century industries, raising educational attainment, and revitalizing the city’s urban core. HUD is a critical partner in these efforts nationwide. Mayor Castro will bring both direct experience with and an appreciation of the important role that HUD programs play for families, communities, and taxpayers to the role of HUD Secretary.”

Castro will replace Shaun Donovan, who has been nominated by President Barack Obama as the next Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Also on Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Reform Committee approved Donovan’s nomination, which now heads to the full Senate for a vote.

“Shaun has earned a reputation as a great manager, a fiscally responsible leader, and somebody who knows how the decisions we make here in Washington affect people’s lives all across the country,” said President Obama. “And that’s why I’m absolutely confident he will do a great job leading the Office of Management and Budget, and help even more hardworking Americans get ahead.”

Mayor Castro is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, becoming the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city when elected to lead the city of San Antonio at the age of 39 in May 2009. At his recent nomination hearing, Castro said he would ensure that taxpayers would not foot the bill again should another housing crisis arise.

“MBA commends the Senate Banking Committee for approving Julian Castro to be the next Secretary of HUD,” said David H. Stevens, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). “We now hope the full Senate will quickly confirm not only Julian Castro as HUD Secretary, but also Shaun Donovan as the new Director of OMB. Once both are confirmed, it will only strengthen the Administration’s depth in housing issues, as both men are suitably positioned to tackle the important challenges facing our industry.”

Please click here to view the online article.

Link to MBA Statement on Senate Banking Committee Backing Julian Castro as HUD Secretary

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