News has broken that John E. Bell III, a longtime industry veteran who spent many years working at the VA and serving as Executive Director for VA’s Loan Guaranty Service, has passed away.
Margarita Devlin, VA Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, said of Bell in a statement:
“John Bell was a talented and trusted leader with nearly 15 years of service to the Department of Veterans Affairs. He will be deeply missed by his VA colleagues as well as countless Veterans he served and helped over the years. We grieve for his friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”
John E. Bell III
Tim Rood, Founder and CEO of Impact Capitol and formerly of SitusAMC, the Collingwood Group, and Fannie Mae, shared news of Bell’s passing via his LinkedIn page, saying in a post:
“I wanted to make sure that folks knew that John Bell III, most recently Executive Director for VA Loan Guaranty Service, has passed away following an extended illness. He will be sorely missed by anyone who knew him or worked with him. John was a tremendous guy with a big heart who loved delivering VA Home Loan Benefits to his fellow Veterans. RIP, Brother.”
Ed Delgado, AMP, Managing Director, Mortgage Policy Advisors; Chairman Emeritus, Five Star Global, told MortgagePoint:
“The mortgage industry mourns the loss of John E. Bell III, a respected veteran and dedicated leader who spent more than a decade ensuring his fellow service members and veterans could achieve the dream of homeownership. John’s legacy is one of innovation, diligence, and deep commitment to the economic opportunity and well-being of the veteran community. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.”
A Life of Service
John E. Bell III began serving as Executive Director, Loan Guaranty Service, on June 21, 2022. There, he was responsible for delivering VA Home Loan Benefits to his fellow veterans. Bell had extensive mortgage industry experience, having served in leadership roles with nationwide lenders for over 20 years before starting his career with VA in 2010. Bell worked to ensure that VA home loan benefits were the product of choice for veterans and that Loan Guaranty was the VA program of choice. As Deputy Director, Bell was instrumental in VA Loan Guaranty Service’s fast response during the COVID-19 pandemic through frequent communications and the issuance of guidance that ensured that home loan benefits continued to be delivered to veterans without delay and reassured industry partners during that critical time.
As Assistant Director, Loan Policy & Valuation, Bell initiated Loan Guaranty’s transformation to better align with the fast-paced mortgage industry. Bell improved customer experience by automating Certificate of Eligibility (COE) functionality and implementing a nationwide phone system with subject matter experts answering calls in less than 60 seconds, advocating for Veterans when it matters most.
Serving as the Chief of Staff, Office of Economic Opportunity, Bell engineered a redesign of the organizational structure, providing data to improve decision making, and created a task force to establish business intelligence capabilities within the Veterans Benefits Administration.
Bell had left his Loan Guaranty Service role at VA in August, announcing his departure in a LinkedIn post that ran down a long list of accomplishments he was proud of from his time at the organization. At that same time, Bell was appointed to the role of Deputy Executive Director of the Office of Mission Support (OMS). There, his top priorities included supporting the Veterans Administration (VA) and VBA Central Offices and 56 Regional Offices that serve Veterans across the nation in six major areas: Acquisition, Administration, Facilities, Information Access and Privacy, Operations, Safety, Security, and Preparedness, and the Executive Management Office staff.
Bell began his career in mortgage finance while attending Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee. He also served in the U.S. Navy during Operation Restore Hope and the Gulf War.
David Wharton, Editor-in-Chief at the Five Star Institute, is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, where he received his B.A. in English and minored in Journalism. Wharton has 20 years' experience in journalism and previously worked at Thomson Reuters, a multinational mass media and information firm, as Associate Content Editor, focusing on producing media content related to tax and accounting principles and government rules and regulations for accounting professionals. Wharton has an extensive and diversified portfolio of freelance material, with published contributions in both online and print media publications. He can be reached at David.Wharton@thefivestar.com.
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