Attendees of the annual Five Star Conference and Expo (FSC) reached the midpoint of the days-long event on Tuesday as they were welcomed into this year’s Keys for Life luncheon. A long-time staple of the conference, the Keys for Life luncheon has long been home to some of Five Star’s most enduring traditions, including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the celebration of wounded military veterans.
This year’s event opened with welcome remarks from Tara Smith, SVP, Guardian Asset Management, which served as Lead Sponsor for the KFL event. Smith then brought to the stage Five Star Chairman Emeritus Ed Delgado, who delivered brief remarks on the state of the industry before bringing David Sheeler, President of Residential Servicing at Freedom Mortgage, for a fireside chat that delved deeper into the pair’s predictions for where both the economy and the housing market will be headed in the months ahead.
As Sheeler left the stage, this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was announced as industry icon Patrick Coon, SVP of Default and Loss Mitigation at U.S. Bank. Coon built his career over four decades, spanning the consumer services and mortgage industries. He spent 20 years in the consumer services sector with roles at Ford, American Express, and Associates First Capital. In 1998, he joined Chase Mortgage, where he led all U.S. servicing operations. Over the next 27 years, Coon held leadership roles at Pacific USA Holdings, Select Portfolio Services, Cenlar, and Home Point Financial. In 2024, he joined U.S. Bank as SVP of Default and Loss Mitigation, based in Irving, Texas. Coon earned his degree from St. John Fisher University.
The audience was also treated to a celebratory video featuring comments from some of Coon’s friends and colleagues, including James Campbell, EVP, RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing; Eric Kramp, SVP Business Development at Assurant; David Little, EVP Consumer and Business Banking Operations, U.S. Bank; and Douglas Whittemore, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Selene Finance.
Coon then delivered thank-you remarks that shared lessons from his long career and expressed admiration and appreciation for both his work colleagues and his family, several of whom were in attendance for the event.
Next up, Delgado invited Cheryl Marchant, SVP of Default Services for Freedom Mortgage, which served as a Partner sponsor for KFL, and Casey Kinser, EVP of the Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF), to the stage. On behalf of Freedom, Marchant presented the MWSF with a donation of $25,000 dollars. The MWSF’s mission is to provide programs that offer specialized supportive services to our nation’s combat-wounded heroes and Gold Star families. Their programs focus on home and vehicle ownership, outdoor recreation, life skills, financial education, and leadership development.
The lights then dimmed for a special video featuring interviews with the wounded veterans and Gold Star spouses who were being recognized during the ceremony, all recipients of mortgage-free homes donated on behalf of Wells Fargo. It was an emotional moment as this year’s honored veterans took the stage, including Derek Austin, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (Ret.), and Jaye VanBoening, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (Ret.), alongside Gold Star spouse Jessica Ardron. (Gold Star families are those who have experienced the “loss of an immediate family member as the result of active-duty military service.”
The ceremony concluded with Delgado delivering closing remarks that called on participants to remember their civic and patriotic duties and to always honor the profound sacrifices of our nation’s veterans.
This year’s Keys for Life event was produced in partnership with Lead Sponsor Guardian Asset Management, Partners Freedom Mortgage and Property Masters, and Non-Profit Partner the Military Warriors Support Foundation.
FSC is a long-running mortgage conference that attracts leading subject-matter experts, exhibitors, and thousands of professionals representing mortgage servicers, lenders, federal government agencies, financial services law firms, service providers, investors, and real estate organizations from across the nation, working towards the common goal of a stronger and more united mortgage industry.
