On Wednesday, Industry leaders gathered to close out the 2025 Five Star Conference & Expo with one of the event’s most beloved traditions. Each year, the Women in Housing (WIH) Leadership Awards Luncheon brings together professionals from across the housing and mortgage sectors to honor the women who are reshaping the industry.
Setting the Stage
The program began with opening remarks from Yvette Gilmore, who became an industry staple during her years at Freddie Mac and who now serves as SVP of Servicing Business Strategy at ServiceLink. She spoke about lessons from her career, the importance of events like WIH, and what her own past recognition with a WIH award meant to her and helped shape her career journey.
Following her introductory remarks, Gilmore then brought panelists to the stage for the She-Suite discussion, a highlight of the luncheon. This dynamic conversation brought together trailblazing women executives who shared their insights on leadership, mentorship, and learning how to define success for yourself and build bridges for the women coming along behind you.
This year’s She-Suite panel included Shayna Arrington, Chief Risk Officer at Servbank; Kellie Basher, SVP at M&T Bank; Erum Nayani, SVP at BSI Financial Services; Cristi Richey, VP, Servicing Business Account Management at Fannie Mae; and Alyson Roberts, Sr. Director, Loss Mitigation at U.S. Bank.
Honoring Rising Talent and Visionary Leadership
After the panel, the spotlight shifted to the Women in Housing Leadership Awards, where finalists were recognized across five categories.
The Rising Star Executive Award honors dynamic women executives who represent the next generation of leadership in the mortgage industry. These rising stars are distinguished by their ability to inspire teams, spark innovation, and deliver measurable results. Recipients are women who are making a significant impact in their executive careers, demonstrating exceptional vision, integrity, and a commitment to advancing both their organizations and the industry as a whole.
This year’s Rising Star Executive Award recipient was Erin Kinkin, VP of Transaction Management, Lakeview Loan Servicing. This year’s runners up included Chi Jensen, Director of Mortgage Servicing, Acra Lending/Citadel Servicing Corporation; Nicole Parisho, Bankruptcy Team Manager, Valon Mortgage; Ashley Puckett, AVP of Capital Markets, Novus Home Mortgage; Cassandra Tapia, Business Project Manager, Agency Sales and Posting, ServiceLink.
The Mortgage Visionary Award celebrates exceptional female executives in the mortgage industry (spanning both lending and servicing) who have demonstrated inspirational leadership, shaped lending practices or elevated servicing standards, and expanded access to sustainable homeownership. Through their dedication to operational excellence, customer experience, and industry advancement, these women exemplify the future of housing finance.
This year’s Mortgage Visionary Award went to Shayna Arrington, Chief Risk Officer, Servbank. Runners up for the category included Heather J. Bentley, EVP, Head of Consumer Specialty Operations, Citizens Bank; Katherine Cacho, Director of Default Servicing, Valon Mortgage; Rebecca Clapham, COO, Citywide Home Mortgage; and Catherine Hunter, Creative Director, Cornerstone Home Lending.
The Public Sector Champion Award honors outstanding female leaders from government agencies, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), and other organizations whose work has profoundly impacted the housing and mortgage finance landscape. Whether through policy development, program innovation, regulatory leadership, or public-private collaboration, these trailblazers have advanced equitable access to homeownership and strengthened the stability of the U.S. housing market.
This year’s Public Sector Champion Award recipient was Cristi Richey, VP Business Account Management Solutions, Fannie Mae. Runners up included Cyndi Danko, Single-Family Chief Credit Officer and SVP, Fannie Mae; Kendra Gray, VP of Single-Family Collateral & Loan Performance Products, Fannie Mae; Casey Kinser, EVP, Military Warriors Support Foundation; and Katherine Mossop, VP and Portfolio Product Owner, Single-Family Portfolio and Servicing Division, Freddie Mac.
The Industry Partner Impact Award celebrates female leaders working in affiliated services or partner organizations—such as technology providers, legal firms, and vendors—who have made a significant impact on the mortgage and housing sectors. Nominees in this category drive meaningful partnerships and innovations that enhance the industry’s capabilities and effectiveness.
This year’s Industry Partner Impact Award recipient was Miriam Moore, Division President of Default Services, ServiceLink. Runners up included Micole Booker, VP, Mortgage Default Operations, VRM Mortgage Services; Reneau J. Longoria, Managing Member, Doonan, Graves, & Longoria LLC; Stephanie Mclane, Founder and CEO, AREMCO; and Wendy R. Reiss, Managing Partner, National Bankruptcy Practice, McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce.
The final category was the Laurie A. Maggiano Legacy Award, named for the former Program Manager for Servicing and Secondary Markets at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a beloved industry icon who passed away tragically in 2018. The award recognizes women whose accomplishments have left an indelible impact on the industry and have positively influenced homeownership within the past year. (Candidates for this award must have at least 20 years of consecutive industry experience).
This year’s Laurie A. Maggiano Legacy Award recipient was Jennifer Stockett, Senior Advisor, External Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Runners up included Dana C. Abernathy, CMB, VP of Servicing, Cornerstone Servicing; Elizabeth Balce, EVP, Loan Servicing, Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC; Kira Granovskaya, Head of Transaction Management, Citi; and Dr. Cheryl Travis-Johnson, EVP & COO, VRM Mortgage Services.
For more information on this year’s Women in Housing Award recipients, check our the October issue of MortgagePoint magazine.
