MBA awards celebrate leadership in diversity and mortgage education excellence
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has announced award recipients during its annual Convention & Expo, celebrating companies and individuals for their achievements in diversity, education, and leadership in the mortgage industry.
This year’s awards recognized six companies for their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, alongside several additional honors for educational commitment and career achievement in mortgage banking.
Leading the way in DEI
MBA’s DEI Residential Leadership Awards, now in their ninth year, showcased six companies making strides in equity and outreach within their organizations and in underserved markets.
“This year’s DEI Leadership Award winners have shown a sincere and tireless commitment to cultivating a more equitable environment at their respective organizations and in the communities they serve,” said Laura Escobar, 2025 MBA chair and president of Lennar Mortgage.
Award recipients in the organizational DEI category included:
- Veterans United Home Loans was celebrated for its long-running Needs + Culture United Initiative, which focuses on growing diversity in the workplace and expanding leadership opportunities for underrepresented employees.
- Elevations Credit Union received recognition for its 2024+ DE&I Integration Initiative, which incorporates communication strategies and partnerships aimed at building a more inclusive workforce.
- McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC (MLRP) was acknowledged for boosting minority representation within its team, alongside doubling employee resource groups (ERGs) to support diversity.
In the market outreach strategies category, awards went to:
- Discover Home Loans was recognized for its Pathway to Financial Success program, a financial literacy initiative reaching millions of students across diverse communities in the U.S.
- Southern Bancorp Bank earned praise for the H.O.M.E. Initiative, offering long-term, fixed-rate mortgages and down payment assistance to low-to-moderate-income (LMI) borrowers and communities of color.
- VRM Mortgage Services was honored for its CIFS initiative, which emphasizes the importance of diversity in employment and supplier choices, attracting new talent to the industry.
Leaders on mortgage education
MBA also celebrated the graduation of 65 mortgage professionals from its Future Leaders Program, now in its 28th year. Graduates of the program, including 26 from the residential sector and 39 from commercial/multifamily finance, join a network of over 750 alumni trained in leadership skills and industry expertise.
In a special honor, the Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) Society posthumously awarded David H. Stevens (pictured), former MBA President and CEO, with the E. Michael Rosser, CMB, MBA Education Lifetime Achievement Award.
Stevens was remembered for his contributions in rebuilding the association post-2008 crisis, as well as his role in founding the MBA Opens Doors Foundation, which supports families of critically ill children in keeping their homes during treatment.
Read next: What type of education does a loan officer need?
Lastly, USAA received the Residential Educator of the Year Award for its commitment to staff development through extensive training and support programs, which include tuition reimbursement, professional certification assistance, and quarterly training requirements.
USAA’s MBA Designation Program has empowered 42 employees to earn the Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) designation since 2020, further strengthening the organization’s dedication to career growth and industry education.
Stay updated with the freshest mortgage news. Get exclusive interviews, breaking news, and industry events in your inbox, and always be the first to know by subscribing to our FREE daily newsletter.
