honors, awards & recognitions

YOLO FEDERAL CREDIT UNION has been voted the Best Mortgage Company in Yolo County, California for the third consecutive year in the Daily Democrat’s annual readership poll.

“Our commitment to helping members achieve financial success, which is important during this challenging economic environment, resulted in funding over $100 million in mortgages as of October” in 2020, said MATT ISIKA, VP Lending/ Collections. “We are thankful to our members for their continued loyalty, and to the Yolo Federal Real Estate team for assisting members with their financial needs.”

The Real Estate team consists of JO-NATHAN GREEN, MEGAN PRICE, BETHANY MALCOLM, MATT ISIKA, PAIGE SWANSON and CONNOR BODKIN. Each brings a dynamic aspect to the department and were able to help a large number of members achieve their financial goals, Isika said.

In the same poll, Yolo Federal was voted Best Credit Union for the 20th consecutive year.

Yolo Federal, with five branches, has been serving the local communities in northern California’s Sacramento Valley for over 66 years. Membership is available to anyone that lives, works, worships, or attends school in Yolo County.

The Real Estate Team at Yolo FCU includes (from left) Jo-Nathan Green, Real Estate Closer/Funder; Megan Price, Loan Sales Manager; Bethany Malcolm, Loan Support Manager; Matt Isika, VP of Lending and Collections; Paige Swanson, Home Loan Consultant; and Connor Bodkin, Real Estate Loan Processor.

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We publish news of credit union real estate industry honors, awards and recognitions of individuals and organizations. We also publish news of housing-related community recognitions, such as Habitat for Humanity projects and National Association of Realtors cooperative ventures. Send your news to tburton@acuma.org and include who, what (be specific), when, where and, if desired, a head-and-shoulders photo (150 dpi) identifying the person being honored (name, title, organization). Deadlines are November 15 for the Winter Issue and May 15 for the Summer issue.

The Nebraska Mortgage Association has named seven CENTRIS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Mortgage Service Representatives to receive the 2020 Champions Circle Award.

The NMA recognizes and celebrates the service, dedication and hard work that mortgage professionals put into serving their clients during the home loan process. There is a minimum $15 million loan production required during the 12-month qualifying period.

The award’s Platinum tier required more than $30 million in production during the qualifying period that included the seven months prior to the pandemic.

In addition to her Champions Circle Award, Lamoureux has been named Treasurer of the Omaha Women’s Council of Realtors after serving as Secretary and on various council committees.

Centris is Nebraska’s largest federally chartered community credit union. It serves Douglas, Sarpy, Lincoln, McPherson and Pottawattamie counties and has 14 branches in Omaha, Grand Island, North Platte and Tryon, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Jeanne Lamoureux Platinum

Laura Longo Platinum

Shelley Thompson Platinum

Predrag (PK) Kopun Platinum

Dan Harris Platinum

Janette Calabro Platinum

Jerad Berry Silver

Chattanooga-based TENNESSEE VALLEY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION has been voted Best Mortgage Lender in the Chattanooga Times Free Press “Best of Best” awards program and by the North Georgia “Best of Best” awards.

TVFCU has won the readers’ poll five times for mortgage lending in Tennessee, as well as 13 consecutive years as Best Credit Union. The credit union has also won the mortgage honor four times and best credit union award for 10 consecutive years in Georgia.

TVFCU continues to play an important role in the communities it serves.

In 2020, the credit union offered a Mortgage Rewards program that not only saved more than $1,000 in mortgage costs for each eligible member, but gave back to local businesses. TVFCU partnered with local hardware stores and a fiber optics business to purchase $500 gift cards for members and to pay for members’ Wi-Fi services.

The TVFCU mortgage team also promotes local business partners and its rewards program at the Annual Tri-State Homebuilders Association Home Show every year. And it offered a free virtual homebuyer seminar on Facebook Live with ERIC WEEKLEY, Vice President of Mortgage Lending, and BRYAN FRYAR, Mortgage Sales Manager, answering mortgage questions and walking viewers through the home buying process.

Members of the TVFCU team that won the Chattanooga Times Free Press awards for Best Credit Union and Best Mortgage Lender include (from left) Janet Leamon, VP of Human Resources; Jennifer Wilson, Mortgage Originator; Valerie Gifford, SVP and Retail Operations; Olivia Kerr, Mortgage System Coordinator; Jessica Parrish, Mortgage Originator; Todd Fortner, President and CEO; Bryan Fryar, Mortgage Sales Manager; Glen Chrzas, Chief Technology Officer; and Sarah Iwasa, Mortgage Marketing.

Members of the TVFCU team that won the North Georgia awards for Best Credit Union and Best Mortgage Lender include (from left) Kathy Hall, Branch Manager; Lisa Elrod, VP of Operations; Jo Rector, Branch Manager; Nanette Mull, Branch Manager; and Jessica Parrish, Mortgage Originator.

OPENCLOSE, a comprehensive LOS provider that helps credit unions automate mortgage processes, received a number of awards and accolades in 2020.

OpenClose President JP KELLY was honored with Progress in Lending’s annual Lending Luminary Award for tech innovation; CEO/CTO JASON REGALBUTO earned HousingWire’s Tech Trendsetter Award for tech pioneers; VP of Innovation ALLEN POLLACK won its Tech Thought Leader Award; and CRO VINCE FUREY and VP of Sales Engineering CHRIS OLSEN each earned the Trailblazer Award for sales and marketing success.

As a company, OpenClose was again named to HousingWire’s 2020 Tech 100 vendor list and also earned an Innovation Award from Progress in Lending for consolidating its digital mortgage POS with its end-to-end, omni-channel LOS.

Florida’s FAIRWINDS CREDIT UNION and California’s REDWOOD CREDIT UNION are the newest members of the Million Dollar Club of CU REALTY SERVICES’ HomeAdvantage® program.

Twelve credit unions are part of this group,having returned more than $1 million in Cash Rewards to members.

“We’re very proud to welcome these new credit union partners into the Million Dollar Club and honor their dedication and exceptional work in helping members meet their homeownership goals,” said MIKE CORN, CEO of CU Realty Services.

When credit union members enroll in HomeAdvantage, they are connected with certified real estate agents. When members work with a HomeAdvantage agent, they earn an attractive cash-back benefit at closing.

Redwood Credit Union joined the HomeAdvantage program in 2010, and its members earn an average cash reward of $2,900 per real estate transaction. Fairwinds Credit Union implemented the HomeAdvantage program in 2013. On average, its members earn $1,600 in cash rewards per transaction.