Webinar: What 2025 Will Bring for Mortgage Regulation
Speaker Bios
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Aaron Clifton, CSME Senior Bank Examiner, DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking Aaron Clifton has been a Bank Examiner at the Department of Securities, Insurance and Banking for Washington DC, since 2018, Previously, Aaron spent 5 years as a financial examiner with the state of Maryland. Prior to Aaron’s government service he spent 15 years in real estate title and mortgage sales and management. Aaron is a member of the Multi-state Mortgage Committee and has been an EIC on 5 MMC’s and a SPOC on 2 MMC’s. In his free time, Aaron enjoys seeing Broadway plays with his daughter and riding his bike. |
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Susan Hancock Deputy Commissioner, Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions Susan Hancock is a Deputy Commissioner with the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Financial Institutions. She oversees the Bureau’s Non-Depository Supervision Section which is responsible for examinations, consumer complaints and enforcement relating to non-depository institutions including, but not limited to, mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers, consumer finance companies, debt management companies, debt settlement services providers, student loan servicers and money transmitters. Susan is a past president of the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR) as well as past president of the National Association of Consumer Credit Administrators (NACCA). She received Distinguished Service Awards from both associations. Susan received her B.S. in Finance from Virginia Tech. |
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Kat Hyland is the Deputy Commissioner for Financial Services & Consumer Protection at the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation. With over 15 years of experience in consumer financial protection and public policy, she oversees licensing, enforcement, and financial services supervision, ensuring compliance and accountability in Maryland’s financial services industry. Previously an assistant attorney general in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Kat has also been recognized for her consumer advocacy, including receiving the National Consumer Law Center’s Rising Star award in 2022. She has played a key role in championing critical legislation in Maryland, particularly in the areas of consumer lending, debt collection, and student loans. |
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Mitchel H. Kider is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, a national law firm specializing in the representation of financial institutions, residential homebuilders, and real estate settlement service providers. Mitch represents banks, mortgage companies, homebuilders, credit card issuers, and other financial service companies in a broad range of litigation and regulatory and compliance matters. He defends clients in investigative and enforcement actions before the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and various state and local regulatory authorities and Attorneys General offices. Mitch speaks frequently on regulatory and litigation matters before trade associations and other industry groups. He is a Fellow of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers, and a Faculty Fellow of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mitch is the author of six books pertaining to residential mortgage finance and also has written numerous law review and real estate journal articles on the subject. His most recent books are Consumer Protection and Mortgage Regulation Under Dodd-Frank (West/Thomson Reuters 2018) and Real Estate and Mortgage Banking: A New Era of Regulatory Reform (West/Thomson Reuters 2017-2018). |
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Bob Niemi, CMB is the Director of Government Affairs for Weiner Brodsky & Kider. Bob brings a unique perspective from his experience and relationships to advise lenders on a wide array of regulatory and compliance matters, including state licensing, examination survival, and acquisitions. His commitment to the industry extends beyond his day-to-day responsibilities at WBK, serving as the Chair of the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators Advisory Council, Vice Chair of the Certified Mortgage Banker Society for the MBA and Secretary/Treasurer of the MBA of Florida. These positions underscore his dedication to fostering a regulatory environment that supports both industry integrity and consumer protection. Bob's background as both a former mortgage professional, Ohio Deputy Superintendent and the NMLS Ombudsman provide him with a unique 360 insight into the complexities of mortgage regulation and enforcement. Bob's contributions to the mortgage industry have been instrumental in shaping regulatory practices, including national efforts to reform state remote work legislation and policies. In 2024, Bob was awarded the Outstanding State & Local Association Leadership Award by the MBA and the Distinguished Service Award by AARMR in recognition of these efforts. Bob earned his CMB in 2016 and lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife Melissa, who is also a CMB. |
