Rodrigo Lopez has been elected 2017 chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the first Latino in the MBA’s 100-year history to hold the position, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) announced. Lopez, who was recently sworn in as chairman at the MBA Annual Convention & Expo, will lead the organization, which represents over 2,200 companies throughout the real estate finance industry.
“It is my distinct privilege to serve as the 2017 MBA chairman,” said Lopez in remarks at the convention. “I look forward to working with all industry stakeholders, consumer advocates, policymakers, legislators and regulators to steer real estate finance to a prosperous future for consumers and industry participants.”
“Rodrigo Lopez represents the best of both our industry and the Hispanic community in the United States,” says Gary Acosta, CEO and co-founder of NAHREP. “NAHREP supports the MBA and Rodrigo Lopez in their efforts to improve and diversify the real estate finance industry and is committed to assisting in every way possible.”
As chairman, Lopez pledges to uphold the MBA’s mission to promote fair, responsible and sustainable mortgage practices through both education and advocacy, for the benefit of industry professionals and the families they represent. As the most recent chairman of MBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Lopez has worked to advocate for underrepresented facets of the population, fostering inclusiveness, creativity and economic growth within the industry.
Lopez’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Latino community, as Hispanic homeownership continues to grow while homeownership among the general population continues a 12-year decline. According to NAHREP’s 2015 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report (SHHR), Hispanic families represent 52 percent of new households over the last 15 years, and are poised to add as many as 5.7 million additional households over the next 10.
For more information, please visit www.nahrep.org.
