National Conference of State Legislatures Spring Forum
Fighting Off Foreclosures: The Implications of Subprime Mortgage Loans
Friday, April 20, 2007
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill
Speaker Biographies
James Ballentine
Director, Grassroots and Community Outreach,
American Bankers Association
Washington, D.C.
James Ballentine is the Director of Grassroots and Community Outreach for the American Bankers Association (ABA). The ABA is the largest banking trade association in the country, representing community, regional, money center banks and holding companies, as well as savings associations, trust companies and savings banks. James is part of ABA's Government Relations office and leads a team that manages ABA's political outreach and grassroots efforts that works directly with 50 state bank trade associations to increase the banking industries presence on Capitol Hill. In addition, James directs the association's efforts on community and economic development, housing and small business issues and he serves as ABA's leading expert on emerging market outreach and predatory lending. Prior to joining ABA, James served as the Associate Deputy Administrator for Government Contracting and Business Development at the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he was responsible for coordinating the Administration's small business minority development programs. While at SBA, he also served as the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Administator. Prior to SBA James worked nine years on Capitol Hill as the Chief of Staff and Legislative Director (1993-1998) to Maryland Congressman Albert Wynn and as Legislative Director (1989-1992) to New York Congressman Frank Horton.
Harry Dinham
President
National Association of Mortgage Brokers
McLean, Virginia
Harry Dinham, president of NAMB, entered the home lending industry in 1967 in Mississippi. He moved to Texas in 1979 and started is own company, Dinham Mortgage Company, in 1990. Soon, he joined and filled leadership positions in both the Dallas Fort Worth and the Texas Associations of Mortgage Brokers. Dinham chaired his local association's legislative committee in 1993 and was elected to the board as secretary in 1995. He was president of his state association in 1999. On the national level, Dinham served on the NAMB membership committee in 1999 and later chaired the by-laws and finance committees. He served on the board as treasurer in 2003-2004, vice president in 2004-2005, and president-elect in 2005-2006 before becoming president in June 2006. Dinham's priorities focus on winning fair and equal treatment for mortgage brokers within the lending industry, enhancing broker education and credentials, and expanding financial literacy among the nation's youth.
Christopher Kukla
Director of State Legislative Affairs
Center for Responsible Lending
Durham, North Carolina
Christopher Kukla is Director of State Legislative Affairs for the Center for Responsible Lending in Durham, North Carolina. The Center is a nonpartisan, non-profit policy and research affiliate of Self-Help, a community development lender that has provided more than $4 billion in financing to homeowners, small businesses, and non-profit organizations nationwide. Chris received his juris doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from Alma College in Alma, Michigan. Prior to joining the Center, Chris worked for several years on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, most recently as Appropriations Associate and Counsel to U.S. Representative Nita M. Lowey (D-NY).
Steve O'Connor
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
Mortgage Bankers Association
Washington, D.C.
Steve O'Connor is Senior Vice President of Public Policy in the Government Affairs Department of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). O'Connor manages the department's residential policy staff. In this capacity, he oversees the development of MBA's policy positions on regulatory, legisaltive, and industry issues affecting residential mortgage lending. O'Connor helps direct the association's advocacy efforts, and is responsible for outreach to key strategic partners. He serves as the staff representative to MBA's REsidential Board of Governors. O'Connor jointed the association in 1996 as senior director for single-family housing. Before joining MBA, O'Connor held positions in government affairs with the National Association of Realtors and Freddie Mac. He also worked for the former Skyline Financial Services Corporation. O'Connor holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and received his master of arts degree in political science from American University.
John W. Ryan
Executive Vice President
Conference of State Bank Supervisors
Washington, D.C.
John is Executive Vice President for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), the professional association of the nation's state and territorial banking supervisors. CSBS provides education to state bank examiners, coordinates state and federal supervisory relationships and agreements, promotes best practices in the states and represents the states' efforts to advance dual banking at the federal level. John started at CSBS in 1997 as an assistant vice president for legislative affairs. From 1994 to 1997 he worked at Newmyer Associates, a public affairs consulting firm where he led the company's financial services consulting practice. Prior to that, John spent four years as a professional staff member serving on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Financial Services. In 1993, John received a fellowship from the Commission of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, where he worked in the Commission's financial institutions directorate. John recieved his degree in political science and economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
 Return to CFI Committee's 2007 Spring Forum Agenda
|
