Decision Makers
Board of Directors
Stewart Zimmerman, 64, serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Mr. Zimmerman has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a director since 1997 and was appointed Chairman of the Board in March 2003. From 1997 until June 2008, he also served as our President. From 1989 through 1997, he initially served as a consultant to The America First Companies and became Executive Vice President of America First Companies, L.L.C. ("America First"). During this time, he held the following positions: President and Chief Operating Officer of America First REIT, Inc. and President of several America First mortgage funds, including America First Participating/Preferred Equity Mortgage Fund, America First PREP Fund 2, America First PREP Fund II Pension Series Limited Partnership, Capital Source L.P., Capital Source II L.P., America First Tax Exempt Mortgage Fund Limited Partnership and America First Tax Exempt Fund 2 Limited Partnership. Prior to 1989, Mr. Zimmerman held various positions with other financial-related companies, including Security Pacific Merchant Bank, EF Hutton & Company, Inc., Lehman Brothers, Bankers Trust Company and Zenith Mortgage Company.
William S. Gorin serves as our President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Gorin was appointed President in June 2008 and Chief Financial Officer in 2001. From 1997 until June 2008, he also served as our Executive Vice President. From 1998 to 2001, he served as our Executive Vice President and Secretary. From 1989 to 1997, he held various positions with PaineWebber Incorporated/Kidder, Peabody & Co. Incorporated, serving as a First Vice President in the Research Department. Prior to that position, Mr. Gorin was Senior Vice President in the Special Products Group. From 1982 to 1988, Mr. Gorin was employed by Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc./E.F. Hutton & Company, Inc. in various positions in corporate finance and direct investments. Mr. Gorin has a Masters of Business Administration degree from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Brandeis University.
Craig L. Knutson serves as MFA's Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, which position he has held since March 2008. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Knutson served as Senior Executive Vice President of CBA Commercial, LLC, an acquirer and securitizer of small balance commercial mortgages. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Knutson served as President and Chief Operating Officer of ARIASYS Inc., a software development company specializing in custom solutions for small to midsize business. From 1986 to 1999, Mr. Knutson held various progressive positions in the mortgage trading and mortgage finance departments of First Boston Corporation (later Credit Suisse), Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley. In these capacities, Mr. Knutson held management and trading responsibilities for agency and private label mortgage-backed securities as well as whole loans (unsecuritized mortgages). From 1981 to 1984, Mr. Knutson served as an Analyst and then Associate in the Investment Banking Department of E.F. Hutton & Company Inc. Mr. Knutson holds a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts degree (magna cum laude) in economics and French from Hamilton College.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer |
Current |
| Cba Commercial, LLC |
Senior Executive Vice President |
Former |
| Harvard University |
Masters of Business Administration |
Former |
| Hamilton College |
Bachelor of Arts Degree |
Former |
Ronald A. Freydberg serves as our Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Freydberg was appointed Chief Investment Officer in June 2008 and Executive Vice President in 2001. From 2001 until June 2008, he also served as our Chief Portfolio Officer. From 1997 to 2001, he served as our Senior Vice President. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Freydberg served as a Vice President of Pentalpha Capital, in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he was a fixed-income quantitative analysis and structuring specialist. From 1988 to 1995, Mr. Freydberg held various positions with J.P. Morgan & Co. From 1994 to 1995, he was with the Global Markets Group. In that position, he was involved in commercial mortgage-backed securitization and sale of distressed commercial real estate, including structuring, due diligence and marketing. From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Freydberg was employed by Citicorp. Mr. Freydberg holds a Masters of Business Administration degree in Finance from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Muhlenberg College.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer |
Current |
| Connecticut, Inc. |
Vice President |
Former |
| Pentalpha Capital LLC |
Vice President |
Former |
| Citigroup Inc. |
|
Former |
| Citicorp |
|
Former |
| The George Washington University |
Masters of Business Administration Degree In Finance |
Former |
| Muhlenberg College |
Bachelor of Arts Degree |
Former |
Teresa D. Covello serves as our Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer, which positions she was appointed to in 2003. From 2001 to 2003, Ms. Covello served as our Senior Vice President and Controller. From 2000 until joining us in 2001, Ms. Covello was a self-employed financial consultant, concentrating in investment banking within the financial services sector. From 1990 to 2000, she was the Director of Financial Reporting and served on the Strategic Planning Team for JSB Financial, Inc. Ms. Covello began her career in public accounting with KPMG Peat Marwick (predecessor to KPMG LLP). Ms. Covello currently serves as a director and president of the board of directors of Commerce Plaza, Inc., a not-for-profit organization. Ms. Covello is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Accounting from Hofstra University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer |
Current |
| KPMG International |
|
Former |
| Financial Reporting, Inc |
Director |
Former |
| Hofstra University |
Bachelor of Science Degree In Public Accounting |
Former |
Kathleen A. Hanrahan serves as Senior Vice President Accounting, which position she was appointed to in 2008. From 2007 up to joining the Company in 2008, Ms. Hanrahan was Vice President Financial Reporting with Arbor Commercial Mortgage LLC. From 1997 to 2006, she held progressive positions, was the First Vice President of Financial Reporting and served on the Disclosure, Corporate Benefits and Sarbanes-Oxley Committees for Independence Community Bank Corp., where her key responsibilities included: SEC and Bank regulator reporting, implementing accounting standards, merger and acquisition activities, establishing policies and procedures, and investor relations. From 1992-1997 Ms. Hanrahan held various positions with North Side Savings Bank and was Controller from 1996 to 1997. Ms. Hanrahan began her career in public accounting in 1987 with KPMG Peat Marwick (predecessor to KPMG LLP), participating in and supervising financial statement audits, compliance examinations, public debt and equity offerings. Ms. Hanrahan is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Public Accounting from Pace University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Senior Vice President |
Current |
| Financial Reporting, Inc |
First Vice President |
Former |
| Pace University |
Bachelor of Business Administration Degree In Public Accounting |
Former |
Timothy W. Korth II serves as our General Counsel, Senior Vice President – Business Development and Corporate Secretary, which positions he has held since July 2003. From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Korth was a Counsel at the law firm of Clifford Chance US LLP, where he specialized in corporate and securities transactions involving REITs and other real estate companies and, prior to such time, had practiced law with that firm and its predecessor, Rogers & Wells LLP, since 1992. Mr. Korth is admitted as an attorney in the State of New York and has a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
General Counsel, Senior Vice President Business Development and Corporate Secretary |
Current |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
General Counsel |
Former |
| University of Notre Dame |
Juris Doctor and A Bachelor of Business Administration In Finance |
Former |
Alan L. Gosule, 67, has served as a director of MFA since 2001. Mr. Gosule is a partner in the law firm of Clifford Chance US LLP (“Clifford Chance”) in New York, New York and has practiced law with such firm and its predecessor since 1991. From 2002 to August 2005, he served as the Regional Head of Clifford Chance’s Real Estate Department for the Americas and, prior to 2002, was the Regional Head of such firm’s Tax, Pension and Employment Department for the Americas. Prior to 1991, Mr. Gosule practiced law with the firm of Gaston & Snow, where he was a member of such firm’s Management Committee and the Chairman of the Tax Department. Mr. Gosule also serves as a member of the board of directors of Home Properties, Inc. and F.L. Putnam Investment Management Company.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Partner, Clifford Chance US Llp |
Current |
| Simpson Housing Limited Partnership |
General Partner |
Current |
| Home Properties Inc. |
Partner, Clifford Chance US Llp |
Current |
| F.L.Putnam Investment Management Company |
Trustee |
Current |
| Ursuline Academy |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Miller Middle School |
Director |
Current |
| Boston Area Apartments |
Director |
Current |
| F.L.Putnam Investment Management Company |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Home Properties Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Paloma |
Member, Board of Advisors |
Current |
| Clifford Chance Llp |
|
Former |
| Tax Department |
Chairman |
Former |
| Georgetown University |
Llm In Taxation |
Former |
| Boston University |
Graduate |
Former |
| Boston University School of Law |
Degree |
Former |
James A. Brodsky, 62, has served as a director of MFA since 2004. Mr. Brodsky is a partner in, and a founding member of, the law firm of Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider PC in Washington, D.C. and has practiced law with that firm and its predecessor since 1977. Mr. Brodsky provides legal advice and business counsel to publicly traded and privately held national and regional single-family residential mortgage lenders on secondary mortgage market transactions (including those involving Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and investment banks), mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases and sales, mortgage compliance issues, and strategic business initiatives. Prior to 1977, Mr. Brodsky was a Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also serves as general counsel of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association and is Co Founder and Chairman of the Open Door Housing Fund (a revolving fund resource for the preservation and re development of affordable housing in the Washington, D.C. area).
Mr. Blank is a Senior Fellow, Finance, with the Urban Land Institute, and an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. From 1993 to 1998, he was the Managing Director for Real Estate Investment Banking with CIBC Oppenheimer Corp. He is an independent trustee of Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust and Atlantic Realty Trust, and serves on the boards of directors of WestCoast Hospitality Corporation and MFA Mortgage Investments, Inc. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of Paloma, LLC, the general partner of Simpson Housing Limited Partnership. Mr. Blank serves as the chair of the audit committees for both Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust and MFA Mortgage Investments, Inc. He has over 20 years experience as a senior real estate investment banking officer advising and evaluating a wide array of real estate companies, including publicly reporting companies.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust |
Trustee |
Current |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Chairman |
Current |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Urban Land Institute |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Paloma |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| BNP Residential Properties Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| Home Properties Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Simpson Housing Limited Partnership |
General Partner |
Former |
| CIBC Oppenheimer |
Director |
Former |
| Adelphi University |
MBA |
Former |
| Syracuse University |
|
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Commonweal Conservancy |
Chairman of The Board of Directors |
Current |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Pioneer Natural Resources Company |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Commonweal Conservancy |
Chairman & Vice President |
Former |
| Dean Witter Reynolds |
Managing Director |
Former |
| Tulane University |
Bachelor of Science Degree In Civil Engineering |
Former |
George Krauss, has served as a director of infoUSA since 2007, Mr. Krauss has been a consultant to The Burlington Capital Group LLC (formerly known as America First Companies, L.L.C.) ("Burlington") since 1997., From 1972 to 1997, Mr. Krauss practiced law with Kutak Rock LLP in Omaha, Nebraska, and serving as the firm's managing partner from 1983 to 1993, and continues to be Of Counsel to such firm. Mr. Krauss has extensive experience in corporate, mergers and acquisition and regulatory matters. In addition to his legal education, Mr. Krauss has a Masters of Business Administration and is a registered professional Engineer. Mr. Krauss currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of MFA Mortgage Investments, Inc., which is listed on the NYSE and as a member of the Board of Managers of Burlington, which is the general partner of America First Tax Exempt Investors LP, which is listed on the NASDAQ.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| America First Tax Exempt Investors LP |
General Partner |
Current |
| L.P. Ataxz |
Manager |
Current |
| The Burlington |
Consultant |
Current |
| NYSE Group, Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| Emarketing & Commerce |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Triplex Direct Marketing Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Gateway, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Vin Gupta |
Director |
Current |
| American Business Travels |
Director |
Current |
| Salesforcewatch |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| The Burlington Capital Group LLC |
Director |
Current |
| America First Apartment Investors, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| MFA Mortgage Investments Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Kutak Rock Llp |
Presiding Partner |
Former |
| The Burlington Capital Group LLC |
Consultant |
Former |
| Kutak Rock Llp |
Of Counsel |
Former |
| James Batmasian |
|
Former |
| University of Nebraska |
Jd |
Former |
| University of Nebraska |
MBA |
Former |
| University of Nebraska |
BS |
Former |
Michael L. Dahir, 59, has served as a director of MFA since 1998. Since 1988, Mr. Dahir has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Omaha State Bank in Omaha, Nebraska. From 1974 to 1988, Mr. Dahir held various positions with Omaha National Bank, including Senior Vice President and head of the Commercial Banking Services division, and was also Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the bank's parent company, FirsTier Holding Company. Mr. Dahir is a non-practicing certified public accountant. Mr. Dahir is Chairman of the Jesuit Partnership Council of Omaha, serves on the board and executive committee of Catholic Charities and is a member of the board of directors of Legatus International.
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