Contact Information: Contacts: Sarabeth Patch spatch@qorvis.com 202.683.3111 Deborah Watts dwatts@995hope.org 612.230.4023
Foreclosure Prevention Hotline Honors 'Unsung Heroes'
The Homeownership Preservation Foundation Recognizes Individuals Providing Outstanding Service to Struggling Homeowners
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - March 2, 2009) - The Homeownership Preservation Foundation
(HPF) awarded sixteen men and women for their outstanding services to and
on behalf of the Homeowner's HOPE™ Hotline (888-995-HOPE™), as part
of HPF's 2009 'Unsung Heroes' awards program on February 24, 2009.
"These men and women are exemplary of the highest levels of quality and
concern in supporting homeowners in navigating the foreclosure crisis,
including those who call 888 995 HOPE, the Homeowner's HOPE Hotline,"
stated Colleen Hernandez, President and Executive Director of the
Homeownership Preservation Foundation. "I am proud to help recognize every
one of these unsung heroes who have consistently gone above and beyond to
serve thousands of struggling homeowners each day."
The Homeowner's HOPE™ Hotline, created and managed by the Homeownership
Preservation Foundation, is a national 24/7 hotline offering free,
bilingual, personalized housing counseling to homeowners.
"On behalf of HPF, our 9 network partner agencies, and the over 1.2 million
homeowners served by the Hotline, I thank each HPF Unsung Hero for their
dedication and fervent commitment to serving everyone who contacts the
Homeowner's HOPE Hotline," continued Hernandez. "I am proud to continue to
work alongside each of these individuals and their organizations, who I
know will continue to provide vital support to the Hotline."
2009 Recipients of HPF's Unsung Heroes Awards:
Kathy Conley, Housing Counselor, GreenPath. Kathy is recognized for
providing excellent customer service to homeowners calling the Homeowner's
HOPE™ Hotline and for her constant willingness to seek out the best
information for her clients, whether that means contacting their lender or
doing research on her own.
Chip Fichot, Senior Information Technology Manager, Novadebt. Chip is
recognized for his loyalty, innovation, and invaluable commitment to
preserving and expanding homeownership by keeping the information flowing
from homeowners to a path of hope.
Albert Anderson, Housing Programs Counselor, Consumer Credit Counseling
Service of San Francisco. Albert is recognized for his vital participation
in numerous high level media events and presentations, as well as for his
commitment to handling high profile cases with the utmost responsiveness,
professionalism and privacy.
Tom Sachs, Certified Credit Counselor, Auriton Solutions. Tom is recognized
for his practiced ability to offer realistic, step by step help to
struggling homeowners, giving every caller both the hope and the help they
truly deserve. In addition, Tom is recognized for the extraordinary amount
of positive feedback he has received from his clients.
Marilyn Thomson, Counselor II, Money Management International. Marilyn is
recognized for always going the extra mile to serve both the English and
Spanish speaking communities calling the Hotline and for providing
excellent budget education to every caller; enabling callers to avoid
trouble in the future.
Susan Smith, Director of Training & Financial Education, Consumer Credit
Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, Inc. Susan is recognized for her
vital role in the development and implementation of many of CCCS, Dallas
processes, and for consistently keeping the focus on quality counseling and
the client experience.
Harold Thomas, Assistant Financial Counseling Manager, Springboard. Harold
is recognized for his instrumental role in building the Springboard Hotline
counseling department from the ground up -- from 13 to 100 counselors in
less than 18 months.
Sandy Spernak, Housing Counselor, ByDesign Financial Solutions. Sandy is
recognized for always going the extra mile for both the organization and
the clients she serves and for constantly performing quality counseling.
Judy MacKenzie, Vice President of Housing, Consumer Credit Counseling
Service of Greater Atlanta (formerly CCCS - Central Florida). Judy is
recognized for her commitment to providing quality housing counseling.
Brian Oliver, Manager of Homeowner's HOPE Hotline team, Consumer Credit
Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta. Brian is recognized for his
outstanding oversight of a team of both Spanish and English speaking
housing counselors and for his strong work ethic and focus on client
service -- serving as a role model for his team.
Bill Longbrake, former Senior Policy Advisor to the Financial Services
Roundtable and current Policy Advisor to the Obama Transition Team. Bill is
recognized for his patience, dedication and insight in helping the industry
to understand the importance of loan modifications and, in particular, his
leadership in the collection and interpretation of company data and best
practices concerning loan modifications.
Katie Wechsler, Executive Director, HOPE, Government Affairs Manager of the
Housing Policy Council. Katie is recognized for her vital role in obtaining
industry support to sustain the important role and viability of the
Homeowner's HOPE™ Hotline in helping those facing foreclosure.
Shelia Green, Director, Fannie Mae National Servicing Organization. Shelia
is recognized for her unwavering commitment to help bridge relationships
between servicers and nonprofit counseling organizations to keep families
in their homes.
Jeanne Fekade-Sellassie, Director of the National Foreclosure Mitigation
Counseling Program, NeighborWorks America. Jeanne is recognized for her
outstanding work ethic, remarkable attention to detail and overall
commitment to the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program (NFMC)
program and NeighborWorks.
Eric Selk, Project Manager, HOPE NOW Alliance. Eric is recognized for his
hard work and dedication to the Alliance and the homeowners it serves.
Regina Kale, Senior Administrative Assistant, Wells Fargo. Regina is
recognized for her professionalism, tireless good humor, wisdom and good
judgment in providing incredible support, days, nights, weekends and
holidays for the important work of the organization and its leadership in
providing options and solutions to homeowners in need.
About the Homeownership Preservation Foundation
Founded in 2004, the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF) is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reducing foreclosures and preserving
homeownership for American homeowners. HPF partners with city, county and
state governments; federal government agencies; community-based nonprofit
organizations; and mortgage companies to offer creative solutions to
preserve homeownership. HPF's cornerstone service is the Homeowner's
HOPE™ Hotline, a foreclosure prevention counseling service available
free in English and Spanish to homeowners by calling 888-995-HOPE™. The
Homeowner's HOPE™ Hotline received 1.2 million calls in 2008 and
continues to assist in this ever-growing crisis. For more information about
the Homeownership Preservation Foundation or the Homeowner's HOPE™
Hotline, visit www.995hope.org.