MBA Honors Cathy Pharis with 2016 CREF Distinguished Service Award

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has awarded Cathy Pharis, managing director and head of the FHA Platform for Wells Fargo Multifamily Captial (WFMC), Wells Fargo Bank, with the 2016 Commercial Real Estate Finance (CREF) Distinguished Service Award.

“Cathy was instrumental in redesigning the MBA Multifamily Steering Committee to incorporate MBA members from all multifamily capital sources,” said Rodrigo Lopez, CMB, MBA chairman-elect and executive chairman of NorthMarq Capital Finance LLC. “Cathy chaired MBA’s FHA Task Force in 2011-2012, where she was key in shaping MBA’s recommendations to FHA, virtually all of which were accepted to enhance efficiencies and for more training.”

Nominees for the CREF Distinguished Service Award must be associated with an MBA member firm, have a record of sustained and extraordinary service to MBA and the commercial/multifamily real estate finance industry, and possess a strong reputation of ethical and professional conduct. This award is the highest honor an individual can receive from his or her fellow MBA members.

Pharis is the head of the FHA Platform for WFMC, where she is responsible for overseeing the origination and underwriting of all projects financed by WFMC using HUD’s mortgage insurance programs. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2009, Pharis was with Deutsche Bank Berkshire Mortgage Inc. (including predecessor companies) for more than 25 years. She has extensive experience in unique financing structures, including mixed financing, IRP decouplings, LIHTC, and bond transactions. Pharis has been a member of MBA for nearly 25 years, currently serves on MBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and has served MBA and the industry through advocacy on Capitol Hill and before regulators on commercial/multifamily issues.