David H. Stevens, CMB, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), has announced that he has promoted William Kooper to be vice president of State Government Affairs and Industry Relations. Kooper, who has served in several different public policy and member relations roles during his 15 year career at MBA, will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of MBA’s state government affairs program and will serve as the principal staff representative to the State Relations Initiative, MBA’s strategic program of alignment in advocacy, communications and business development with the more than 40 mortgage banking trade associations around the country.
“William has played a critical role rebuilding and transforming MBA’s state relations function into a robust organization that not just coordinates and lobbies on state and local legislative and regulatory issues, but identifies and fosters business partnerships that strengthen companies, state organizations, the MBA and the industry as a whole,” said Stevens. “William has worked hard to develop relationships across the country that will allow him to further strengthen and grow MBA’s relationships with state and local organizations.”
Kooper joined MBA in January 2001 as director of Government Affairs, and has had a variety of roles assisting MBA members. Before leading the state program, he was associate VP of Legislative and Political Affairs where he directed MBA's nationwide grassroots advocacy program, the Mortgage Action Alliance Inc. (MAA) and the planning and execution of MBA's National Advocacy Conference. He also served as staff to MBA's political action committee, MORPAC.
Prior to joining MBA, Kooper was appointed by President Bill Clinton as Special Assistant and Briefing Coordinator to U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo. At HUD, Kooper prepared the Secretary's daily event briefings, wrote the Secretary's weekly report to the President and also made contributions to Presidential and Vice Presidential briefing documents.
