New American Funding Names Frank Fuentes National VP of Multicultural Lending

New American Funding has announced the appointment of Frank Fuentes as national vice president of Multicultural Lending. Fuentes will help lead the company’s Latino Focus Committee, to help improve lending experiences for Hispanic consumers, and will work on a national level to expand the company’s footprint and multi-cultural initiatives, while increasing homeownership in diverse markets.

“My goal is to make an impact on our industry, specifically within the Hispanic sector. Much like the president of New American Funding, Patty Arvielo, we share a similar story–the story of first generation Mexican-Americans starting at the bottom and rising to the top by virtue of hard work, discipline and passion,” said Fuentes. “I’m very excited to share our stories with every Hispanic in the mortgage industry across America.”

Fuentes will work alongside Patty Arvielo to push out initiatives through grassroots events, strategic partnerships and social media. He will also represent New American Funding on panels with organizations like The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

“We’re making great progress in elevating Hispanic communities through homeownership, and Frank’s contributions are immeasurable–this is how we mirror and serve an increasingly diverse America,” said Arvielo. “This is what sets New American Funding apart. We’re very proud of Frank, he’s an invaluable member our family-team.”

Fuentes was the company’s first Spanish-speaking loan officer. Over the course of his 16-year career, he worked to make homeownership attainable for 3,000 families, 95 percent of them Latino. In 2013, he was promoted to vice president of Multicultural Lending, and in his new position he will continue to build on those efforts on a national level.