This is an interesting time for the mortgage industry, and even more interesting for the growing number of women who are integral to the success of companies operating across the spectrum of mortgage services. That’s why the leadership of the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women (NAPMW) has been working diligently on making NAPMW a haven, a school and a network promoting women in the workforce.
There are, after all, numerous other trade associations that serve the mortgage world. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), as well as NAMB–The Association of Mortgage Professionals, effectively cover the mortgage banking and brokerage functions. Heck, there’s even an association for mortgage processors, and now not just one, but two, associations for residential mortgage compliance officers.
But for all that, there’s only one organization that focuses exclusively on the needs of women in this profession … and that’s NAPMW.
Over the past year, NAPMW has been re-doubling its efforts to focus on initiatives important to women in the mortgage world, and we’re delighted to report that those efforts are paying off. For example:
►Membership: Our membership levels nationally are at the highest they’ve been in the last 36 months.
►We’ve revitalized our national conference: This past spring, the NAMPW Annual boasted a wide array of educational sessions, and an amazing lineup of inspiring women. It also scored nearly twice the attendance of the prior year’s conference, and was a major contributor to NAPMW’s income.
►We’ve stabilized NAPMW’s financial base: Coming out of the Great Recession, many mortgage associations found a different financial future facing them. NAPMW was no different. But we’ve put in place new initiatives and professional management that has allowed us to report strong net income this year, adding to our fiscal foundation.
A grand plan
We’ve worked hard to make our association more inclusive, and more able to take advantage of connective technologies. Although we’re proud of the many NAPMW’s local associations scattered across the country, we know our future must be one that brings together all women–and all men who support them–in the mortgage industry.
That’s why we’ve updated our bylaws to allow all members a vote on all matters of the association, whether they are individual members of the national association or connected to the organization through one of our local groups. We’ve also changed our rules to allow each member to vote electronically, rather than have to be in person at our national conference. That change also adds flexibility for the association to be responsive faster to the needs of our members.
But we also know we cannot stray from our traditional custom, where education and learning are prominent. That’s why we’ve entered into new partnerships with organizations such as Mortgage Educators and Compliance, to offer continuing education and workshops all across the country to our members. And we’ve worked closely with the highly-respected law firm Offit Kurman to create a members-only complimentary quarterly compliance Webinar series.
NAPMW: Where women come to be their best
Now in our 53rd year, NAPMW has always been centered on providing a place where women’s voices are heard. Because of that, we’ve been fortunate that our membership is loyal and discerning. As women make inroads into their careers, they look to NAPMW as a source of support, and they contribute back to other members through networking and mentoring.
Which, of course, begs the question: What does an NAPMW member look like? In short, she looks like success. Here are just a few attributes, according to our research:
NAPMW members are key decision drivers
Nearly 58 percent of NAPMW members are drivers of buying decisions at their organizations, either as the sole decision-maker, influencing the buying decision, or as someone who is critical in recommending buying decisions.
NAPMW members are heavily involved in producing bottom line results
NAPMW members have extensive career backgrounds, and many are leaders at the nation’s largest mortgage providers
NAPMW members are accomplished, seasoned executives at influential companies, and have successful, long-term career tracks. Most NAPMW members (61 percent) work at companies with 100 or more employees, with 55 percent in companies of more than 150 employees. Nearly 70 percent of NAPMW members have spent 16 years or more in the mortgage profession. About 53 percent are between 35- and 54-years-old–a prime career demographic—with another 30 percent between 55- and 65-years-old.
NAPMW members are often well-paid for their skills
As would be expected from a membership that is often among the most highly-sought after employees, NAPMW members overwhelmingly report significant income. Nearly 69 percent of NAPMW members report income in excess of $100,000 a year, with 22 percent confirming income in excess of $200,000 annually.
For all of that, of course, an association is really little more than the collective talents of its members, the personification of their interests and skills. That’s why continuing to grow our membership remains our number one mission. And that’s why all professional mortgage women should be members of NAPMW. We’re not just one of the guys–we have unique needs and issues that face us, and we need a unique organization that works on our behalf. So please, visit NAPMW.org today and join us.
Kelly Hendricks is president of the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women (NAPMW) and is vice president at St. Louis-based Delmar Financial. She may be reached by phone at (314) 398-6840 or e-mail [email protected].
This article originally appeared in the August 2016 print edition of National Mortgage Professional Magazine.
