FirstFunding founder and Vice Chairman Jim Dunkerley will retire Aug. 3 after 23 years with the warehouse lender, the company announced Thursday.
Dunkerley founded FirstFunding in 2003 after identifying what the company described as an underserved need for reliable warehouse financing for residential mortgage lenders. FirstFunding provides warehouse funding to correspondent lenders, wholesale lenders, and secondary market investors.
“Jim has always been a champion of innovation, who recognized opportunities to solve complex industry challenges,” said Todd McGowan, president of First American Title Insurance Company’s Lender Division.
McGowan credited Dunkerley with developing FlexClose, pioneering tools designed to combat wire fraud, and helping establish FirstFunding as a leading non-delegated warehouse lender.
“His leadership consistently made lending safer, more efficient, and more reliable for our customers,” McGowan said.
Dunkerley began his career in banking at a Texas savings and loan, where he gained experience in financial services and real estate. He later served as chief financial officer and partner of a residential homebuilding company before becoming an owner of a residential mortgage company.
He subsequently moved into commercial lending, drawing on his experience in banking, homebuilding, mortgage origination, and commercial finance to establish FirstFunding.
Dunkerley led the company through its acquisition by First American Financial Corp. in 2018 and remained with FirstFunding following the transaction. The company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of First American.
“Jim’s greatest legacy at FirstFunding may be the number of people he taught, challenged, and prepared to become better professionals,” FirstFunding President Nate Clear said. “He created students of the business, people who learned to examine the details, measure the trends, anticipate the future, and make decisions grounded in integrity.”
Clear said he was grateful for Dunkerley’s “mentorship, leadership, and friendship” as he helps carry the business forward.
FirstFunding has not announced any additional leadership changes in connection with Dunkerley’s retirement.
