John Bell III, a long-time lending executive in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has passed away. Bell served his country in the U.S. Navy during Operation Restore Hope and the Gulf War.
Bell’s death was noted in a social media post by Rick Bettencourt, president of Veterans Mortgage Brokers in Danvers, Massachusetts and past president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB).
“John helped me in so many ways, it's beyond comprehension, and a lot of his mentoring, guidance, knowledge, and support of my mission helped make me the VA expert I am today,” said Bettencourt in his post.
Bell joined the VA in September 2010 as realty specialist, and most recently served the VA as deputy executive director of the Office of Mission Support (OMS). In this role, he served as the principal advisor to the executive director of OMS and as liaison to key officials within the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
Over the course of his time with the VA, Bell’s top priorities were to support the VA’s central office and 56 regional offices serving veterans across the nation in six major areas: Acquisition, Administration, Facilities, Information Access and Privacy, Operations, Safety, Security and Preparedness, and the Executive Management Office staff.
Prior to joining OMS, Bell served as executive director for Loan Guaranty Service where he was responsible for delivering VA home loan benefits to his fellow veterans.
In his previous role as deputy director of LGY, Bell was instrumental in VA Loan Guaranty Service’s fast response during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that home loan benefits continued to be delivered to veterans without delay.
As assistant director, loan policy and valuation, Bell initiated Loan Guaranty’s transformation to better align with the fast-paced mortgage industry. He worked on improving customer experience by automating Certificate of Eligibility (COE) functionality and implementing a nationwide phone system with subject matter experts answering calls in less than 60 seconds, continuously advocating for that nation’s veteran population.
As the chief of staff for the Office of Economic Opportunity, Bell spearheaded a redesign of the Office’s organizational structure, providing data to improve decision-making, and created a task force to establish business intelligence capabilities within the Veterans Benefits Administration.
Bell leveraged his industry experience to reduce loan closing timeframes for VA-guaranteed loans and implement modernization of systems. Under Bell’s tenure the program excelled, increasing VA’s market share from 1% to 12%.
In a Facebook post, trade association NAMB honored the memory and work of Bell and how his legacy will live on for years to come.
“John was a steadfast advocate for veterans and a trusted voice in our community for many years. His contributions to NAMB were immeasurable — he consistently shared his expertise at our legislative conferences, generously gave his time to answer our members' questions, and remained unwavering in his commitment to serving our nation's veterans through VA home lending.”
The post continued: “As Executive Director of Loan Guaranty Service, John demonstrated what true leadership looks like: a dedication to service, a passion for excellence, and an unshakeable commitment to the men and women who have served our country. His accomplishments in streamlining VA lending processes and reducing wait times for veterans have positively impacted countless borrowers and their families.”
Prior to joining the VA, Bell spent nearly eight years with Bank of America, serving as regional vice president before being promoted to vice president of real estate management
Bell began his career in mortgage finance while attending Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee, and has spent time with companies including, PMC, Transamerica, Aames Home Loan, and Homegold, among others.
