Wells Fargo leads NAHREP’s Inaugural Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators List

 Inaugural Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators Report Sponsored by Radian Guaranty Recognizes Top Producing Hispanics in the Mortgage Industry

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals  (NAHREP) has released its 2015 report on the Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators in the United States. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage led the way with the most agents on the list, with independent lenders New American Funding and Alterra Home Loans finishing second and third, respectively. NAHREP reports that it received more than 800 nominations from 42 different companies.

“These agents and Latino mortgage originators are highly dedicated to their trade and know first-hand the significance that homeownership holds for the Latino community,” said Teresa Palacios Smith, NAHREP’s 2015 president. “We are proud to recognize these hardworking individuals for their success and devotion to their profession.”

The Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators reports include snapshots of interesting data points as well as photos and personal stories of this year’s honorees. The report, which is sponsored by Radian Guaranty, is available at www.nahrep.org/top250/originator.

“Radian recognizes the growing importance of the diverse populations for our country’s housing and economic recovery, and is thrilled to partner with NAHREP in making sure that mortgage professionals are not only aware of the needs of these populations but are ready to support them,” said Teresa Bryce Bazemore, president of Radian Guaranty. “Radian is proud to recognize some of the best mortgage originators in the industry today and advance the goal of sustainable homeownership.”

The listing of the Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators in America is compiled through a self-nomination process reflective of total transactions closed during the 2014 calendar year, which are verified by NAHREP and the senior management of the loan originator’s employer. Membership in NAHREP is not a requirement. This year's Top 10 Latino Mortgage Originators in the U.S. are:

1. Manuel Corral, GEM Mortgage, Pomona, CA


2. Edward A. Hernandez, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Highland Village, TX


3. Benjamin Herrera, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Des Moines, IA


4. Donald Ambrose King, IV, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Des Moines, IA


5. Alexander Varela, PrimeLending, Bedford, TX


6. Miguel Dominguez, PrimeLending, Sterling Heights, MI


7. Carlos Augusto Gutierrez-Villalba, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Tempe, AZ


8. Sergio Corona, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Des Moines, IA


9. Natalie Navarro, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Tempe, AZ


10. Jorge Montoya, Guild Mortgage, Reno, NV

NAHREP’s Top 250 Latino Real Estate Agents will be announced on June 16, 2015. Both the Top 250 Mortgage Originators and Top 250 Agents will be recognized at the NAHREP 2015 National Convention & Latin Music Festival at the Chicago Hilton Downtown, September 20-22, 2015.

About NAHREP
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a nonprofit 501(c) 6 trade association, is dedicated to advancing sustainable homeownership among Latinos by educating and empowering the real estate professionals who serve them. NAHREP is the premier trade organization for Hispanics and has more than 20,000 members in 48 states and 35 affiliate chapters.  Visit www.nahrep.org.

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High School Exchange Students Reach Record Numbers in 2015

International Experience - USA (iE-USA), a high school student exchange organization, announced that they plan to welcome a record number of students to U.S. communities in the fall of 2015, mirroring a national trend. According to CSIET (Council on Standards for International Education Travel), 200,000+ exchange students are expected in 2015.

As the leading English-speaking host country of foreign exchange students, our nation as a whole has seen an increase in high school exchange participants of about 13% in the past decade (CSIET 2013; 2014). This upward trend is expected to continue as a growing number of international students seek both English fluency and cultural competency to prepare for the increasingly global marketplace.

When U.S. communities engage with a growing number of international students, local schools and families benefit from the cultural interactions they inherently provide.

"Every year our state plays host to many talented, top-of-their-class students with the lifelong dream of studying in America," says Emily Rolin, iE-USA's Regional Director, “and our communities reap the rewards.” Rolin, who boasts 10 years of work in student exchange, says that each student who visits her community brings with them a unique perspective. “We have the opportunity to see through their eyes: to explore another culture not through travel, but through relationships.”

Though many high schools once viewed exchange participants as “extra” students requiring the attention of teachers and staff, the popular opinion among administrators is shifting to favorexchange student enrollment as a natural way to integrate differing worldviews into the classroom. The U.S. Department of Education has stressed the importance of building the global competencies of U.S. students to make them internationally competitive, and many believe that welcoming exchange students into the high school setting can help toward that end.

“As a principal, I truly appreciate the opportunity to host foreign exchange students on a yearly basis,” says Principal Kevin O’Neill of Vicksburg, Michigan.  “The infusion of a variety of cultures into our high school has been an invaluable experience for our students.”

Families who host an exchange student often benefit on a more personal level, forming family ties that last far beyond the boundaries of the exchange. Hosting an international student offers these local families a realistic way to explore a new culture right at home. “My wife and I wanted to travel the world, but we both worked full time, so we brought the world to us!” remembers Dave Long, a retired Vietnam veteran who has been hosting exchange students since 1982.

“Our family has been blessed in so many ways by student exchange,” says Sara Lee, whose family has hosted 3 iE-USA students in the past 5 years. “We consider our students to be a part of our extended ‘international’ family!” The Lees recently returned from Colombia, where they visited their previous exchange students’ families and toured the local countryside.

iE-USA’s exchange student participants are between the ages of 15-18 and come from many countries including Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Thailand, Montenegro, and Argentina. Each student undergoes an extensive application process and is responsible for his/her own spending money and health insurance coverage. A list of current students can be found online athttp://usa.international-experience.net/.

Host families (traditional families, singles, empty nesters, etc.) provide a supportive home base for their student for a semester or full academic year. Visiting students participate as active members of the family, integrating into their daily routines and traditions just like any other family member.

iE-USA is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting education and understanding through intercultural and academic exchange. iE-USA is certified by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) and strictly adheres to all U.S. Department of State Student Exchange Program regulations and guidelines.

To learn more about how you can experience and support cultural exchange in your own home, contact iE-USA representative, Dawn Green at d.green@international-experience.net, (208) 447-8118.​​

Marci Nakano Named New Executive Director of Executive Development Institute

[caption id="attachment_9812" align="alignright" width="214"] Marci Nakano Executive Director of Executive Development Institute[/caption]

Bellevue-based Executive Development Institute (EDI) has announced that its Board of Directors appointed Marci Nakano as EDI's Executive Director. EDI is the only Pacific Northwest non-profit organization that focuses on leadership training for multiethnic professionals. Nakano will transition to Executive Director on March 1, 2015. EDI's current Executive Director, Alan Sugiyama, is retiring on February 28, 2015 for health reasons and will remain connected to EDI as Executive Director Emeritus. In this new role, he will mentor and transition Nakano to her new role and continue to represent EDI in the community.

[caption id="attachment_9813" align="alignleft" width="200"] Al Sugiyama Retiring Executive Director of Executive Development Institute[/caption]

"I am appreciative to the Board and Al for their trust, confidence and support as I take on this new role. As an EDI alumna, I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead an organization that has influenced my own leadership journey and look forward to continuing to strengthen and grow EDI’s programs,” said Nakano.

Nakano is currently the Director of Programs and Events for EDI and has been with the organization for nine years. She is a graduate of EDI’s 2005 Leadership Discovery program. Prior to EDI, Nakano was a Manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP, responsible for financial statement and internal control audits for manufacturing, construction and utility companies.

“The EDI Board of Directors is pleased that Marci has accepted the Executive Director position. She has the ability, knowledge, experience and most of all the passion to lead EDI. It is special to us that we are able to promote an alumna of our Leadership Discovery Program. We are also pleased that Al has accepted the Executive Director Emeritus position. He has made significant contributions to our organization and we wish him only the best as he continues to focus on his health,” said Mae Numata, co-chair EDI Board of Directors and Class of 1994.

EDI collaborates with over 50 Pacific Northwest corporations to provide business relevant, culturally tailored leadership training for Asian Pacific Islander and Hispanic participants. The leadership institute has built a community of over 800 alumni and is currently recruiting for its 2015 programs. Visit www.ediorg.org for more information