Brendan began his career in the mortgage industry in 2005 at American Brokers Conduit. He occupied multiple operational roles including Secondary, Closing, Underwriting, and Inside Sales support.

In 2011, while working Operations at Sierra Pacific Mortgage (SPM), Brendan got licensed and began originating between phone calls while working full-time as Broker Relationship Manager. In 2014 he opened his own branch of SPM. 

In 2017, Brendan co-founded McKay Mortgage with his mother, Tina McKay. McKay Mortgage is an independently owned mortgage brokerage that focuses deeply on operations, efficiency, automation,, and communication. McKay Mortgage has embraced changes in technology to streamline and improve the mortgage financing experience while still recognizing the importance of connecting with the client on a personal level. 

Since 2019, Brendan has funded $500M in Volume and has been ranked in the Top 50 of Mortgage Brokers Nationwide since 2020.

In 2021, Brendan became the President of Advocacy for the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), a non-profit trade association that supports independent mortgage brokers nationwide. In this position, Brendan meets regularly with members of Congress to advocate for mortgage brokers and homebuyers across the country. He has spearheaded a number of advocacy successes through this role, including the launch of the largest PAC that has ever existed for mortgage brokers, the passing of HB 809 in Maryland in support of disabled Veterans, and aided in granting Brokers access to the Hometown Heroes program for frontline workers in Florida. Brendan has been a proud and active member of AIME since its inception, even before joining its Leadership Team. Brendan’s role at AIME is pivotal to the future of the community’s growth and amplifies the needs of wholesale mortgage professionals to policymakers on Capitol Hill.

Brendan resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his family. He is a father to George and Helen and a loving husband to Jennifer McKay. He is on the Board of the Bethesda Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Association, and the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board, and is also a member of VettedVA, an organization that serves active duty and former military homebuyers. He is a lifelong Washington Wizards fan.

Chris Vinson is the mastermind behind the Mortgage Division at Windsor Mortgage. From
humble beginnings in 2001 to coaching mortgage professionals across the country, Chris has an
undeniable passion to help others succeed. With two decades of experience, Chris has
developed a team that produces over 5.6 billion in originations a year, focusing on customer
experience and state-of-the-art technology.

Having a vision, drive, and passion for growing the mortgage industry, Chris, along with his
mortgage team, has surpassed 25% regional market share and been voted the Sioux Falls Local
Best Mortgage Company for 10 years running.

Sharing his success, Chris inspires and coaches his own team of Mortgage Bankers along with
CEO’s and Loan Originators across the U.S. to ensure his team, along with the clients and
community banks they serve have the tools needed to succeed.

Chris lives by this quote: “Success isn’t about what you accomplish in your life, it’s about what
you inspire others to do.” – Unknown

“From Single Mom to Inspiring Entrepreneur: My Journey in a Nutshell”

My journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, filled with hard work and determination. As
a single mom raising two kids, I was in search of that delicate balance between family, work,
and my own sanity. Little did I know, this path would lead me to a world of endless possibilities.
My dream of owning a business was the driving force behind my relentless pursuit of success.
With my first significant career break, I discovered the invaluable importance of superior service
in any venture. Over the past 26 years, I’ve immersed myself in the art of business
management, continually evolving as a professional and entrepreneur.

In this time, I’ve had the privilege of guiding thousands of home buyers, educating numerous
loan officers, and coaching countless business clients. My passion for life, love for family, and
dedication to career growth have made me a respected leader and motivator in the business
world. I’m honored to be recognized as one of the most sought-after experts in my industry.
In 2005, I took the leap and founded CMS Mortgage Solutions, Inc., where I continue to steer
home buyers toward their dreams, while also nurturing and coaching my team and business
clients. In 2009, I embarked on another exciting venture with CMS Consultants, Inc., where my
mission is to empower clients by equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and support they
need to reach their career aspirations.

A sought-after keynote speaker, Vermillion has helped a million mortgage professionals achieve their definition of success. Before he became the internationally recognized powerhouse he is today, Vermillion was at the helm of the mortgage firm Sears Consumer Finance back in 1992. Vermillion searched for an industry-specific sales training program, which was nonexistent at that time. 

With decades of sales and coaching experience behind him, Vermillion left the corporate arena and built his own consulting, training and speaking business: Vermillion Consulting. The key to his success is the drive to help mortgage lenders and professionals understand a system to improve profitability, productivity and efficiencies, paired with a powerful and ethical approach to sales, customer service and leadership. 

Since 1995, Vermillion has spoken at over 3,000 conferences and events across the US and is the official trainer for LendingTree University. Through his award-winning Mortgage Champions sales program, he’s trained more than a million mortgage professionals representing over 450 lenders. He is also the author of Navigating the Mortgage Maze (2009), an in-depth guide on how to obtain the best mortgage financing. 

Vermillion’s 10-year plan is simple: continue impacting companies and consumers on a large scale, while doing keynote speeches and national media spots, and coaching key executives. 

Douglas G. Duncan is responsible for forecasts and analyses of the economy and the housing and mortgage markets. Duncan also oversees strategic research regarding the potential impact of external factors on the housing industry. Under his leadership, Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research
Group (ESR) earned the 2022 Lawrence R. Klein Award for Blue Chip Forecast Accuracy recognizing their industry-leading work over a four-year period.

In both 2015 and 2016, Duncan and the ESR Group won the NABE Outlook Award, presented annually for the most accurate GDP and Treasury note yield forecasts, becoming the first recipient in the award’s history to capture the honor two years in a row.

Named one of Bloomberg/BusinessWeek’s 50 Most Powerful People in Real Estate and Inman News’ 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate, Duncan is Fannie Mae’s source for information and analyses on
demographics and the external business and economic environment; the implications of changes in economic activity on the company’s strategy and execution; and for forecasting overall housing, economic, and mortgage market activity.

Prior to joining Fannie Mae, Duncan was Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association. His experience also includes work on the Financial Institutions Project at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and service as a LEGIS Fellow and staff member with the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs for Congressman Bill McCollum in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Previously, Duncan was a Board member of the National Association of Business Economics and a Board member and Chairman of Strategies to Elevate People (STEP)

Duncan is a Hoyt Professional Fellow at the Homer Hoyt Institute. He was chosen as the North Dakota State University College of Agriculture Alumni of the Year in 2018. He was also elected as a Trustee of North Dakota State University in 2022. Duncan serves on the board of directors for Serviam Care Network. Duncan received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University and his B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University.

Her ability to combine 25 years of industry expertise in operations, sales, business efficiencies, and vendor services through the eyes of an originator makes her a sought-after advisor in the industry.

Over the course of her career Jamie has broken through the barriers of many glass ceilings to sit on executive leadership teams and has held executive board positions at companies like Bank of America, Countrywide, Prospect Mortgage and Mortgage Corporation of America, Inc. Her diversified experience includes compliance, origination, credit risk, post- closing and secondary marketing management.

Jamie was one of 7 inductees into the first Inaugural Hall of AIME in recognition of her contributions to the Broker community. She is a two-time Women With Vision award recipient and leads the way for women in business. Jamie enjoys being an active member of AIME, the Women’s Mortgage Network and Women With Vision. She is the co-host of the Get Real 411 podcast and has been a guest on numerous industry podcasts including Empowering People More, Big Skip Energy, Next Level Loan Officers, Inside Real Estate, Leadership Mastermind and Broker to Broker. She is often invited as a Speaker and Panelist at industry conferences where she speaks passionately about building a sustainable business, effective leadership and empowering others to find their seat at the table.

Janine Kempfer has almost 30 years of entrepreneurial experience in the franchise, real estate and mortgage industries.

Ms. Kempfer has always had an entrepreneurial spirit.  Her business ownership career began in residential real estate where she successfully built two independently owned and operated brokerages in both real estate sales and mortgage finance.  Franchise ownership soon followed.

Today, Janine is the President and owner of Prime Mortgage, LLC located in Greenwood Village, CO.  Prime Mortgage is licensed in Colorado, Florida, and Georgia.  Ms. Kempfer’s passion is to make sure everyone who wants to buy a home has a good chance of obtaining one through fair lending and community outreach.

In September 2023, Janine founded the Keystone Mortgage Academy, bringing more people of color into the mortgage industry to help close the gap in minority homeownership through education and representation. 

Currently, Janine serves as VP of Impact with the largest national mortgage association – AIME (Association of Independent Mortgage Experts).  Her job is to make sure underserved and underrepresented communities are acknowledged and served by developing meaningful programs through the national mortgage broker channel. 

Mrs. Kempfer lives in Denver Colorado with her husband Kurt – affectionately call Irondog.  They have been married for 16 years. Together they have 3 grown children and 5 grandchildren.  She enjoys everything related to fitness. Janine has completed several triathlons including a full Ironman triathlon.

Katie Sweeney
Chairman and CEO, AIME

Katie Sweeney is the Chairman and CEO of the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts. Since 2020, Katie has overseen the day-to-day operations of the AIME team by spearheading partnership development, advocacy & lobbying efforts, membership growth initiatives, and business analytics.

After joining AIME as the Executive Vice President of Strategy, she spearheaded partnerships with dozens of top wholesale mortgage lenders and industry vendors to provide real-time support and exclusive access to mortgage brokers with the launch of the Brokers Are Better Network.

Since becoming Chairman & CEO in 2021, Katie’s leadership efforts have positively influenced the entire wholesale mortgage channel. She’s forged connections with dozens of state and congressional lawmakers, proliferated broker access to industry-leading technology, expanded mortgage brokers’ skill sets with curated educational programs, launched advocacy initiatives leading in industry-wide legislative and regulatory change, and helped support and grow the wholesale channel helping to level the playing field between retail and wholesale in national policy, expanding broker awareness on a massive scale, and providing 65,000+ AIME members with the resources to grow and sustain their businesses.

She has overseen the development of the best-in-class AIME Member Portal, launched mentorship and job placement services, created ease and accessibility for the community to contribute to diversity initiatives through AIME’s Broker Action Coalition (BAC), established political influence with the Broker Action Coalition Political Action Committee (BACPAC), established state-by-state lobbying representation with the AIME State Captains Program, and the helped open more brokerages and grow the channel with the Spark Small Business Grant Program.

Katie’s contributions to the growth and success of the wholesale channel have been noted by many leading industry publications:

MPA Mortgage Global 100 list – 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
MPA Elite Women – 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
HousingWire Women of Influence – 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
HousingWire Vanguard Award – 2022
Inman’s Best of Finance Award – 2023

Coach Kyle is a Video Marketing Therapist. No matter what hat he’s wearing, he always
finds himself talking someone off the ledge when it comes to how they show up online.
He simplifies the process of creating videos and empowers people to recognize the
significance of their unique voice. As an unwavering supporter, Kyle guides Realtors,
Lenders, and other entrepreneurs in expanding their businesses organically through
social media.
Approaching social media conversations as a partner rather than a lecturer, Kyle
communicates in a relatable manner, instilling confidence in his clients. His engaging
blend of humor and enthusiasm inspires them to unlock their full potential.
Throughout his career, Kyle has mentored and trained countless Realtors and Lenders
across North America. He encourages them to harness the power of video and social
media to make a difference in their businesses. Rather than focusing solely on acquiring
new leads, Kyle’s approach aims to regain the attention of existing contacts who already
appreciate and trust his clients.
Kyle is also the author of Rethink Everything, CEO of Content Compounding, founder of
Academy 18 Coaching and Hire Culture Virtual Assistants.

Marc Summers is the President of the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts. In addition, he is a seasoned loan originator and Broker Owner of Priority Mortgage Lending in Michigan. Marc entered the broker world in 2001 at Advantage Mortgage as a Loan Officer, holding various titles up until 2015 when he took over as President. 

Marc is an advocate for independent mortgage brokers and is dedicated to the wholesale channel’s growth. He is also an instructor for courses where he educates and mentors new brokers and originators entering the channel and is the host of AIME’s Broker to Broker weekly podcast. 

Marc keeps his finger on the pulse of the broker community’s needs by continuously providing support to new AIME members and drives the government affairs and lobbying efforts to make sure broker voices are being heard in Washington.

Mat Ishbia is the President and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage the No. 1 wholesale mortgage lender in the nation for seven years running and the No. 2 mortgage lender in the nation. Under Mat’s leadership, UWM has soared to new heights, becoming one of the most innovative lenders in the industry.

Prior to joining UWM, Mat played for Michigan State University’s basketball team for four years – going to three Final Fours and winning the National Championship in 2000. He also spent a year coaching alongside Tom Izzo.

After graduating from MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business in 2003, Mat left the MSU basketball program to join the company his father founded, United Wholesale Mortgage. Over the next 10 years, Mat’s sports background, leadership style and dedication to a team-focused business approach enabled him to gain record-breaking wholesale market share and rapidly grow UWM into a leading lending operation.

With his focus on supporting independent mortgage brokers across the country and growing the wholesale channel, Mat has taken UWM from a 12-person company to a nearly 8,000 person team working together on one campus in Pontiac, Michigan. In January 2021, Mat took UWM public in what was the largest SPAC deal at the time (NYSE: UWMC), shining a spotlight on the entire wholesale mortgage channel and elevating the status and value of brokers nationwide. At the end of 2021, UWM broke their previous all-time record of wholesale volume in one year with over $226 billion in mortgage originations.

Mike Cox has been in the wholesale channel for over a year and has quickly gained footing as a reputable brand and brokerage. His eye-catching brand awareness has made Mortgage Nerds a name that is hard to forget.

Mike transitioned to the broker channel to become Broker Owner of the Mortgage Nerds after 20 years in the retail channel at GSF Corporation. Mike then spearheaded outreach efforts to educate the broker community on industry knowledge as Vice President of Education for AIME. Now, Mike helps AIME promote the wholesale channel to future homebuyers.

Considered by many as the leading authority on leadership and influence, Rene Rodriguez is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and transformational speaker coach. For the last 27 years, René has been researching and applying behavioral neuroscience to solve some of the toughest challenges in leadership, sales, and change.

As an entrepreneur and CEO of multiple companies, Rene integrates a practical business approach that inspires his audiences to take action. Through his keynote, boot camps, workshops and proprietary Amplifii™ course, he helps us own our backstory to build the frame for not only our unique value propositions but also a beautiful picture of life.

Within five years of joining the industry, Shane Kidwell was selected as a top 1% mortgage originator and managed a team to over $300 million in loans. He owns and operates complementary businesses across the country.

Kidwell is constantly working to stay at the bleeding edge of technology and believes that building a personal team and brand are keys to success for every originator he comes in contact with. He works diligently to ensure his originators have all of the latest tools to efficiently manage a growing number of clients while delivering a personalized and relatively painless experience for them. He also regularly hosts webinars for the company’s loan officers across the country and spotlights guest speakers to share knowledge and ideas on how to improve their workflow, client experience and retention, branding and team culture.

Todd Duncan is the OG of building trust in the mortgage industry. He is the founder and CEO of the Todd Duncan Group, the most sought after coaching, training, and events company for high performing sales professionals, a 2X NYT bestselling author with over 17 books, and was a top 1% Loan Originator financing over 5,000 transactions in 12 years.

After surviving the worst market as the top Mortgage Loan Officer, Todd came out on top to share his proven method in his New York bestselling book, High Trust Selling.

With Todd’s proven system, you can generate wealth without the stress of chasing down one-time transactions, while massively boosting your productivity and lowering the number of hours worked each week.

Todd Duncan is a transformative speaker, presenting solutions for the real-life challenges that allow you to walk away with a vision, confidence, and a plan to get more out of your business and life.

His mantra is: you can make a living with transactions, but a fortune with RELATIONSHIPS!

President of Growth, AIME

Tom Ahles is an accomplished professional in the world of real estate and finance, serving as the Broker Owner of Edge Home Finance. With a wealth of experience and expertise in the industry, Tom has established himself as a trusted authority and leader in helping individuals and families achieve their homeownership dreams.

Tom’s journey in the real estate and finance industry began 22 years ago, fueled by his passion for helping others navigate the complexities of the market. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to providing exceptional service, he quickly earned a reputation for his integrity, knowledge, and unwavering dedication to his clients and team members.

As the Broker Owner of Edge Home Finance, Tom leads a team of talented professionals who share his vision and commitment to excellence. Under his guidance, the team at Edge Home Finance has successfully grown to over 800 loan officers in finding the ideal mortgage solutions tailored to their unique needs and goals.

Tom also is an industry leader, spending his time outside of Edge to support the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) as the organization’s President of Growth. In this role, he focuses on expanding the wholesale mortgage channel by developing initiatives to recruit, engage and retain more brokers to join the channel and increase market share.

Tom has been ranked among the top 100 mortgage brokers by Scotsman Guide, and he has been named a UWM 2020 Top Loan Officer in Minnesota, a UWM 2019 Top 1% Certified Partner, and a UWM 2018 Top 1% Certified Partner. Additionally, his brokerage is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Additionally, Edge Home Finance was awarded Brokerage of the Year at the 2023 Hall of AIME awards.

Tom’s approach is centered on building strong relationships with his clients, understanding their individual circumstances, and providing personalized advice and support every step of the way. He recognizes that purchasing a home is one of the most significant financial decisions people make in their lives, and he strives to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

With an in-depth understanding of the ever-evolving real estate market and mortgage industry, Tom stays up-to-date with the latest trends, regulations, and financing options. This allows him to offer strategic guidance and innovative solutions, ensuring his clients make informed decisions and secure the best possible terms for their home loans.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Tom is known for his genuine compassion and commitment to giving back to the community. He actively participates in various charitable endeavors and community initiatives, recognizing the importance of creating a positive impact on the lives of those around him.