Lending Conference Agenda
You won't want to miss this highly anticipated event of the year for the MMLA. Known around the country as one of the best - if not THE BEST - state association events. We have all great speakers and fun activities scheduled!!
Our impressive lineup of nationally recognized speakers includes: Rob Chrisman, Sue Woodard, Dr. Bruce Lund, MBA's Economist Joel Kan, and Carol "Hutch" Hutchins, the winningest coach in NCAA History! In addition, there will be a variety of breakout sessions to choose from covering all aspects of the mortgage industry with something for everyone! This is a "must see" event. Don't hear about it - experience it for yourself!!
All business sessions and receptions/dinners, including breakfast and lunch, are open to anyone who registers for the Full Conference ticket option.
Go to the conference homepage here to register
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Sunday, October 4 |
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Opening "Tailgate" Reception and Dinner 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
Registration begins at the outdoor Garden Gazebo area. Grab your name badge and drink tickets and get ready for the festivities to begin! Enjoy some great networking and a casual dinner to kick off the conference. Soak in the outdoors of a fall evening in Michigan! Wear your favorite team apparel to get into the theme! Get ready for a special surprise, as well! This session is open to anyone who registered for the full conference ticket. |
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8:00 pm Afterglow Watch Party |
Be there as we root on the Detroit Lions on big screens for this NFL Sunday night game. The bar will be open and snacks will be served. Go Lions and MMLA!!
Sponsored by: |
| Monday, October 5 | |
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Breakfast & Expo 7:30 am |
Meet with our Expo vendors and network before the busy day begins. Pick up your registration materials and enjoy a full, hot buffet breakfast. Exhibitors will be set up through the last business session of the day. Be sure to visit all to be eligible to win the big door prize. |
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Opening Welcome Announcements 8:15 am |
Nicole Nahodil, CMB Heidi Sottovia, AMP |
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Marketing 101 Opening Speaker 8:30 am |
Culture is more than a buzz word- This keynote will explore how strong sales culture is intentionally built through clear expectations, daily habits, and consistent accountability. Using Detroit sports as a central theme—highlighting the Lions, Pistons, Tigers, and Red Wings—we’ll examine how winning cultures are rebuilt, sustained, and protected over time. Attendees will learn how high-performing organizations create alignment, ownership, and motivation that drives sustainable results—far beyond posters and slogans. |
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Econ 101
Joel Kan, CMB
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In this session, Joel Kan, CMB will give his economic perspective on what is happening now in the mortgage industry. With Michigan specific statistics, his insight will be detailed and informative. Learn where we are and where he thinks the industry and mortgage rates and housing issues are headed as we head into a big mid-term election season. |
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Electives 1 10:45 am |
Sales Track 1 Deb Herdman The Execution Gap Strategies, tactics, and CRM tools matter, but none of them work if they don't get used. Most loan officers already have what they need to build or streamline their business. What's missing isn't another tool, it's understanding why they aren't consistently doing the things they already know work. This session breaks down the Execution Gap, the space between knowing what to do and actually doing it, and introduces Deb Herdman's signature 4N Method. Attendees will leave with a real framework for spotting the patterns quietly running their business, so they can finally implement what they already have. |
Operations Track 2 Tonya Coon, MSHDA What the Data is Telling Us: Trends, Insights, and Opportunities in Michigan Homeownership Michigan's housing market continues to evolve, and so do today's homebuyers. Join MSHDA's Director of Homeownership for an engaging look at the trends, data, and insights shaping homeownership across Michigan. This session goes beyond a traditional program update to explore what MSHDA's data reveals about today's borrowers, where lending opportunities are emerging, and how MSHDA is adapting to meet the changing needs of homebuyers and lender partners. Attendees will leave with valuable market intelligence, practical insights, and a forward-looking perspective on the future of homeownership in Michigan. |
Leadership Track 3 Andrew DeGood, AskBobAI The Modern Executive In The Age of AI For a hundred years, the executive's job was to get things built by other people. Hire the talent, set the direction, get out of the way. That rule just broke, and most leaders haven't noticed yet. The distance between an idea and a working product used to be measured in quarters. It's now a coffee break. In this session, you won't watch slides about that shift. You'll watch it happen live, on stage, built from a real problem someone in the room brings up. This is a hands-up, no-sleeping, best-hour-of-the-conference kind of talk. You'll leave knowing exactly what's possible right now, how to build a culture that actually adopts it, and why the leader who can make something themselves will out-run the one still waiting on a roadmap. You don't need to become an engineer. You need to become fluent. And that's closer than you think. For current and aspiring C-suite leaders who'd rather build the future than approve a budget for it. |
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Electives 2 11:45 am |
Sales Track 1 Mike Whitbeck "How to get variable income right every time" |
Operations Track 2 Live working group / UAD update The MMLA Working Group will be live and in-person this month! It is a great opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices in an open dialogue format with other members. The call is moderated by Denise Kowalski, Compliance Manager at Indecomm Global Services The group includes members from lenders, community banks, credit unions and large companies who all share ideas, interpretations, experience, information learned at conferences and day to day challenges. The interaction is invaluable as it can save time and money. If you want to be part of the monthly Zoom meetings, you must be a member and can learn more about it and register here.
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Leadership Track 3 Eric Levin, Model Match "You Need to Grow. What's the First Thing You Do? The Answer May Be Your Problem." Growth. Every company, every region, every branch needs it. So what's the first move? For most, that first move is where the problem starts — and it spirals. That spiral doesn't just burn cash. It burns people, and eventually, it burns reputation. We've spent almost 20 years in the weeds of this exact problem — identifying, engaging, converting, and retaining the relationships that drive consistent revenue and build multiples. The challenge was big enough that we built a tech solution around it, because telling people what to do never changed the habits that were causing the problem in the first place — only a system could. This session is the unfiltered version: what worked, what blew up in our face, and the stories that actually proved it out. We'll also get into where technology and AI are already changing these motions, and where most are now falling behind. If you're responsible for growth in any way — your business, your branch, your region, or as a leader of a company — this is the session where you steal what took us two decades of work to build. |
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12:30 pm |
Take this time to catch up with friends - old and new, and visit with the exhibitors |
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Teamwork 101 Coach Carol "Hutch" Hutchins 1:30 pm |
You will take away life lessons to help you in both your personal and professional matters! |
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2:30 pm Refreshment Break |
Grab a beverage and snack and visit with exhibitors. |
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Electives 3 2:45 - 3:30 pm |
Sales Track 1 5 Strategies for Q4 Brand & Relationship Development
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Operations Track 2 Ready for What’s Ahead? In tihs session, repressentatives from Freddie Mac will cover
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Leadership Track 3 Non-QM Lending Decoded: Unlocking Opportunities for Michigan Borrowers Are standard agency guidelines holding your self-employed or investor clients back? Join an expert panel discussion exploring the profitable and expanding world of Non-Qualified Mortgage (Non-QM) lending. Whether you are looking to originate more volume or master alternative underwriting, this session will break down the strategies you need to grow your pipeline. What We Will Cover:
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5:30 pm "Homecoming"
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Meet-up with your friends, old and new, and join this dinner to celebrate our 2026 Board Members and Award Winners. 2026 President Nicole Nadohil, CMB, will turn the reins over to incoming 2027 President Tim Pascarella, CMB. We will also be spotlighting our 2026 Award Winners. Get dressed up for a lovely cocktail reception followed by an amazing dinner. We typically hold this special event in November, but instead we are combining it with the conference this year - a 2 for 1 event you won't want to miss!! Be sure to bid on our great auction items with all funds going to MORBANPAC. We will also have our popular "bucket of booze/gift card" raffle! Take time to visit with colleagues and make new connections. This is open to anyone who registered for the full conference ticket |
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8:00 PM - 9:00 PM??
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Join us as the celebration contniues, with entertainment by Vavoom band. Vavoom is one of Metro Detroit's hottest dance-rock cover bands. Voted Click On Detroit's Best Cover Band for 2021 and Hour Detroit magazine's Best Cover Band for 2019. Stick around for singing, dancing, drinking, mingling and great fun! |
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Tuesday, October 6 |
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8:00 am |
Breakfast and exhibit hall in the Atrium opening announcements |
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8:30 am |
Opening announcements |
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Story Telling 101
Sue Woodard |
THIS ONE TIME AT BRAND CAMP: DRIVING SUCCESS WITH YOUR STORY “Once upon a time…” Don’t those words just strike you in a very different way than “To whom it may concern?” Your brain just loves a good story. We hear facts…but we feel stories, and respond to them differently. And every mortgage brand, company, owner, manager, employee and customer has stories to share that can help create relationship, retention, referrals, recruits, revenue and more. This practical and fun presentation gives you the step-by-step playbook on how to find and tell your own brand stories – and see more results. In this session, you will learn … •How to find your stories – and which are the very best at driving results for your business •Why and how to use emotion appropriately in your story •The importance of capturing and preserving your professional stories •How to empower others (including customers!) to tell your story •What steps to take to get started right away |
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Current Events 101 9:45 am - 10:30 am Brian Vieaux, CMB Rob Chrisman
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  Join this engaging session as industry experts, Rob Chrisman and Brian Vieaux, CMB, have a conversation on industry market trends. You won't want to miss their insight as they reflect on changes in the industry over the years, insight on current changes and projections on what the current administration is doing to help/hurt and learn about MISMO and how it can help your business and the industry!
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10:30 am |
Closing Announcements - conclusion of conference. |
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"Up North Classic" Golf Tournament 11:30 check in
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Join the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association for the “Up North Classic” Golf Tournament. This exciting event is open to anyone affiliated with the mortgage lending and home finance industry — no conference registration required to participate in golf! Come enjoy a great day of networking, fun, and friendly competition on a beautiful course. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry peers and swing into summer! |
Contact Joanne Misuraca at 586-226-2823 or [email protected] for any questions.
