President's Message
By: Nicole Nahodil, CMB
2026 MMLA President
Mortgage 1, Inc.
Banquet Acceptance Speech on 11/6/2025:
I have to tell you, it’s a little surreal to be up here announcing that in 2026, I’ll be stepping into the role of President of the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association. It’s exciting, it’s humbling…and honestly, it’s also a little overwhelming when I think about the responsibility. But mostly—it’s exciting.
When I first joined the MMLA, I thought it was just going to be like any other professional association. Networking events, some continuing education, maybe a raffle basket or two. But what I found was something completely different. I found a group of people that welcomed me in and made me feel like I was part of a family, and at our conference this summer when Joanne said that the same thing, it made me realize what a special group we have, and that we should be focusing on reminding people about that in 2026. It’s more than that, we’re not just a family we’re a team. A team made up of people from all kinds of businesses—lenders, title, appraisers, technology providers and many other lines of business—who set aside competition to work together and move our industry forward. Yes, we’re technically competitors, but “friendly competitors” is how we refer to one another, and other associations are amazed.
The truth is, these relationships we’ve built are something other states envy. They ask, “How do you guys do it?” And it’s simple—we learned early that we’re stronger when we communicate and share experiences. So, my ask of you in 2026 is: keep building on that. If you know someone who should be part of MMLA but isn’t, invite them in. Mentor someone who’s has potential but just needs a little direction. If there’s someone that the MMLA can learn from, please tell us so we can have them speak. Let’s grow this family, this team, together.
Because the MMLA isn’t just an association, we’re a community, in 2026, I’d like us to focus even more on giving back to the communities we live and work in. At the state level, we’ll be supporting Habitat for Humanity. We are going to partner with them and provide financial education. Affordable housing is a huge issue in Michigan, and if we can help even a little to bring more of it here, we should.
And it doesn’t stop there—if there are causes that matter to our members, let’s highlight those too. Just this past October, our WIN committee organized a breast cancer walk, and it was inspiring to see how many of you supported the event. I’d love to see more of that—more events that connect us not just through work, but through community. Because when people say being part of the MMLA feels like being with family, that is hands down the best compliment we can get.
So here’s what I promise in 2026:
· We’ll keep MMLA the go-to for education and advocacy.
· We’ll strengthen relationships with real estate pros and policymakers.
· We’ll create more opportunities for the next generation of leaders.
· And most importantly—we’ll keep this association fun, connected, and collaborative.
I’d like to thank Brian and Kate for the leadership and support that they’ve given this organization in the past year; both of your efforts have made an incredible difference for us. All of the time you’ve dedicated to the association is appreciated.
And to Joanne, without you, our association would be lost, words can’t express how much we value you, and how lucky we all feel to have you as the backbone of our association.
I’m also grateful to all of our members—for your ideas, your energy, and your support. I’m grateful for the board’s trust. And I’m grateful for the chance to serve as your President.
So, let’s keep this momentum going. Let’s keep building this family. And let’s keep amazing other states with the fact that in Michigan, even our competitors actually like each other!
Thank you.
