This month, we are celebrating the 15-year anniversary of our leadership team in the East Region. Based in Winter Park, Florida, our leadership trio includes David Holbrook (Division Executive - East); Dustin Owen, CMB®, AMP (VP - Eastern Division Sales); and Mike Smalley (VP - Eastern Division Sales).
Mike joined Waterstone Mortgage in April 2008, with David and Dustin following in August of the same year.
“As several of the earliest Waterstone Mortgage team members, David, Dustin, and Mike were trailblazers for the sales team — setting the tone for our organization’s future growth,” said Waterstone Mortgage President & CEO Jeff McGuiness. “Not only did they expand our physical footprint in the greater Florida region, but they also grew our reputation as a strong, trustworthy lender.”
For 10 years, the trio co-managed our Winter Park region, adding offices in locations such as Fort Myers, Fort Walton Beach, Jupiter, Lake Mary, Largo, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, St. Petersburg, and Tampa. In January 2018, David, Dustin, and Mike were each promoted to Regional Vice President - Southeast.
“Over the years, David, Dustin, and Mike have been crucial to our success as a mortgage lender,” said Waterstone Mortgage SVP - Chief Sales Officer Rich Harkwell. “David is known and respected for his senior leadership; Dustin is an expert in community and industry outreach (and the creative mind behind The Loan Officer Podcast); and Mike excels in sales and business development. In addition, Mike has achieved President’s Club status every year since joining Waterstone Mortgage; and Dustin’s team (The Murphy-Owen Home Loan Team) has also earned this status for more than eight years.”
Under the trio’s leadership, the Florida region (and later, the East Division) consistently produced record amounts for our company. In 2022, the Florida region originated more than $655 million in loan volume.
“David, Dustin, and Mike are highly respected leaders who encourage, support, and motivate their colleagues and team members on a daily basis,” Jeff adds.
Our Florida region team also includes Regional Support Manager Melanie Pischke Ferrara, who marked her 15-year anniversary with us this month as well.
“Melanie has been a key contributor to our success, over the years,” said David. “Her operational expertise, creativity, attention to detail, and positivity have all been essential for the successful operation of our region. She is well-respected and appreciated by her colleagues and is the true backbone of our team.”
We couldn’t be more thrilled to have David, Dustin, Mike, and Melanie on our team. Not only have they helped thousands of homebuyers, over the years, but they’ve also been inspirational leaders for our other team members — helping others to foster their talent, build their careers, and become valuable contributors to our mission to help as many homebuyers as possible. Congrats, David, Dustin, Mike, and Melanie!
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