Issue link: http://dsnews.uberflip.com/i/832323
60 "ey're used to people coming in for one or two years," said Cipponeri, the current CEO of Traderoom Capital. "Ted did not fit that mold. He came in, and he actually wanted to change things. He actually wanted to make things better and equip Ginnie Mae for the future." Coming off 24 years working as the SVP of Capital Markets for National City Mortgage Company—one of the biggest Ginnie Mae issuers at the time—Tozer certainly came into his role with a plan. "I did a lot of work with Ginnie Mae back then," Tozer said, "and my whole frustration was it always felt that they had a huge inferiority complex." So when he was nominated and eventually confirmed to head the agency, Tozer made strengthening Ginnie's place in the market a major focal point. "I really wanted Ginnie Mae staff to get to the point where they realized they couldn't be bullied—that they really have as much to offer and they have as much a right to be a part of the discussion as anybody else in the housing sector," Tozer said. "ey have as much to offer as what Fannie and Freddie do. ey shouldn't feel like they're inadequate." After years of working on the opposite side of the transaction, Tozer knew well the struggles and frustrations issuers faced, so pivoting the agency toward a more customer-centric approach was also on his agenda as president. "It was important for Ginnie Mae to become more customer oriented," Tozer said. "When I was a Ginnie Mae issuer, dealing with Gin- nie Mae was so tough. You'd ask questions, and they'd always refer you back to the manual. Have you read the manual? And the instructions? Just because you're a government agency doesn't mean you should treat your customers poorly." is type of service—or lack thereof—is common among government agencies, Tozer said, but in the private world, you just don't see that. Realizing this, Tozer set out to transform Ginnie Mae into a more private-like organization. "I REALLY WANTED GINNIE MAE STAFF TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY REALIZED THEY COULDN'T BE BULLIED— THAT THEY REALLY HAVE AS MUCH TO OFFER AND THEY HAVE AS MUCH A RIGHT TO BE A PART OF THE DISCUSSION AS ANYBODY ELSE IN THE HOUSING SECTOR."