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33 ยป VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM THE 2017 FIVE STAR DIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM e second-annual Five Star Diversity Symposium was held in Dallas, Texas, on ursday, May 11, 2017, and included representatives from several key companies and government agencies within the mortgage industry, including the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. e event was a day-long event focused on advancing the conversation on diversity within the mortgage industry, and featured keynote addresses from industry leaders, as well as panel discussions. Topics discussed included innovation in diversity, resolving unconscious bias, and the advantage of diversity. e day kicked off with an address from Dwight Robinson, SVP Human Resources and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Freddie Mac, who shared with attendees the latest diversity and inclusion developments from the GSE and how the industry can come together to support this important conversation. Sandra ompson, Deputy Director of the Division of Housing and Mission Goals at the FHFA, was the event's afternoon keynote and spoke about the FHFA's latest diversity updates and how underrepresented communities can better be served. Michael Ruiz, Director of Supplier Diversity at Fannie Mae, led the last panel of the day titled "Diversity: e Competitive Advantage." During the panel, industry leaders discussed how organizations benefit from engaging in a diverse supply chain and workforce and how diversity drives the bottom line of any business and how the industry can benefit from inclusion for all. "is topic of gender, diversity, and race, we just don't talk about it very much," said Dana Dillard, EVP, Corporate Social Responsibility at AMDC member Nationstar Mortgage. "I appreciate the opportunity for mortgage professionals, both on the supplier side and on the servicer side, to come together and continue the dialogue." "If you want to succeed in business, you have to understand your customer base. "It's a very basic principle. If you don't understand your customer, you have no possibility of being successful." said Ed Buckley, President of AMDC member Aspen Grove Solutions. Buckley participated in the panel titled "Diversity: e Competitive Advantage," where he and other industry leaders, including Dr. Scott Vowels, Manager of Supplier Diversity at Apple, discussed the business benefits of diversity. Julie Moran, Partner at woman-owned law firm and AMDC member Orlans PC, recognized the value of the conversations made during the symposium, and the "amazing talent that is brought together with this council." Moran participated in the panel titled "Inclusive Leadership: Diverse Succession Plans." "What we have found is that multicultural teams bring a higher level of creativity," Moran said. "If you have an inclusive community, it excites people. ey get passionate about engaging and being part of your company. We've found that it really does help us grow." 9. 10. 12. 11.