Ross Mortgage VP of Underwriting Receives AMP Designation from the Mortgage Banking Association
Today, we’d like to commend and congratulate our Vice President of Underwriting, Brian McCown, for graduating from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) School of Mortgage Banking with an AMP designation.
Brian’s commitment to furthering his education exemplifies the passion our team members have for their work, continuously expanding their knowledge to better meet the needs of those we serve.
We recently sat down with Brian to learn more about his experience, what motivated him to pursue this opportunity and how he plans to implement what he learned in his role at Ross.
What is your current role at Ross Mortgage?
As the vice president of underwriting, I’m in charge of managing the day-to-day operations of our in-house underwriting team. Additionally, I serve on Ross Mortgage’s operating committee—an internal taskforce dedicated to implementing strategies and processes that drive company growth at all levels within the organization. The knowledge I acquired through the MBA’s AMP certification program is just one factor that will help propel our company forward as a whole to achieve and exceed these goals.
What is the AMP Designation?
The Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) title is a specialist designation provided to highly trained real estate finance professionals who have graduated the MBA’s School of Mortgage Banking.
The program recognizes mortgage professionals for their pursuit of educational excellence, high ethical standards and commitment to professionalism. It is the only comprehensive curriculum for mortgage industry management and consists of three rigorous courses in which students are taught all facets of mortgage lending, from fundamental financing concepts to strategies for running a successful mortgage company.
I would recommend this course to anyone in this industry who wants more knowledge, and certainly to those who want to become leaders. It’s an incredible foundation for anyone who is in, or wants to be in, a management-level position.
The classes are taught by Certified Mortgage Bankers and Master Certified Mortgage Bankers, the highest designation for professionals in our industry. These individuals have had lengthy careers and bring decades of real-world experience to life in the classroom.
How did the opportunity to become AMP certified present itself?
My mom was a college professor, so I have always been a proponent of furthering one’s education. I read constantly, so the idea of signing up for seminars and other opportunities that pique my interest is in my nature.
About 10 years ago, I became a Certified Residential Underwriter from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Now that I’ve completed the AMP program, I’m one step closer to reaching my goal of becoming a Certified Mortgage Banker, which is a higher designation in our industry.
I am fortunate enough to be with a company that shares my views on continuing education and advocates for ongoing professional development for its employees. The opportunity for me to receive this designation speaks to Ross Mortgage’s commitment to supporting its employees and creating a culture that’s truly driven with a purpose and vision in mind.
What did you personally get out of the program?
Through the program, I was given the opportunity to work alongside other mortgage professionals with varying roles and diverse backgrounds. This, combined with the coursework, gave me a greater appreciation for every aspect of the industry and a keen awareness of opportunities to improve connectivity between departments, streamline production and enhance the overall customer experience.
While earning this designation required a lot of hard work, the effort I put in has already paid dividends. With a renewed sense of inspiration and a holistic view of each function, I’ve changed the way I think about challenges and approach opportunities.
How do you plan to share what you learned with others at Ross?
The biggest thing I learned from this course was that with knowledge comes responsibility—a responsibility to act upon the information I’ve been given and share my newfound knowledge to support the professional growth of my colleagues. Knowledge sharing is part of Ross Mortgage’s DNA and it’s one of the key factors I believe has contributed to our success.
Knowing how everything fits together has given me a greater sense of passion, purpose and pride—an enlightening experience that I hope to replicate through ongoing professional development and education opportunities at Ross.
