Cheryl Travis Johnson Interview NAWRB Conference 2018

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NAWRB: Tell us a little about yourself and describe what you do.

I’m Cheryl Travis-Johnson, and I’m the Chief Operating Officer for VRM Mortgage Services. I’m also a part of the Council for Inclusion in Financial Services. At my first job as a COO of VRM, I handle end-to-end servicing solutions for clients from originations all the way through REO sales. For the Council for Inclusion in Financial Services, it’s kind of two-fold. We’re focusing on financial literacy in emerging markets, increasing the numbers of millennials, women and minorities in middle management to get them into C-suite opportunities—because 60 percent of the financial decisions are being made by a household that’s either being headed by a woman, a millennial or a minority— to make sure they have a seat at the decision table.

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SHETalk: Dr. Chitra Dorai on Artificial Intelligence & Technology Human Balance™

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Dr. Chitra Dorai, AI Scientist, Entrepreneur and Former IBM Fellow and CTO at IBM Global Services, took the stage after Sharron Levine, Director of the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), to give her presentation on Technology Human Balance ™ during the SHETalk series at the 2018 NAWRB Conference.

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2018 NAWRB 5th Annual Conference “Year of Women” Recap

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On July 29th-31st, the Women in the Housing & Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) hosted the 2018 NAWRB 5th Annual Conference, “Year of Women,” in Chicago, Illinois at The Standard Club, featuring incredible discussions, presentations and new connections at this diverse, high-profile gathering of thought leaders and industry experts.

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Women in the Housing Ecosystem Report (WHER) Panel

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After the excitement of our morning SHETalks by Tami Bonnell, CEO of EXIT Realty, and Rebecca Steele, President & CEO of National Foundation for Credit Counseling, our attendees heard from our Women in the Housing Ecosystem Report (WHER) Panel, featuring Dr. Chitra Dorai, Former IBM Fellow, Master Inventor, VP, CTO Cognitive Services, IBM Services, Member of IBM Industry Academy & Academy of Technology; Teresa Palacios Smith, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, HSF Affiliates LLC; Burgandy Basulto, Content Writer, NAWRB; and Moderator Desiree Patno, CEO & President, NAWRB.

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2018 NAWRB Conference Live Updates: Building Infrastructure, Maintaining Agriculture & Disaster Recovery

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The second to last panel to grace our stage was the Building Infrastructure, Maintaining Agriculture & Disaster Recovery Panel, featuring Michelle Corridon, Deputy Director, USDA Rural Development; Noemi Lujan-Perez, VP of Government and Media Relations, EcoDiversity; James K. Joseph, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region V; Sharron P.A.  Levine, Director of the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); and Desiree Patno, CEO & President, NAWRB. These professionals shared how their agencies respond to natural disasters and provide financial assistance to affected homeowners and business owners, while also letting attendees know about contracting opportunities and how they can be involved in developing trends in infrastructure.

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Women-Focused Diversity & Inclusion Experts at 2018 NAWRB Conference

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Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) will be one of the many topics addressed at the 2018 NAWRB 5th Annual Conference, “Year of Women,” this weekend on July 29th-31st in Chicago, IL, at The Standard Club. Attendees will witness informative discussions about D&I in different industries in the housing ecosystem, from workplace disruptors and supplier diversity to procuring contracts and unspoken issues impacting women. Our speakers come from well-known corporations and government entities, and they are influential leaders in their fields. As you organize your time at the conference, make sure to check out these pivotal D&I panels.

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