MIG EXPANDS COMMITMENT TO DEI EFFORTS WITH DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY ROLE
Posted by : Admin
In an expanded role at Mortgage Investors Group, Jennifer Green will continue to lead and support the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative as the Director of Diversity. Under Jennifer’s leadership, MIG has established and broadened partnerships with organizations such as NAMMBA, NAHREP and the LGBTQ+ RE Alliance. Additionally, she has spearheaded the DEI committee and sought to align MIG’s initiatives with the industry’s affordable housing efforts.
From the ability of our employees to bring their authentic selves to work to expanding our community engagement and impact, MIG believes our diversity is our strength. In its inaugural year, MIG’s DEI Committee has developed programming aimed at increasing employee engagement, improving the diversity of our workforce through hiring and retention practices, evolving and developing community engagement and providing educational sources for employees to further their understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Our DEI Committee is representative not only of the unique backgrounds and experiences our team members bring to the table, but also the diverse group of borrowers we serve. It is our belief that by learning about and celebrating those differences, we create a more welcoming work environment and are better equipped to meet the needs of our customers on their paths to homeownership. With that goal in mind, the DEI Committee meets bi-weekly with MIG management to discuss change in the workplace initiatives and upcoming DEI-focused professional development and community alliance opportunities.
Since the formation of the Committee, MIG has partnered with the National Association of Minority Bankers of America, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance. Through those partnerships, our employees have been able to participate in webinars, trainings and Lunch and Learn events to learn more about Fair Lending as it relates to their members and what diversity looks like within the mortgage lending industry. MIG has also sponsored community events in partnership with these organizations, giving our employees the opportunity to volunteer and engage with their members. We are also working with NAMMBA to establish local chapters of its association in some of the communities where we lend.
When we set out to create a more welcoming and inclusive company, our goal was to not only invite open dialogue about our diversity strengths and weaknesses, but also to find ways to hold ourselves accountable for growth. Our early steps included surveying our team members about where they felt we stood as a company as it related to DEI. The results of the survey opened our eyes to the need for more education about what diversity means to different people. From there, we created a DEI Policy and Code of Conduct which all employees were required to sign. The policy outlines our commitment to embracing and encouraging our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. It also recognizes the value of empowering a workforce through education, dignity and respect so they may better serve our borrowers by embracing their unique experiences, perspectives and cultural backgrounds. The policy calls for respectful communication and cooperation among employees and representation of all groups and employee perspectives in areas of recruitment, compensation and professional development practices. It supports efforts to provide employees with a safe avenue to voice concerns regarding DEI in our workplace and challenges team members to seek out insights from employees with different viewpoints. The policy prohibits discrimination, harassment or any behavior or language that is abusive, offensive or unwelcome. It outlines consequences for violations of the Code of Conduct, as well as a course of action for those who believe they have been subjected to acts of discrimination.
Green joined MIG in October of 2015 and was a multi-awarded recipient of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Path to Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship in 2021 to pursue her Accredited Mortgage Professional designation. Upon conclusion of her AMP coursework, she will begin her CMB studies and focus on minority lending and affordable housing advocacy once complete. In 2021, she also joined the TNMBA Diversity Taskforce as a representative for East Tennessee and in 2020 she served as a Lender Director at the Knoxville Mortgage Bankers Association. On a personal level and throughout her professional career, Jennifer has been passionately involved with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. She will also continue in her role as Correspondent Lending Operations Manager.
