IDEA Summit

ALFN's Third Annual Inclusion Diversity Equity & Awareness "IDEA" Summit 

Join us for the Third Annual ALFN IDEA Summit, a transformative event dedicated to fostering Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Awareness. This summit, hosted by the ALFN's IDEA committee, will take place April 23 - 24, 2025, at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, in Frisco, TX.

This year, our theme is "Leading Through Your Superpower." At the ALFN IDEA Summit, we will bring together thought leaders, industry experts, and advocates to engage in critical discussions and explore innovative solutions surrounding Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Awareness (IDEA) issues. Our agenda includes guest speakers, panel discussions, and interactive roundtables that will inspire, educate, and empower attendees to harness their unique superpowers to drive positive change.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMIT:

• Thought-Provoking Discussions: Engage in insightful conversations about the importance of inclusion, diversity, equity, and awareness, and how to lead through your superpower.
• Expert Panels: Hear from experts who will share their experiences and provide practical strategies for implementing IDEA initiatives in your organization, emphasizing the power of individual strengths.
• Interactive Roundtable Discussions: Participate in discussions designed to help you develop actionable plans for promoting inclusion and equity within your workplace, leveraging your unique abilities.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded professionals, exchange ideas, and build valuable relationships to advance the cause of IDEA while celebrating diverse superpowers.
• Best Practices: Discover best practices and success stories that can guide your organization in creating a more inclusive and equitable environment by recognizing and utilizing individual strengths.

The ALFN IDEA Summit is a unique opportunity to learn, collaborate, and drive positive change in the areas of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Awareness. Don't miss this chance to be a part of the conversation and make a difference in your workplace and community. Join us and be a catalyst for change. Together, we can create a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

If you would like to donate items for the Silent Auction or Donation Tree Raffle, please complete the form here.  All proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Can Stick It! Foundation, Inc.

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REGISTER HERE

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WHO CAN ATTEND?
This event is open to ALFN Law Firm/Foreclosure Trustee Members, Associate Members, Mortgage Servicers, Lenders, Banks, Credit Unions, GSE's, Rating Agencies, Ch. 13 Bankruptcy Trustees, Mortgage Servicing Investors, and other ALFN invited guests.

Non-ALFN Members (Law Firms, Foreclosure Trustees, and Service Providers) that are eligible to join the ALFN may also attend this event.  If you join ALFN in the calendar year of this event, we will refund you the difference between the member and non-member registration fee that you paid.

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PRICING - Save an additional $100 by attending both WILLPOWER & IDEA Summits (discount provided in the online registration form)

• ALFN Law Firm/ForeclosureTrustee Member - $550 Early Bird ($650 after March 23)
• ALFN Associate Member (Service Provider) - $550 Early Bird ($650 after March 23)
• Clients (Mortgage Servicer/Lender/GSE/Investor) - $200 (scholarships available, or $0 if just attending the reception & dinner)
• Chapter 13 Trustee - $550 Early Bird ($650 after March 23)
• Rating Agency - $550 Early Bird ($650 after March 23)
• Non-ALFN Member (Law Firm or Foreclosure Trustee) - $750 Early Bird ($1000 after March 23). If you join ALFN in the calendar year of this event, we will refund you the difference between the member and non-member registration fee that you paid.
• Non-ALFN Member (Service Provider or Other) - $750 Early Bird ($1000 after March 23). If you join ALFN in the calendar year of this event, we will refund you the difference between the member and non-member registration fee that you paid.

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CLIENT REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
Clients (Mortgage Servicers, GSE's, and Investors Only) - Can't stay for the entire event?  Register for $0 to attend the reception and dinner only (enter promo code Client_Dinner_Only on your registration form).

If you need financial assistance to attend, please complete our Scholarship Application. 

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS "JPEG MEMBER" DISCOUNT
ALFN JPEG members receive 20% off the event registration fee if they are attending with another fully paid registrant from their same firm/company. There is no limit on the number of JPEG discounts that may be used for the same firm/company (for each fully paid non-JPEG member registrant, a JPEG discount may be used).  ALFN Members use promo code Member_JPEG_20, and Servicers/GSE's/Investors use promo code Client_JPEG_20.

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IDEA SUMMIT 2025 SCHEDULE: 

Wednesday, April 23 (in conjunction with WILLPOWER)
Check-in at the ALFN Registration & Information Desk in the Ballroom Foyer to receive your name badge and materials.

8:30 AM-6:00 PM – ALFN Registration & Information Desk – Wanamaker Ballroom Foyer

4:00-5:00 PM – WILLPOWER & IDEA General Session 5 (combined WILLPOWER & IDEA Summit session) – Presentation by WILLPOWER Charity Partner – Breast Cancer Can Stick It! – Wanamaker Ballroom

• The Breast Cancer Can Stick It! Foundation, Inc. raises funds for like-minded nonprofit breast cancer awareness organizations.  Their mission is to drum up funds for treatment, research, trials, and mammograms through music-centric events that ROCK, to ultimately STICK IT to breast cancer. 
   
• Moderator
  • Michele Lublin, Director of Finance & Operations, Rubin Lublin, LLC
     
• Speaker
  • April Samuels, Founder, President & Executive Director/Chair of the Board, Breast Cancer Can Stick It!

5:00-6:00 PM – WILLPOWER & IDEA Networking Reception & Silent Auction for WILLPOWER Charity Partner - Breast Cancer Can Stick It! (combined WILLPOWER & IDEA Summit reception) – Wanamaker Ballroom

6:00-7:00 PM – WILLPOWER & IDEA Dinner & Silent Auction – Silent Auction Concludes at 6:45 PM (full dinner buffet offered)(combined WILLPOWER & IDEA Summit dinner) – Wanamaker Ballroom

7:00-7:30 PM – WILLPOWER & IDEA After Dinner Entertainment – Enjoy a final performance from the Breast Cancer Can Stick It! Band while you retrieve your Silent Auction purchases, and enjoy some networking time with other attendees (combined WILLPOWER & IDEA Summit function) – Wanamaker Ballroom

Thursday, April 24
Check-in at the ALFN Registration & Information Desk in the Ballroom Foyer to receive your name badge and materials.

7:30-8:15 AM – IDEA & WILLPOWER Yoga – Pre-registration is required for this activity – Wanamaker Ballroom Event Lawn
 
7:30-8:15 AM – IDEA & WILLPOWER Putting Practice – Pre-registration is required for this activity – Omni PGA Putting Green (called The Dance Floor)

8:30 AM-2:00 PM – ALFN Registration & Information Desk – Wanamaker Ballroom Foyer

8:15-9:45 AM – IDEA & WILLPOWER Breakfast Available (full breakfast buffet offered) (combined IDEA & WILLPOWER Summit breakfast) – Wanamaker Ballroom

9:00-9:15 AM – IDEA Summit Opening Remarks – Wanamaker Ballroom

9:15-10:15 AM – IDEA & WILLPOWER General Session 1 (combined WILLPOWER & IDEA Summit session) – Why Diversity in Leadership Matters and Challenges to Achieving Diverse Leadership – Wanamaker Ballroom

• How are company programs supporting DEI initiatives? How are companies developing leaders and handling mentorship opportunities?
   
  • Moderator
    • Gina Daya, Director of Client Services, Diaz | Anselmo
       
  • Speakers
    • Candace Russell, Vice President – Post Sale, Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC
    • Phyllis Wright, Senior Vice President Strategic HR, VRM
    • Melissa Black, FVP Default Services, PennyMac 

10:15-10:30 AM – Refreshment Break – Wanamaker Ballroom Foyer

10:30-11:30 AM – IDEA General Session 2 – Embracing Neurodiversity: Unlocking Talent and Innovation in the Workplace – Wanamaker Ballroom

• Neurodivergent individuals bring unique strengths and perspectives that can drive creativity, problem-solving, and innovation in the workplace. Yet, traditional workplace structures often fail to support and maximize their potential. This session will explore the importance of neurodiversity in fostering inclusive, high-performing teams and how organizations can create environments where neurodivergent employees thrive.  Through real-world examples and actionable takeaways, this session will empower leaders and professionals to build a more inclusive, innovative, and equitable workplace for all.

• The spectrum of neurodiversity and its impact on workplace dynamics
• Common challenges neurodivergent employees face and strategies for accommodation
• Best practices for recruitment, onboarding, and career development
• How inclusive leadership and workplace culture foster neurodivergent talent

 

• Moderator
  • Randy Miller, Esq., President, Randall S. Miller & Associates 
     
• Speakers
  • Apryl Mathes, President of Growth, Operations & Impact, Diversity Lab
  • Ken Kellam, III, Administrative Assistant, Autism Treatment Center 

11:30-11:45 AM – Refreshment Break – Wanamaker Ballroom Foyer

11:45 AM-12:45 PM – IDEA General Session 3 – DEI Dialogues: Roundtable Reflections on DEI Issues – Wanamaker Ballroom

• In this session, you will have the opportunity to join 3 different roundtable discussions on various topics related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Awareness (IDEA). Each table will have discussion leaders who will guide the conversation and share some key points with the whole group. Roundtable leaders will switch tables every 20 minutes so all attendees can explore each of the three different IDEA issues in a smaller and more focused setting, to spark interactive and important dialogues. 
  
  ​Roundtable Topics:
  • Mental Health Wellbeing and Psychological Safety
  • The Importance of Allyship in the Workplace
  • The How & Why: Keeping Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our Sights 
     
• Moderator
  • Maria Tsagaris, Esq., Chief Diversity Officer, McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLP                       
     
• Table Leaders 
  • Christine Maggard, Esq., Senior Associate Attorney, Bankruptcy, Brock & Scott - Mental Health Wellbeing and Psychological Safety
  • Toniqua Green, VP Corporate Social Responsibility, Mr. Cooper - The Importance of Allyship in the Workplace
  • Brian Vaughn, Sr. Director of Marketing, McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLP - The How & Why: Keeping Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our Sights

12:45-2:00 PM – IDEA General Session 4 – Luncheon with Keynote Speaker (full lunch buffet offered) – Kelly Ann Doherty, EVP & Chief Experience Officer, Mr. Cooper Group – Embracing Your Rare Form - How to Live, Lead, and Champion Individuality at Work – Wanamaker Ballroom


Kelly Ann Doherty
EVP & Chief Experience Officer
Mr. Cooper Group

With nearly 20 years of experience disrupting the communications and human resources industries, Kelly Ann Doherty has served as an expert in communications, executive coaching, employee experience, and organizational culture for leaders in finance, logistics, and politics. In her current role as Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer at Mr. Cooper Group, she empowers people’s uniqueness and creativity from every vantage point as she oversees the team member experience and customer experience inclusive of Human Resources, Communications, DEI, Marketing, and so much more.

Kelly Ann earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Media and Communication from George Washington University, and went on to shine her light and leave her mark in communication roles at the White House, NASA, and beyond. It is through her lived experiences that Kelly Ann learned how to craft healthy company culture and witnessed the critical role it plays in allowing the unique characteristics and life experiences of team members to shine.

Unconventional in both personality and experience, Kelly Ann has risen in the ranks, unafraid to showcase what makes her a rare asset, all while clearing a path for others to do the same.

Session Description:
Have you ever felt your inner light dim when you entered the boardroom or your individuality wane under industry pressure? Kelly Ann knows this feeling all too well and is on a mission to challenge the notion that professionalism is equated with conformity.

Kelly Ann spent years working in some of the nation’s most esteemed environments (the likes of NASA and The White House,) and despite the daily pressures, she rose in the ranks, unafraid to showcase what makes her a rare asset, all while clearing a path for others to do the same. Whether it’s going against the status quo or pushing for a more inclusive environment, Kelly Ann is modeling that you don’t have to fit a mold to find success and wants others to find the same freedom.

Kelly Ann believes that identifying and owning your rare form is YOUR distinctive advantage as an individual, and as an organization. From this foundation, she invites her audience to find lasting fulfillment through living and working from their most authentic self.
 
2:00 PM – IDEA Summit 2025 Concludes