Steven B. Chotin
Helen M. Dickens
Jennifer Land
David Frederick
Jeffrey Stemmermann, CFA
Ross Chotin
Hilary U. Snyder
Andy Wolf
J. Eric Westerhausen
Eric Knab
Steven B. Chotin
Founder and Chairman
As founder and chairman of The Chotin Group Corporation, Mr. Chotin has a distinguished career that includes three decades of experience managing mortgage related investments with specialized expertise in structured finance and asset securitization. As a leader and innovator in the industry, Mr. Chotin first distinguished himself as Senior Vice President of MDC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), where he played a primary role in the formation of American Southwest Financial Corporation, one of the first mortgage banking conduits serving participants nationwide. He created Home American Mortgage Corporation, a full service mortgage banking operation for MDC. In 1984, Mr. Chotin established The Chotin Group, a Denver-based company, which has dealt in all aspects of the mortgage finance business, including securitizing loans, originating and servicing loans, and investing in loans and securities. Mr. Chotin was at the forefront of the development of mortgage-backed securities in the early 1980s. It has also invested in low-income housing tax credits, oil and gas and other innovative credit products. He acquired National Mortgage Corporation, taking it from a prime residential mortgage servicer to a leading nationwide subprime lending and servicing company. In 2003, Mr. Chotin shifted the focus of the firm and has built a premier asset management platform specializing in the issuance of collateralized debt obligation funds.
Helen M. Dickens
President and Chief Operating Officer
Ms. Dickens is responsible for strategic planning and implementation of all structured finance and operational activities. She joined Chotin in 1989 as manager of accounting and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 1995 and President in 2002. She has managed all phases of the asset securitization process as well as securities trading and operations. Prior to joining Chotin, Ms. Dickens was Corporate Secretary of Uniwest Financial Corporation, a savings and loan holding company with 13 branches. She was responsible for accounting, human resources and shareholder relations. Ms. Dickens holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Metropolitan State College in Denver.
Jennifer Land
Corporate Secretary and Director of Human Resources
Director of The Chotin Foundation
Ms. Land is responsible for all corporate recordkeeping and oversees office administration for Chotin and its affiliates, including The Chotin Foundation where she serves as a director. She also heads all aspects of the firm’s human resources function, including recruiting and benefit implementation. Ms. Land also serves as Mr. Steven Chotin’s Executive Assistant, a role she has held since 1996. She joined Chotin in 1993 as a part of the company’s administrative staff and has held increasing roles of responsibility since that time, including serving as project manager on a number of Chotin initiatives that fall outside the scope of her job responsibilities. Prior to joining Chotin, Ms. Land held administrative positions in the graphics and medical software development industries.
David Frederick
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Frederick oversees the company's accounting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, IT and payroll departments. He joined Chotin in 2005, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting. Prior to joining Chotin, Mr. Frederick served as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Duke Energy Field Services Corporation, a position he secured through 13 years of progressive accomplishment within Duke and its predecessor entities, PanEnergy and Panhandle Eastern Corporation. Mr. Frederick started his career as an auditor for Deloitte, Haskins & Sells in Houston, Texas. He holds a Bachelors degree in accounting from the University of Houston.
Jeffrey Stemmermann, CFA
Vice President and Portfolio Manager
Mr. Stemmermann is responsible for investment analysis, portfolio construction, asset selection and trading. Additionally, he is involved in the formation of the firm's views on asset types and residential mortgage credit trends. Prior to joining Chotin, he spent four years with ING Investment Management as a Mortgage-Backed Securities Analyst where he assisted in managing its MBS portfolio for both insurance and third-party accounts that consistently outperformed the Lehman MBS Index on a total return basis. Mr. Stemmermann's experience also includes developing and maintaining a proprietary relative value model used to identify and evaluate potential trades. Mr. Stemmermann holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a Masters in Quantitative and Computational Finance from Georgia Institute of Technology. In addition, he has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Ross Chotin
Associate
Mr. Chotin is a member of the Structured Finance Group and is involved with all aspects of business development and investor relations. Previously, he was responsible for trading operations, which included trade settlement, asset pricing, and warehouse reconciliation. Prior to joining Chotin in 2003, Mr. Chotin worked in hotel management for Sage Hospitality, a nationally recognized hotel management company, based in Denver.
Hilary U. Snyder
Investment Analyst
Ms. Snyder is a member of the fixed income trading and analytics team. She is responsible for maintaining the transaction database and supervises the surveillance and monitoring process. Ms. Snyder holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics with an emphasis in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Andy Wolf
Investment Analyst
Mr. Wolf is a member of the fixed income trading and analytics team. He supports the portfolio managers with credit analysis across all asset types and is actively involved in the surveillance and monitoring process. Prior to joining Chotin, Mr. Wolf was an investment analyst concentrating on commercial loans at Merchants Mortgage and Trust and was a field coordinator for the Joe Lieberman for President Campaign. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
J. Eric Westerhausen
Originator/Servicer Surveillance Analyst
Mr. Westerhausen joined Chotin in 2005 and is responsible for the firm's whole loan acquisition activities including portfolio due diligence, compliance, pool certification, servicer oversight and surveillance of loan assets. He brings more than 18 years of mortgage banking and financial services experience to Chotin. He previously held the position of Vice President, Correspondent Operations at National Mortgage Corporation, a former Chotin subsidiary, managing whole loan purchasing, warehousing, and pool certification activities. Other past experience includes production management positions with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Huntington Mortgage Company. Mr. Westerhausen also served as Senior Vice President for American Document Services, a Fidelity National Financial subsidiary providing mortgage-related outsource services. He is a past member of the Document Custody Committee and E-commerce Sub-committee of the Mortgage Bankers Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Ohio State University.
Eric Knab
Quantitative Analyst
Mr. Knab is a member of the structured finance trading and analytics team primarily responsible for portfolio analytics and research. Prior to joining Chotin, Mr. Knab was a Senior Financial Analyst for CollegeInvest, where he managed the Financial Planning and Analysis function of the organization, including developing analytic and reporting systems, pricing and forecasting models, and investment strategies. Prior to CollegeInvest, Mr. Knab spent three years with the MurrayHill Company as the Manager of Analytics and Research. Mr. Knab holds a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota.