Christine Chandler, executive vice president and chief operating officer for M&T Realty Capital Corporation (RCC), has been named chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) for 2026.
In addition, Owen Lee, CEO for Success Mortgage Partners, Inc. (SMP), and John Hedlund, vice chairman of ICE Mortgage Technology, were sworn in as chair-elect and vice chair, respectively.
The announcement was made during the MBA’s 2025 Annual Convention and Expo.
Chandler has been with M&T since 1991 and has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate finance.
She has been chief operating officer for RCG since 2018 and has overseen credit, asset management, compliance, technology and transformation for the firm.
“Throughout my career, I have witnessed the significant impact of MBA’s advocacy, research, and education in strengthening the real estate finance industry and the communities it serves,” Chandler says in a statement. “It is a distinct honor to represent our industry as MBA’s 2026 Chair. I look forward to working with Chair-Elect Owen Lee, Vice Chair John Hedlund, and our member leaders to cultivate the next generation of industry professionals, advance policies that expand housing affordability and accessibility, and further increase member engagement in MBA’s advocacy efforts.”
Active in various committees and groups related to the mortgage banking industry, Chandler is a voting member of MBA’s board of directors, served as 2023 chair of MBA’s commercial real estate/multifamily finance board of governors (COMBOG), and previously served as chair of MBA’s audit committee.
She is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and is a passionate advocate for mPower, MBA’s networking platform for women in the real estate finance industry.
Lee co-founded SMP, located in Plymouth, Michigan, with his father, Vincent, in 2002 and serves as CEO. Under his leadership, SMP has closed billions of dollars of mortgage loans yearly since 2016, is licensed in 42 states, and has more than 600 employees. Lee is also managing member of Title Partners, LLC, a full-service title insurance and escrow services agency.
Hedlund, a prominent MBA voice and industry volunteer over the years, has served as a board member for several organizations, including as a member of MBA’s board of directors, board chairman of MISMO, chairman of MBA’s residential board of governors (RESBOG), board member and past chairman of the California Mortgage Bankers Association, and advisory board member for Automated Mortgage Systems, Inc., and FundingShield, LLC.