ACUMA Announces New President

MIDDLETON, Wis. – The American Credit Union Mortgage Association (ACUMA) has named Peter J. Benjamin, CMB as the next President of the organization. A deeply experienced mortgage lender, Mr. Benjamin will succeed Ms. Tracy Ashfield and assume the responsibilities of President on March 7, 2022.

Benjamin has 20 years of mortgage lending experience including the last five years as Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending for Lafayette Federal Credit Union in Rockville, MD. During his time at Lafayette, Benjamin led a high performing mortgage team that exceeded production and budget goals each year, reduced the Credit Union’s cycle times to the industry required timeframes; and dramatically improved the credit union’s application pull-through rate. He also led the development of portfolio products including a first-time home buyer program, implemented a new loan origination system and point of sale system and transitioned the Credit Union from a primarily portfolio lender to an organization that sells loans on the secondary market.

The ACUMA Board of Directors spent the past five months conducting a thorough search to identify the best candidate to lead the association. “The Board is confident Peter is the right leader at the right time for our association,” said Tim Mislansky, ACUMA’s Chairman of the Board. “The search committee felt ACUMA and its members would best be served by someone who understands the mortgage industry inside and out, has firsthand knowledge of Credit Unions, as well as by an ACUMA member who already knows and loves the association” said Mislansky. “Peter brings a passion for mortgage lending and for credit unions and we are thrilled to have him take the reins of ACUMA.”

“I could not be more excited to take on the role of President of ACUMA,” said Benjamin. “It’s a first-class organization and I am honored to lead it.” Benjamin “fell in love with all that credit unions stand for and their mission to serve their communities.” Specifically, he believes credit unions and those who belong to ACUMA have played an integral part in growing and supporting homeownership. “Being a credit union mortgage lender is unlike any other: we support our communities through affordable and appropriate lending practices, and we recognize that our actions should make a positive impact for all of our members,” said Benjamin.

As an association, Benjamin wants to see ACUMA members continue to foster the collaborative spirit that has made the association so great and work together to support the American Dream of homeownership. He sees ACUMA as a vital education arm that helps Member Credit Unions gain market share in the mortgage industry.

Benjamin plans to grow membership in ACUMA to bring its unique and strong value proposition to more and more credit unions, so they become stronger mortgage lenders and credit unions capture more market share across the country. He plans to engage with the organization’s affiliate members and sponsors to strengthen the partnerships. And finally, he will seek to continue delivering the highest quality education and networking events.

Benjamin holds a Certified Mortgage Banker designation and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. He spends his personal time with his wife, Danielle, and their three kids. A DC-area native; he enjoys hiking through our National Parks system, brewing in his basement home brewery, and spending quality time with his family.