In addition to the specific information set forth in their respective biographies, we believe that each of our directors also possesses the tangible and intangible attributes and skills that are important to being an effective director on the Board, including experience in areas of expertise relevant and beneficial to our business and industry, a willingness and commitment to assume the responsibilities required of a director of the Company and the character and integrity we expect of directors of the Company.
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Continuing Class
IIIII Directors
The following information is furnished regarding the nominees for election as our Class
IIIII directors by the holders of Common Stock.
James A. Brodsky
Robin Josephs, 73,61, has served as a director of MFA since 2004. Mr. Brodsky is2010. From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Josephs was a partnermanaging director of Starwood Capital Group L.P., a private equity firm specializing in real estate investments. From 1986 to 1996, Ms. Josephs was a senior executive with Goldman, Sachs & Co. serving in the real estate group of the investment banking division and, later, in the equity capital markets division. Ms. Josephs currently serves as a founding member of the law firmboard of Weiner Brodsky Kider PC in Washington, D.C.directors of iStar Inc., where she is lead director, Chair of the nominating and has practiced law
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with that firmgovernance committee and its predecessor since 1977. Mr. Brodsky provides legal advicea member of the compensation committee, QuinStreet Inc., a provider of performance marketing products and business counsel to publicly-traded and privately-held national and regional residential mortgage lenders on secondary mortgage market transactions (including those involving Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae), mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases and sales, mortgage compliance issues and strategic business initiatives. Prior to 1977, Mr. Brodsky was a Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also currentlytechnologies, where she serves as General CounselChair of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. Mr. Brodsky also iscompensation committee and a directormember of Enterprise Community Investment,the nominating and governance committee, and Safehold Inc., which investsan investor in affordable housing and community development projects nationwide through public-private investments, as well as raises and invests private investor capital, develops affordable housing and provides lending products for the commercial and multifamily real estate sectors. Mr. Brodsky isground leases. Ms. Josephs also served as a former Chairmanmember of the Board of eachDirectors of Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. from 2003 until its sale to Weyerhaeuser Company in February 2016. Ms. Josephs is a trustee of the Montgomery County Maryland Housing Opportunities Commission and the Montgomery Housing Partnership. Mr. BrodskyUniversity of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation. Ms. Josephs received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.S. in electrical engineering from Columbia University and hisher undergraduate degree from CornellThe Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.
We believe that Ms. Josephs’s qualifications to serve on the Board include her significant knowledge of the specialty finance and real estate industries, her extensive experience in the investment banking industry, including her expertise in public and private real estate finance and equity capital markets, her substantial service on the boards and committees of other public companies, her experience with corporate governance, finance and other related matters.
Craig L. Knutson, 61, has served as a director of MFA and as our Chief Executive Officer and President since August 2017. Mr. Knutson was appointed Co-CEO in July 2017 and President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2014 and served in those capacities prior to his appointment as CEO and President in August 2017. Mr. Knutson served as our Executive Vice President from 2008 to 2013. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Knutson served as Senior Executive Vice President of CBA Commercial, LLC, an acquirer and securitizer of small balance commercial mortgages. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Knutson served as President and Chief Operating Officer of ARIASYS Inc., a software development company specializing in custom solutions for small to midsize businesses. From 1986 to 1999, Mr. Knutson held various progressive positions in the mortgage trading and mortgage finance departments of First Boston Corporation (later Credit Suisse), Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley. From 1981 to 1984, Mr. Knutson served as an Analyst and then Associate in the Investment Banking Department of E.F. Hutton & Company Inc. Mr. Knutson holds an M.B.A. from Harvard University and an A.B. (magna cum laude) from Hamilton College.
We believe that Mr.
Brodsky’sKnutson’s qualifications to serve on the Board include his
significant experienceposition as
a lawyer and founding member of a national law firm specializing in residential mortgage finance,our Chief Executive Officer as well as his prior senior-level positions with MFA, his extensive knowledge of
the origination and servicing of, and the regulatory aspects relating to,mortgage-backed securities, residential mortgage loans
and capital markets, his
experience with the federal executive branch agencies that regulatesubstantial knowledge of our business operations and
directly affect the residential mortgage sectorinvestment strategies and his
general experience with corporate governance, finance and other related matters.Richard J. Byrne, 58, has served as a director of MFA since March 2014. Mr. Byrne has been President of Benefit Street Partners L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton Investments, since April 2013. Prior to 2013, Mr. Byrne served as Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. from 2008 to March 2013. Prior to serving as CEO of Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., Mr. Byrne was Co-Head of Global Capital Markets at Deutsche Bank. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Byrne was Global Co-Head of Leveraged Finance and Global Head of Credit Research at Merrill Lynch. Mr. Byrne also serves as a director of Benefit Street Partners Realty Trust (where he also serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) and Business Development Corp. of America (where he also serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) and Wynn Resorts. Mr. Byrne received an M.B.A from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and his B.A. from Binghamton University.
We believe that Mr. Byrne’s qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensiveoverall experience in the investment banking industry, including his expertise in corporate finance and his substantial knowledge of the public and private capital markets and his executive management experience in the financial services industry.
Francis J. Oelerich III, 58, is not a current director of MFA. Mr. Oelerich has been a Managing Director of XMS Capital Partners, a global, independent financial services firm providing investment banking, asset management and merchant banking services, since 2018. Prior thereto, Mr. Oelerich was a Managing Director in the Mergers & Acquisitions Department of Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. from 2008 to 2017. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Oelerich worked in investment banking for Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated from 1982 to 1984 and from 1986 to 2008, rising to the level of Managing Director. Mr. Oelerich received an M.B.A. from Harvard University, where he was elected a George F. Baker Scholar and named a Loeb, Rhoades Fellow, and a B.B.A. (with high honors) from the University of Notre Dame.
We believe that Mr. Oelerich’s qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensive experience in the investment banking industry, including his expertise in corporate finance and his extensive experience advising public company Boards of Directors on mergers and acquisitions and other strategic matters.
finance.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF
MR. BRODSKY, MR. BYRNEMS. JOSEPHS AND MR.
OELERICHKNUTSON AS CLASS
IIIII DIRECTORS.
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The following information is furnished regarding our Class I directors (who will continue to serve on the Board until our
20202023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualify).
Stephen R. Blank, 73, has served as a director of MFA since 2002. From 1998 to 2014, Mr. Blank was a Senior Resident Fellow, Finance, at the Urban Land Institute (“ULI”), a non-profit education and research institute which studies land use and real estate development policy. Prior to joining ULI, Mr. Blank served from 1993 to 1998 as Managing Director — Real Estate Investment Banking of CIBC Oppenheimer Corp. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. Blank was Managing Director of the Real Estate Corporate Finance Department of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. From 1979 to 1989, Mr. Blank served as Managing Director — Real Estate Investment Banking of Kidder, Peabody & Co. From 1973 to 1979, Mr. Blank was employed by Bache & Co., Incorporated, as Vice President, Direct Investment Group. Mr. Blank currently serves as Lead Trustee of RPT Realty (formerly Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust), where he is a member of the compensation, audit and nominating and governance committees. From May 1999 to February 2007, Mr. Blank was a member of the Board of Directors of BNP Residential Trust, Inc., and he was a member of the Board of Directors of Home Properties, Inc. from 2009 to October 2015 when it was acquired by a private real estate fund. Mr. Blank received an M.B.A. in finance from Adelphi University and his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University.
We believe that Mr. Blank’s qualifications to serve on the Board include his extensive knowledge of the real estate industry as evidenced by his former position at ULI, his experience in the investment banking industry, including his expertise in public and private real estate finance and his substantial service on the boards and committees of other public and private companies.
Laurie S. Goodman, 63,65, has served as a director of MFA since July 2014. She is currently the Center Co-Director of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. Ms. Goodman joined the Urban