Howard W. Smith is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walker & Dunlop and in July 2010, he joined our Board of Directors. Mr. Smith came to Walker & Dunlop in November of 1980 and became a part of our management team in 1988. In 2004, he took on his role as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He has also been a Board member of Walker & Dunlop, LLC or its predecessors since that time. Mr. Smith oversees our Multifamily, FHA Finance, Healthcare Finance, Underwriting and Asset Management groups.
Beyond the company, Mr. Smith is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors, the National Multi Housing Council Board of Directors and the Tudor Place Foundation’s Board of Directors. He served as chairman of the Advisory Council to the Fannie Mae DUS Peer Group from 2007 to 2008, again from 2009 to 2010, and is currently an active member. Mr. Smith received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Washington & Lee University.
He has extensive knowledge of our operations, having spent his entire career at Walker & Dunlop. In his capacity as chief operating officer, Mr. Smith also provides our board with management's perspective on our business operations and conditions, which is crucial to our board's performance of its oversight function.
