The book promoted on this website was a labor of love. I knew there was a story to write if I could collect enough proof sources that showed as Eastern Bank CEO, Bob Rivers says, “Doing the right thing is the smart thing.” Finding sources wasn’t hard. Pulling it together in a book that was readable was the tough part. After three years of research, writing, rewriting, validating sources, seeking approval from sources, editing, designing, forming a publishing corporation, getting ISBN numbers for the three media published, reediting, converting to e-format and finally downloading to be published on Amazon, was exhausting. 

I was taken back when my editor, Sandy Wendel, asked me, “What do you want to do next?” I wasn’t sure what the answer was supposed to be.

She came back to me with this suggestion. “You left many stories and examples on the editing desk, that you have the beginnings of another book.”

I told her, “We haven’t even sold book one yet. I’m not sure I will ever be ready for a second book.’

She then said, “To promote your book and the speaking invitations that all authors get, you are going to need a website. Why don’t you continue writing by publishing the stories you left out and new stories you will now surely pick up along the way as blogs on the website?”

It sounded easier than writing another book, so here is the first effort.

While there a few choice examples that found there way into the book, Bob Rivers, Jim McDonough, Sushil Tuli, and Dorothy Savarese, there were so many others left out. Old friends, Billy Mullin of NE Moves Mortgage and Dedhan Institution for Savings, Chris Dunn, of Boston Five and Rockland Trust, Peter Radigan of Mountain One Bank and Old Colony Mortgage, John Speakman of Rockland Credit Union, Charlie Ferraro of Raveis Mortgage, and the crew at Mortgage Network, Bob McInnes, Jim Comosa, and Brian Koss. Old Boston Five buddies John Battaglia, Gerry Devlin, and Phil Tocci, and the others have all touched my life with great stories about the right way to do mortgage lending in turbulent times.

Trade association leaders could have also been included; people like Kevin Kiley and Jon Skarin at the Mass Bankers Association, Debbie Sousa at the Mortgage Bankers Association of Massachusetts, and Mary Ann Clancy of the Cooperative Credit Association.

I also had the good fortune to save my mortal soul from eternal damnation by doing God’s work for seventeen years at MassHousing. A leadership beacon there was Tom Gleason, my Executive Director for most of my tenure. He epitomized the adage “Doing business and doing good are not mutually exclusive, and it is our responsibility to prove this every day.”

In the weeks, months and years ahead I hope to honor my friends with blogs and podcasts telling their stories, and show why they were integral parts of one of the best performing regions in the country for the mortgage lending and banking businesses, prior to and during the recent industry crisis and market crash.  I hope you will revisit this page to hear their stories.