BY Alden Knowlton

As the associate vice president of Political Affairs for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), I oversee the PAC (MORPAC) and Grassroots Advocacy (Mortgage Action Alliance) programs of the association. I also lead the development and execution of an over $2 million per cycle fundraising and federal disbursement plan, direction of all grassroots activities of the 22,500-member network, including industry “Calls to Action,” and management of the annual National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.

That’s just my job description. My most significant duty is to engage more real estate finance industry professionals in the legislative and political processes and grow the industry’s voice in Washington, D.C. and state capitals nationwide.

I got my start in political advocacy almost by accident. I took a quiz in high school, assuming my dad and I were of the same political ideology and could not have been more skewed. My initial assumption and the actual results fascinated me, and as a history major, I have often found it far more interesting to study and learn why and how peoples’ views on certain issues change over time, rather than a simple recitation of dates/events to connect. Politics, then, for me was a natural fit.

I came to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2008 with an unpaid political internship at a firm that specialized in fundraising and strategy for members of the House of Representatives. Given their two-year election cycles, it became quickly apparent to me just how often these members had to spend fundraising because of how frequently they came over for “call time,” where they “dial for dollars” in never-ending lists of potential donors, PAC and individual.

This internship transitioned into a full-time job for the next five years and 4 election cycles, providing me with a unique understanding of the perpetual balancing act required for elected officials to serve constituents, shape and deliver the message, raise the funds necessary to win the campaign to stay in office, and govern effectively. I left there to work in a more non-partisan role at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, where I managed the PAC fundraising efforts on behalf of 35,000 individual contributors giving an average of $59 per year, with over 11,000 donors opting to contribute via their electric bill every month. When the opportunity at the MBA came up, I jumped at the chance to represent those entities that are financing the dream of homeownership for millions of Americans.

Political advocacy has long been a passion of mine. I’m THAT friend and family member who sends reminders about upcoming election dates and details, such as registration information, polling location/times, etc. While I certainly advocate for specific candidates, my goal is always increased participation in the process, regardless of political affiliation. It is often frustrating to observe a “high turnout” election barely skirt above 60 percent of the eligible voting population. It reminds me of an oft-cited quotation credited, though not confirmed, by Thomas Jefferson, “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” That sentiment undergirds everything I do at the MBA on behalf of the industry. And, it’s why we need more women to engage with broader advocacy efforts that benefit the entire real estate finance industry.

Representation is important and can have profound political and policy implications. Women still make up the majority of our electorate, and the 2018 midterm elections brought us a now-record number of women serving in the 116th Congress with nearly 130 women serving in the House and Senate. Voters in that “year of the woman” brought us many firsts in Congress:

• Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) are the first female Senators to represent their respective states in the U.S. Senate.
• The Federal Election Commission (FEC) ruled that campaign funds could be used for childcare to accommodate an influx of moms running for office.
• The Senate changed its rules to allow Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who became the first Senator to give birth while in office, to bring her infant with her on the floor during votes.

As professionals in the real estate industry, we all operate in the political arena, whether it be by choice or by default. From GSE reform or statewide rent control, what happens in Washington, D.C. or your state capital affects us all in some way.

Unfortunately, for many of our peers and colleagues, political advocacy is often an afterthought. After all, the MBA already has government relations staff working to represent the real estate finance industry. Isn’t that enough, you ask?

No! What many do not realize is that we need to be our own advocates, too.

I appreciate that the time hard-working real estate finance professionals have available is limited, and taking the time to advocate might seem like time you don’t have to spend. I completely understand. In an ideal world, our elected officials would embrace the fundamental mission of our industry and lead, not stymie efforts to streamline regulations and expand access to affordable mortgages for all Americans.

Unfortunately, as you know all too well, that is not the world we live in. The reality of the political landscape is that doing your job to the highest ethical and professional standards is not enough. In a vibrant representative democracy like the one in which we live, your voice is what matters to the elected officials whom we need to reach and speaking up is the only way we can truly influence action by decisionmakers.

The good news is that the MBA has multiple programs to help you become an industry advocate.

The Mortgage Action Alliance (MAA) is a free, non-partisan and the only national grassroots advocacy network that represents the entire real estate finance industry. MAA has nearly 23,000 active members nationwide but only 48 percent of them are women.

Even with a small fraction of industry professionals behind us, we can combat harmful legislation before most of our colleagues are even aware that a threat existed. Imagine what we could do with an even bigger voice.

Members of Congress and your local officials are inundated by competing voices in Washington and in your state capital every day. However, the people they really want to hear from are you, their constituents, and in an important election year, potential voters.

It’s so important for policymakers to know what you do locally to help families buy their first homes or refinance their mortgages, how you create rental housing or help finance the buildings where your neighbors work or shop.

Active member engagement in the MBA Advocacy programs is the lifeblood of our lobbying efforts, as you add a name, face, and personal story to complex issues, making them relatable to elected officials with little background or education in our industry.

The future of our industry will be directly impacted by the outcome of the upcoming 2020 elections, and it has never been more critical that we collectively remain engaged on all fronts.

Lend your voice to our efforts. Bring your expertise and experiences to the table. Make an industry impact today:

• Join MAA
• Run a MAA enrollment campaign at your company
• Identify yourself as a grasstops advocate
• Register for NAC

The larger the group, the louder the voice!

Alden Knowlton currently serves as the associate vice president of political affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) where she oversees the PAC (MORPAC) and Grassroots Advocacy (Mortgage Action Alliance) programs of the association, direction of all grassroots activities of the 27,000 member network, including industry “Calls to Action,” and management of the annual National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.  She currently resides in Washington, DC, and can be contacted at [email protected].