Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (GEM) Announces Retirement of Rick L. Roper; Elevates Joe Ewens to President

Press Release (ePRNews.com) - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Feb 16, 2021 - Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (GEM) a respected lender in the mortgage industry for nearly 30 years, has announced the semi-retirement of President, Rick L. Roper. Current Executive Vice President of Production, Joe Ewens will succeed him. This change will be effective Feb. 16, 2021.

After 35-plus years as a top senior executive in the lending industry and nearly 20 years at GEM, Roper will move to a part-time capacity as GEM’s Chief Strategy Administrator. Roper’s desire to pursue semi-retirement catalyzed this change. He will remain a resource to GEM, sharing his expertise in management planning, growth opportunities, forecasting, and related initiatives. His continued participation will ensure a seamless transition of GEM leadership.

“I want to personally congratulate Rick for a job well done and thank him for his many years of dedicated service,” said CEO of GEM, Howard Kootstra. “I could not think of a better person than Joe to elevate to President here at GEM. His proven leadership and wealth of experience will be essential to GEM’s continued growth and success. We all welcome Joe to this new role,” concluded Kootstra.

With 26 years of service to the company, GEM is excited about its future under Ewens. A seasoned professional with over 36 years of experience in the mortgage lending industry, Ewens now brings his expertise and steady leadership to the president’s role. Because of his long tenure as Executive Vice President of Production, Ewens is intimately familiar with all facets of GEM’s business, including its key relationships with warehouse lenders and secondary market investors. This familiarity will allow GEM to continue its focus on building lasting customer and business relationships. GEM looks forward to benefiting from the contributions of both Roper and Ewens in their new roles and is excited about its future outlook.

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