DEFINING A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
Meet our senior leadership team.
Gary Sneed
Chief Executive Officer, Define Mortgage Solutions
Gary is a seasoned industry executive with more than 30 years of lending experience working with regional and national banks.
He began his career with Desert Financial (formerly Desert Schools) in November of 2009 and currently oversees the consumer loan, mortgage loan and commercial loan departments. After leading the formation of Define Mortgage Solutions, Gary also assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer for the CUSO in October of 2018. His career has spanned responsibilities in many areas of financial institution management, including branch sales and services.
Gary is a graduate of Lake Erie College with a degree in business management and a specialization in finance and accounting. He also attended the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and completed The Darden University Leadership Development program at the University of Virginia. Gary formerly served as Chairman of the Board for the Better Business Bureau of the Pacific Southwest and is currently an Executive Committee board member. He is also a past member of the Fannie Mae Credit Union Advisory Council and the Experian Credit Union Advisory Council.
Bernie Chavira
Sr. Director of Mortgage Origination
Bernie leads one of the top credit union mortgage origination teams in the country. He began his career in the banking industry over 20 years ago at World Savings Bank before joining Desert Financial (formerly Desert Schools) in 1999 and Define Mortgage Solutions in 2018.
In 2007, Bernie received the National Credit Union Foundation’s HOPE Award for his efforts assisting individuals in underserved communities achieve homeownership. Bernie was promoted to help lead the mortgage origination team in 2009; since then, his team has assisted nearly 25,000 members with their mortgage needs, originating nearly $4 billion in mortgage loans.
Bernie has also helped other credit unions succeed through his work with the Arizona Credit Union Real Estate Network, having served on their board and as a two-time past president of the organization. He is a member of the Arizona Mortgage Lenders Association and a graduate of the Mountain West Credit Union Association Leadership Institute. Bernie grew up in the city of Mesa and is a proud alumnus of the Arizona State University class of 2002. He describes himself as a natural optimist who thrives most when being challenged. Bernie’s favorite quote is, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
Robin White
AVP, Operations and Servicing
Robin White began her career with Desert Financial Credit Union (formerly Desert Schools) in 1995 following several years in the financial services industry working for such firms as Bank of America and Chase.
In her early years at the credit union, Robin held a multitude of roles including Loan Officer, Mortgage Underwriter and Learning and Development Manager. Robin moved into a leadership role within mortgage operations in 2001 and was later promoted to AVP of Real Estate Lending, where she took on responsibility for mortgage sales and servicing. In 2008, Robin transitioned to the newly created role of AVP of Credit Services with the goal of developing a loss mitigation department. In that role, Robin led teams in all aspects of consumer and mortgage loan servicing, collections and loss mitigation. With the formation of Define Mortgage Solutions in October of 2018, Robin assumed responsibility for the CUSO’s mortgage operations and servicing teams.
Robin is a former member of the Fannie Mae Credit Union Advisory Board. She has served as a member of the CMG Mortgage Insurance Company (now Arch MI) Advisory Board and was the founding president of the Arizona Credit Union Real Estate Network (AZ CUREN), where she currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer. Robin is proud to have completed the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Future Leader Program in 2008. She also earned their designation of AMP (Accredited Mortgage Professional) and is currently working toward achieving the Certified Mortgage Banker designation.