California Ethical Real Estate Funding, LLC (CEREF) - Hope for Homeowners

Ron McMahan is the Chief Executive Officer of CEREF and is responsible for deal sourcing and transaction negotiation. He has seventeen years of experience as a financial and investment management executive with specialized experience in finance (corporate and venture), business and management consulting, private equity, fund of funds, and public financing.

Since 2002, Mr. McMahan has been a partner at Main Street Financial. In 2004 and 2005 Mr. McMahan has personally originated over $100 million of residential mortgages and developed the firm’s marketing and customer retention programs. Also since 2002, Mr. McMahan has worked in the real estate industry and co-invested in several development projects, as well as acted as a principal in private lending and investment in residential properties located in California, Nevada, and Oregon.

Prior to founding Main Street Financial in 2002, Mr. McMahan was the founding shareholder of OXBOW Equities, a private equity investment company founded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1993, and was its Chief Executive Officer when it was taken public on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1997. Mr. McMahan earned his B.S. in Psychology and M.Sc. in Counseling from Long Beach State University and is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson in the state of California.

Ron Brandenburg is the President and Chief Operating Officer of CEREF and is responsible for due diligence and transaction management. Mr. Brandenburg has over twenty years of direct experience in the real estate finance industry and has significant expertise in credit and collateral analysis having completed more than 3,000 single-family home financing transactions during his career ranging from A-paper transactions to foreclosure bailouts.

Mr. Brandenburg co-founded Main Street Financial in 2002. At Main Street Financial, Mr. Brandenburg is responsible for the origination and execution of residential mortgages, including review and grading of borrower’s credit and income, review and analysis of property appraisals and preliminary title reports and oversight of the compliance and administrative functions of the company. He also handled the firm’s wholesale banking relationships (e.g., First Horizon, GMAC/Homecomings), and founded the company’s in-house escrow division.

Prior to founding Main Street Financial, from 2000, Mr. Brandenburg served as President and Chief Executive Officer of MHshopper.com, Inc., a venture-backed nation-wide mortgage bank specializing in manufactured housing finance. Mr. Brandenburg grew this business from a start-up to a nationwide lender completing financing transactions for a network of three hundred and fifty manufactured home retailers.  Mr. Brandenburg is a licensed California Real Estate Broker.

Bud Terrell is the Chief Financial Officer of the Manager, responsible for servicing oversight, investor reporting and portfolio management.  Mr. Terrell has over twenty years experience in accounting, finance, financial management and corporate administration.  He has significant expertise in establishing financial management processes and controls for early-stage high-growth companies.

Since 2006, Mr. Terrell has served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration for Sendio, Inc., a venture-backed developer of e-mail security solutions for enterprise customers.  Between 2003 and 2006, Mr. Terrell was Senior Vice President, Finance for NWP Services (National Water & Power), the nation’s leading utility billing, sub-metering, and energy management company serving the multi-family housing industry.

Prior to that, Mr. Terrell held CFO level positions with Superior Galleries, MHshopper.com, Inc. and HDS, Inc., all privately-held companies in the mortgage, investments, and manufacturing industries.  Mr. Terrell began his career in the Los Angeles office of Price Waterhouse, where he became licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in 1990. Mr. Terrell earned his B.Sc. and M.A. in Accounting from the University of Southern California.

Guy Johnson is the Co-Chairman of the Manager. Guy Johnson has over twenty-five years of real estate investment banking and finance experience and in 1987 Mr. Johnson founded Johnson Capital, a leading international real estate investment banking and advisory firm. He is currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of the firm and actively participates in its daily operations and strategic initiatives.

Mr. Johnson has served on advisory boards for major nationally known financial institutions and investment banks including the Real Estate Roundtable (president’s council), University of Southern California’s Lusk School Board of Advisors, Mortgage Bankers Association of America (former vice chairman, and capital market’s committee), California Mortgage Bankers Association (former chairman and acting director), International Council of Shopping Centers, Commercial Mortgage Securities Association, Urban Land Institute, National Multi Housing Council (national board of directors and executive committee member), National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (national director, past Southern California director, and former president), Real Estate Investment Advisory Council, and Pension Real Estate Association.

Mr. Johnson received his B.S. in accounting from the University of Southern California and M.B.A. from Loyola University.

Stuart Shelly is the Co-Chairman of the Manager. Mr. Shelly has over twenty-five years of banking, investing and financial management experience. During his career, Mr. Shelly has completed over $40 billion of debt and equity transactions as underwriter, agent, or principal. Since 2007, Mr. Shelly has been the Managing Partner of River Run Capital, a principal investment firm. In addition, since 2002, Mr. Shelly has been a principal of Transitional Investors, LLC, a private investment company whose core business is the acquisition of long-lived assets with recurring and highly predictable cash flows.

Prior to founding Transitional Investors, LLC in 2002, Mr. Shelly was the CFO of Affinity Internet, Inc. Prior to that, from 1999 to 2000, Mr. Shelly was the West Region Manager of GE Capital’s Merchant Banking Group, responsible for all sponsor coverage, private equity investments, fund investments, LBO senior debt, and equity co-investments. Prior to working for GE, Mr. Shelly was a CPA with KPMG.

Mr. Shelly earned his B.S. in Accountancy and an MBA from the University of Denver.