GFI Mortgage Bankers promotes Bakst to COO

GFI Mortgage Bankers Inc. has promoted Steven Bakst to chief operating officer for the company. As COO, Bakst will continue to oversee all the lending functions, and will be responsible for the company's productivity and budgetary performance. He also will develop and implement policies and procedures as needs arise and will manage the company's compliance with state and regulatory agencies. Bakst previously served as director of operations for the company for six years. In that role, he managed all mortgage lending and servicing for the company, including the sales, underwriting, closing and funding of residential loans. "Steven has done a remarkable job as director of operations, steering the company in the right direction and always keeping on top of what is best for the company," says CEO Abe Eisner. "It was an easy decision to give him this promotion and allow him to take on greater and further our success." "I greatly appreciate the confidence that the GFI's management has in me and the opportunities they have afforded me," says Bakst. "I look forward to continuing my efforts at GFI in my new position. My main focus will be on streamlining the operations and expanding our sales team." Bakst has more than 10 years of management experience in mortgage operations. Before joining the company, he served as the Vice President and Director of Operations for another mortgage lender where he oversaw the bank, title company and law firm. Bakst graduated from Touro College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management. About GFI Mortgage Bankers Inc. Since 1983, GFI Mortgage Bankers has offered residential clients not simply a mortgage but a partner in their home buying process. Beginning as a neighborhood lender, GFI Mortgage Bankers is currently one of the largest licensed home mortgage firms, funding almost $1 billion in mortgages annually. GFI Mortgage Bankers' highly trained mortgage professionals take a hands-on approach to every transaction, working directly with real estate brokers, developers, and attorneys for fast approvals, while conveniently providing in-house processing, underwriting and closing support. As a direct lender, we are able to provide hundreds of loan programs to our clients and specialize in arranging financing designed to meet the specific requirements of each borrower. GFI Mortgage Bankers has earned an outstanding reputation for providing exceptional customer service and taking an entrepreneurial approach to creating customized fi s, because they know that in order to provide clients with better service, they need to stay on top of the trends. Amir Rizavi, PE, in their New York City office was elected treasurer of the ITE Metropolitan Section of N.Y. and N.J., Rizavi has served ITE for 13 years at the local and international levels. His active participation in developing technical sessions for ITE's Annual Conferences as a member of the Technical Program Committee keeps him ahead of the curve so he can continue to help clients address their complex traffic engineering challenges.