Synovus Wins 2019 MBA Residential Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award

COLUMBUS, Ga., Oct. 28, 2019 — Synovus has been recognized by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) as a 2019 Residential Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award winner at MBA’s 2019 Annual Convention & Expo held Oct. 27-30 in Austin, Texas. The annual awards recognize MBA members for their leadership efforts in diversity and inclusion in two award categories: organizational diversity and inclusion, and market outreach strategies.

Synovus was one of five 2019 MBA Residential Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award recipients, and was recognized as a Market Outreach Strategies Award winner for its commitment to cultivating homeownership in the communities it serves. Synovus’ dedicated mortgage platform, from origination to closing, includes support, leadership, and affordable product offerings.

“In recent years, diversity and inclusion efforts have been a main focus of MBA and our members,” said Brian Stoffers, CMB, 2020 MBA Chairman, and Global President, Debt & Structured Finance at CBRE. “This year’s award recipients have shown their commitment to fostering D&I programs that benefit their organizations as well as the entire real estate finance industry.”

“Synovus’ focus on inclusion and diversity is an essential part of the way we serve communities,” said Mary Beth Balzli, president and CEO, Synovus Mortgage. “This award validates the efforts we’ve made to improve representation throughout our organization and we couldn’t be prouder to be recognized in this way.”

To determine this year’s Organizational Diversity, Market Outreach Strategies, and Non-Lender award winners, submissions were reviewed by two groups of judges consisting of members of MBA's Diversity and Inclusion Committee and MBA staff. The companies, based on overall number of employees, were scored by the quality of their overall submission, identification of a target audience and annual goals, demonstration of a tangible benefit to participants and the overall enterprise, and the replicability of the program. Innovative program approaches and potential success in broadening the culture of the organization through the values of diversity and inclusion were also considered.

To learn more about MBA's Diversity and Inclusion efforts, please visit mba.org/diversity.

ABOUT SYNOVUS:

Synovus Bank, a Georgia-chartered, FDIC-insured bank, provides commercial and retail banking, investment, and mortgage services together with its affiliates through 298 branches in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Synovus Bank has been recognized as one of the country’s “Most Reputable Banks” by American Banker and the Reputation Institute. Synovus Bank is on the web at synovus.com, and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Equal Housing Lender.

ABOUT MORTGAGE BANKERS ASSOCIATION:

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is the national association representing the real estate finance industry, an industry that employs more than 280,000 people in virtually every community in the country. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the association works to ensure the continued strength of the nation's residential and commercial real estate markets, to expand homeownership, and to extend access to affordable housing to all Americans. MBA promotes fair and ethical lending practices and fosters professional excellence among real estate finance employees through a wide range of educational programs and a variety of publications. Its membership of over 2,300 companies includes all elements of real estate finance: mortgage companies, mortgage brokers, commercial banks, thrifts, REITs, Wall Street conduits, life insurance companies, and others in the mortgage lending field. For additional information, visit MBA's Web site: www.mba.org.