About Us

MEET OUR TEAM

Since 1991, SCA has taken a hands-on approach helping you with strategy creation, plan execution, coaching, and reinforcement. The collective team at Spillane Consulting Associates boasts years of experience, a wealth of knowledge, and most importantly, an unwavering commitment to our clients. Read on to learn more about the team that can help turn your vision into a reality.

JOHN SPILLANE
President & Principal Founder

John founded Spillane Consulting Associates in 1991 and very quickly discovered just how in-demand consultant services were in the lending industry. In his 30+ year mortgage banking career, John held management positions in underwriting, production, and marketing. Continuously reinventing himself, he built up a magnitude of experiences which he then leveraged as information and knowledge to share with others. Since then, John has developed a diverse and deeply skilled team equipped to serve the ever-growing needs of clients, and has successfully expanded into serving new industries with multi-faceted solutions such as strategic planning and workforce management and development.

The core values that John holds dear are what he empowers his entire team to embrace: a client-centered focus that encourages perpetual growth, while upholding the prestigious reputation that SCA has earned since inception. John continues to be instrumental in establishing and maintaining client relationships, staying involved and ensuring the company’s team is properly aligned for optimal client success.

WILLIAM (BILL) DOLAN - CMB, AMP
Director of Sales & Business Development

Bill Dolan is a veteran of the mortgage banking industry spanning fifty years. His experience and expertise lie in the areas of strategic planning, mortgage operations, servicing, secondary…

  • Bill Dolan is a veteran of the mortgage banking industry spanning fifty years. His experience and expertise lie in the areas of strategic planning, mortgage operations, servicing, secondary marketing, mortgage asset and MSR sales. Bill specializes in leveraging long-standing relationships, providing a unique insight into emerging trends and the future direction of the industry. His focus at SCA is to deliver optimal consulting and fulfillment services to clients and prospects alike.

    Prior to joining SCA, Bill held the position of Vice President & Manager, Secondary Market Sales at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and the Mortgage Partnership Finance (MPF) program for 17 years serving 450 shareholders (community banks and credit unions) throughout New England.

    Bill holds both the Certified Mortgage Banker and the Accredited Mortgage Professional designations from the MBA and the MBA School of Mortgage Banking. He has held key executive positions for several financial institutions throughout New England as well as the position of COO for Data-Link Systems, South Bend, Indiana. He is a member of the Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers, an Associate Member of the Texas Mortgage Bankers and served as a Board Member of the Massachusetts Advisory Board, Emeritus.

GEORGE DEMELLO
Business Development & Project Strategist

George M. DeMello joined Spillane Consulting Services as a Senior Consultant in 2023. He has been in the mortgage banking industry for forty years; the last twenty years serving as…

  • George M. DeMello joined Spillane Consulting Services as a Senior Consultant in 2023. He has been in the mortgage banking industry for forty years; the last twenty years serving as SVP. His most prized accomplishments capitalized on market trends, business cycles, industry evolution and technology. He also successfully created cultural synergy between the depository environment and mortgage industry composition. He is accomplished in departmental management with emphases on sales, sales management, secondary marketing, P&L responsibilities, strategic planning, investor relations, operations and wholesale mortgage channels.

    George’s role with SCA will allow him to focus on business development, strategic planning and mortgage related problem solving. George believes that departmental concerns and challenges within an organization may be similar within the industry but, boast many differences from one company to another, due to varying cultures, goals, structures and vision. George will focus on gaining a complete understanding of our clients needs and recommending strategies that overcome obstacles and embrace differences, setting organizations up for achieving their very unique success story.

DAVID BRENNAN
Strategic Planning & Development

Dave brings over 45 years of executive management experience in community banking and financial services to SCA. Before joining SCA early…

  • Dave brings over 45 years of executive management experience in community banking and financial services to SCA. Before joining SCA early in 2023, he was responsible for the growth and management of a mortgage portfolio from $200 million to $2 billion, with residential loan servicing of over $5 billion including over $2 billion in FNMA/FHLMC portfolios.

    Dave developed holistic methodologies with a community banking focus to enhance the strategic benefits of portfolio lending, secondary market sales and servicing to help manage the balance sheet, create fee income, and defining key products for customer acquisition and geographical expansion, while presenting a unified philosophy to the customer.

    Dave served on many industry, nonprofit and agency positions, including the Board of the Massachusetts Housing Financing Agency, Chair of the Mortgage and Secondary Market Committee for the American Bankers Association, and customer advisory committees for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

DONNA THAXTER
Workforce Planning and Development

Donna Thaxter is a Training, Coaching, Professional Development, and Workforce Planning consultant with a combined 35 years of mortgage banking, and Human Resources…

  • Donna Thaxter is a Training, Coaching, Professional Development, and Workforce Planning consultant with a combined 35 years of mortgage banking, and Human Resources experience. Throughout her career, Donna has focused on talent optimization as a key driver of organizational success.  Before joining the SCA Team in 2022, Donna was the SVP/Mortgage Operations for a midsize Massachusetts bank with a robust residential lending operation. There, she also held the prior position of SVP/People and Culture. From 2002 to 2019, Donna co-owned PeopleSmart, a training and development company that focused on creating meaningful change through client-focused learning and development solutions.

HEATHER PAPOWS
Loan Servicing & Secondary Market

Heather joined SCA in 2021 as a Senior Consultant for Loan Servicing and Secondary Market functions. Prior to, she spent 13 years working in community banks…

  • Heather joined SCA in 2021 as a Senior Consultant for Loan Servicing and Secondary Market functions. Prior to, she spent 13 years working in community banks, holding management positions overseeing Loan Servicing, Collections, and the Secondary Market.

    Heather possesses many technical skills and a wide array of experience on various servicing and origination platforms and interfaces. She carries a depth of knowledge around both service-retained and released investors, with an understanding of secondary relationship management, sales, lock, delivery, servicing, reconciliation, and default management. She has worked directly and indirectly on core system conversions as well as M&A projects.

    Heather values culture cohesion and data integrity. Her client interactions focus on knowledge-based growth for team members by providing hands-on training, job aids and formalized process and procedure guides, with an emphasis on utilizing technology and automation for efficiency and accuracy.

PAUL BATES
Technology & Loan Origination

Paul Bates is a Technology and Loan Origination consultant and has more than 30 years’ experience in mortgage banking and lending technology. Since joining SCA in 2014…

  • Paul Bates is a Technology and Loan Origination consultant and has more than 30 years’ experience in mortgage banking and lending technology. Since joining SCA in 2014, Mr. Bates has collaborated to help a variety of clients with the selection, deployment, and administration of technology solutions. Paul has a true passion for helping lenders achieve success through the proper balance of process, technology, and compliance.

ROB ELLIS
Compliance

Robert Ellis is a Senior Compliance Consultant with over 30 years of experience within the banking and lending industries. Prior to joining SCA, Rob worked for the FDIC/DOB as…

  • Robert Ellis is a Senior Compliance Consultant with over 30 years of experience within the banking and lending industries. Prior to joining SCA, Rob worked for the FDIC/DOB as a regulator/examiner in New England and was employed as a Compliance Director for financial institutions throughout New England and Florida. He is a subject matter expert in Compliance, specializing in developing Compliance Management Systems (CMS) and conducting risk assessments in Fair Lending and beyond.

ANNE AALTO
HMDA

Anne joined the SCA team bringing more than 25 years of experience in the mortgage banking industry. Prior to SCA, she held several management positions within the Lending and Operation……

  • Anne joined the SCA team in 2019 bringing more than 25 years of experience in the mortgage banking industry. Prior to SCA, she held several management positions within the Lending and Operation Departments at community banks. These positions included oversight in the areas of Secondary Market, Underwriting and Quality Control. In addition, Anne held the position of Loan Officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the areas of Credit and Asset Marketing. In this role, she managed a variety of loan portfolios consisting of subsidiary corporations and specialized assets. Anne utilized techniques such as asset marketing, collections, workouts, negotiations and bulk sales.

    Anne maintains an excellent knowledge of the applicable regulatory guidelines which financial institutions are required to comply with. She possesses excellent organizational, planning, analytical and decision-making skills. She has the strong ability to train and mentor. Anne’s vast background positions her to uniquely specialize in HMDA Compliance with her keen eye for detail.

BRUCE OCKO
Strategic Planning & Development

As a seasoned veteran with nearly four decades of experience in the mortgage industry, Bruce brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his role as a Consultant…

  • As a seasoned veteran with nearly four decades of experience in the mortgage industry, Bruce brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his role as a Consultant at SCA, where he began in late 2023. Throughout his extensive career, he has honed his skills and expertise in various aspects of mortgage lending, establishing himself as a trusted leader and driving force for positive change within the industry.

    With a strong foundation built on decades of hands-on experience as a Senior Executive, Bruce has developed a keen understanding of the intricacies of mortgage lending, from sales management to secondary marketing, processing, underwriting, and closing. His tenure in the industry has afforded him the opportunity to navigate through various market cycles and regulatory changes, equipping him with the resilience and adaptability needed to thrive in today's dynamic business environment.

    In 2019, Bruce embarked on a two-year term as a Council Member on the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) Community Bank Advisory Council. In this role, he advised CFPB leadership on consumer financial issues and emerging market trends specific to community banks, contributing to the development of policies aimed at promoting financial inclusion and consumer protection within the industry.

    As a leader, Bruce is known for his ability to inspire and empower teams, fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration that drives performance and delivers results. Whether spearheading change management initiatives, recruiting top talent, or overseeing complex projects, he approaches every challenge with determination and a strategic mindset, consistently exceeding expectations and achieving organizational objectives.

    With a passion for innovation and a relentless commitment to excellence, Bruce is dedicated to driving continued success and growth. He looks forward to bringing this passion and commitment to SCA and the clients that we serve.

MINDY MOLINA-O’LEARY
Due Diligence

Mindy has worked in the mortgage banking industry for over twenty years with experience in loan production, file review, servicing, processing, and secondary market. Prior to joining…

  • Mindy has worked in the mortgage banking industry for over twenty years with experience in loan production, file review, servicing, processing, and secondary market. Prior to joining SCA in 2016, Mindy held various positions for small to midsized savings banks and mortgage companies. Her experience includes Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, Mass Housing and Mortgage One underwriting and processing guidelines.

    Mindy and her team are committed to ensuring all quality control practices adhere to and support each individual institution’s unique policies and timeline. Additionally, Mindy values sharing metrics and reports with clients to aid in process improvement and development opportunities.

Our History

Spillane Consulting Associates was established in 1991 to provide secondary mortgage services and sales to banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies. The demand for the initial group of consultants was so great that the business expanded into other areas including compliance, quality control, mortgage systems technology, loan servicing, and staff development.

​Today, SCA has grown to serve the needs of hundreds of clients. Our team’s collective experience allows us to offer unparalleled expertise, knowledge, and advice. With exceptional customer service and a high rate of referrals, we are able to truly partner with our clients and maintain long-term relationships.

 Our goal is to provide you with value-added services that will help strengthen your operations.  While we specialize in the New England region and in the Financial Institutions sector, or client base has expanded into other service industries and states within the US.

Want to learn more?

Take a look at some of the solutions we offer through our Client-Centered approach, and see how our team can help your organization achieve its highest potential.