MBA Opens Doors Foundation Announces 2024 Award Winners

DENVER (October 29, 2024) - The MBA Opens Doors Foundation (Opens Doors) today announced the recipients of the Opens Doors annual awards, which recognize those who have made lasting contributions to advance the Foundation's mission of providing mortgage and rental assistance to families with critically ill or injured children.

The Foundation presented its annual Community Champion Award, the Founder's Award, and the inaugural David H. Stevens Spirit Award during MBA's 2024 Annual Convention and Expo. The 2024 Opens Doors Foundation award winners are:

"Each year, we honor individuals and organizations whose actions embody the mission and spirit of Opens Doors," said MBA's President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB. "This year is no exception. The Foundation's annual award winners have gone above and beyond to help keep families with a sick child in treatment in their homes. On behalf of the Opens Doors Board of Directors, I am delighted to recognize ICE Mortgage Technology, Jay Bray, and Deb Still for their invaluable contributions to the Opens Doors cause."

The Community Champion award, created in 2013, recognizes an individual, group, or company that has dedicated significant time and effort to advance the Foundation's mission. Opens Doors is pleased to present the Community Champion Award to ICE Mortgage Technology (ICE).

In 2018, ICE Mortgage Technology (ICE), then Ellie Mae, selected the Opens Doors Foundation as the beneficiary of its Ellie Mae Community Pro-Am, kicking off an enduring relationship with the Foundation. Since then, ICE has donated nearly $300,000 to support the mission of keeping families with sick or injured children in their homes while their child is in treatment.

In September 2023, as the Foundation launched its most important fundraiser of the year, the Chairman's Annual Appeal, during a time in which ICE was engaged in its acquisition of Black Knight. ICE dedicated the time to commit $75,000 to the campaign and did so by iterating the importance of the Opens Doors mission and ICE's support of it.

The Founder's Award also recognizes significant contributions to Open Doors' mission of helping vulnerable families with critically ill or injured children remain in their homes while a child is in treatment. The award recognizes one or more individuals who have demonstrated sustained action and whose personal commitment to the Foundation exemplifies the core values, spirit, and essence on which Opens Doors was founded.

As the Chairman and CEO, Jay Bray has spearheaded Mr. Cooper's support of more than $250,000 and expanded the Foundation's awareness and reach among the many teams at Mr. Cooper and throughout the real estate finance industry. Personally, Bray and his wife Holly have donated more than $20,000 in support of the Foundation's mission.

In the spring of 2024, Bray and the Mr. Cooper team created "Coloring with Mr. Cooper" books that, along with crayons, were sent to children at each of the Foundation's 13 network children's hospitals. The coloring book contained picture outlines, inspirational messages from team members at Mr. Cooper, and an inspirational letter from Bray to recipients letting them know that the entire Mr. Cooper family is cheering them on.

In memory of former MBA President and CEO and Opens Doors Founder Dave Stevens, the MBA Opens Doors Spirit Award was renamed The David H. Stevens Spirit Award in 2024. The renaming recognizes Stevens' dedication to helping families caring for a sick or injured child stay in their home and his creation of a foundation to help those vulnerable families.

This award recognizes an individual or group of individuals, from one or more organizations, whose enthusiasm and support for Opens Doors brought new people and organizations to the Opens Doors roster of supporters and whose efforts amplified the impact the Foundation has on vulnerable families in America.

Opens Doors is pleased to honor Debra W. Still, who has led the Foundation's Board of Directors since 2013, with passion and an unwavering commitment to families in need.

As Chair of the Opens Doors Board of Directors, she led the expansion of the board from three people to 21 members today. She's overseen the expansion of our hospital network from a single relationship with Children's National Hospital to a network of 13 children's hospitals in eight states and the District of Columbia.

At Pulte Financial where Still serves as Vice Chairman, she's led a record number of internal campaigns, bringing new team members to support the Foundation's mission. Nearly 160 people from Pulte have contributed to Opens Doors through various campaigns and events. Between 2013 and today, Still has secured more than $830,000 in corporate donations from Pulte, and together with her husband, Roger, has personally donated $125,000 to Opens Doors.

"This year's award recipients have demonstrated their commitment to Opens Doors in creative and thoughtful ways," said Deborah E. Dubois, President of MBA Opens Doors Foundation. "It is an honor to work alongside them to make life a little easier for families caring for a sick child."

The Opens Doors Foundation, through its Home Grant Program, provides relief in a time of personal crisis. The Home Grant Program has become a critical part of a family's support structure, especially when a parent or guardian must take unpaid leave to be with a child. Grants of up to $2,000 are made monthly to families in need of mortgage or rental payment assistance.

For more information on Opens Doors' mission, please click here.