Dan Fichtler was a treasury staffer on detail to former Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson during the housing reform debate. Fichtler was one of the lead drafters of the Johnson-Crapo legislation, which laid the groundwork for a responsible end to the conservatorship of the GSEs. Today, Fichtler serves as MBA’s director of housing finance policy, where he staffs the Secondary and Capital Markets Committee as well as the MBA Mortgage REIT Council.

He speaks frequently on housing finance reform, affordable housing initiatives, mortgage-related fixed income and derivative products and mortgage regulations. Fichtler works with MBA members and other stakeholders to develop and advocate on policy positions affecting the secondary mortgage market. He also manages a team focused on government housing programs, including those run by GNMA, HUD/FHA, VA, RHS and the Federal Home Loan Banks.

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

No matter what you do, you’ve got to have fun while you’re doing it. As simple as it sounds, it can be easy to forget when you’re caught up in meetings, reports and deadlines. I’ve been fortunate to work with supervisors and colleagues who have had a similar attitude and it has made all the difference.