After former chief economist Doug Duncan jumped to Fannie Mae in March, the Mortgage Bankers Association said late Tuesday that it has tapped Jay Brinkmann as Duncan’s replacement. Brinkmann will carry the titles of chief economist and senior vice president for research and economics at the industry lobbying group; he has been with the MBA since 2001 and has served as the organization’s vice president of research for most of that period. “When the position first became vacant last March, Jay suggested we conduct a national search to find an ideal candidate,” said John Courson, MBA’s chief operating officer. “After months of interviewing many well-qualified candidates, it became apparent that the best candidate already worked at MBA and we approached Jay to take the job.” Courson singled out Brinkmann’s background in capital markets work that he said “will be invaluable to the industry as we work through the challenges now facing the secondary markets.” In an odd twist, given where his predecessor went, Brinkmann worked for Fannie Mae in the portfolio strategy and credit pricing areas prior to joining the MBA. He holds a doctorate in finance from Purdue University, an MBA from Tulane University and an undergraduate degree from The George Washington University. For more information, visit http://www.mortgagebankers.org.