Meet our leadership team

Alex Wish is a mortgage industry leader with nearly four decades of experience spanning technology, operations, and origination. He joined First Heritage Mortgage in 2000 when it was a three-person joint venture and has since grown it into a Top 50 lender nationwide, the number one independent mortgage bank by volume in the Washington D.C. metro area, and a company of more than 330 employees.

Alex began his career in 1986 on the technology side, developing a proprietary loan origination system before transitioning into production, where he quickly became a President’s Club loan officer and branch manager. That combination of technical fluency and sales instinct has shaped his approach to leadership ever since.

A graduate of the University of Florida, Alex has built FHM around a culture of in-office collaboration, strong referral-based relationships, and a genuine commitment to helping families achieve homeownership. He is a longtime member and supporter of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Steven Lagana joined First Heritage Mortgage as President in June 2024, bringing more than three decades of mortgage industry experience to the role. He began his career as a Loan Officer in 1990 and spent 13 years as President of First Home Mortgage Corporation, where he grew annual closed volume from $1 billion to nearly $6 billion and increased shareholder value by more than 1,000%. He also served as Regional Vice President at National City Mortgage, overseeing operations across 19 branches in seven states.

A graduate of the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Steve may not spend his days on structural calculations, but that engineering mindset shapes everything about how he leads. He is detail-oriented, data-driven, and outcomes-focused, approaching challenges and the loan process with the same precision and discipline his education instilled.

At First Heritage, Steve is focused on growth and building for the future, driving a culture grounded in integrity, excellence, accountability, and camaraderie.

Banks Gatchel serves as Chief Operating Officer at First Heritage Mortgage, where he plays a central role in ensuring the company’s growth is matched by the operational infrastructure to sustain it. Collaborative by nature and rigorous by practice, Banks works across every corner of the organization to align business objectives with regulatory requirements, service standards, and the team-first culture that defines First Heritage.

In a company growing as quickly as FHM, the COO role demands someone who can move fast without sacrificing precision or people. Banks brings both. With a career spanning senior leadership roles across banking and mortgage, including time at Capital One, Sandy Spring Bank, and most recently as President of Lenderworks, he arrives at First Heritage with a depth of perspective that is hard to replicate.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary and an MBA from George Mason University, and his work, though often behind the scenes, is felt across the entire organization every day.

Phil Denfeld joined First Heritage Mortgage in 2001 as a top-producing originator and built his career from the ground up. After 17 years in production and management, he stepped into full-time executive leadership in 2019, serving as EVP of Corporate Operations and then Chief Operating Officer before taking on his current role as Chief Strategy Officer.

In this role, Phil leads long-term strategic initiatives and oversees key partnerships, including First Heritage’s relationship with Stanley Martin Homes, a top 25 U.S. homebuilder and majority owner of First Heritage. First Heritage serves as Stanley Martin’s exclusive mortgage lender, and Phil ensures that partnership runs at its best.

Before his mortgage career, Phil was a two-time All-ACC tight end at Wake Forest University and went on to play professional football in the USFL and NFL. That team-first, disciplined mindset has followed him ever since. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, is the proud father of three daughters, and answers to “Pop Pop” from his two granddaughters. When he’s not working, you’ll find him on the golf course, fishing, or watching just about any sport.

Jerry Berry has spent more than 25 years at First Heritage Mortgage, making him one of the longest-tenured and most trusted members of the leadership team. As EVP of Production, he oversees the company’s lending operations with a steady hand built on decades of hands-on experience across every major loan product, including VA, FHA, USDA, VHDA, and conventional financing.

Jerry began his residential mortgage career as a loan officer and built his reputation on doing things the right way: thorough, timely, and always with the client’s best interest at the center. That foundation has informed his approach to leadership, where he has cultivated a culture of collaboration, fellowship, and shared success that runs throughout the production team.

What sets Jerry apart is the combination of institutional knowledge and genuine care he brings to the role. He understands the business from the ground up, and that perspective makes him an invaluable resource for the loan officers, teams, and clients he serves every day.

Roshan Alavi’s career in the mortgage industry spans more than three decades, beginning when she worked part-time while still in college. A first-generation American who navigated the U.S. education system largely on her own, Roshan brings a resilience and empathy to her leadership that is felt at every level of the organization.

As EVP of Operations, Roshan has been the driving force behind some of First Heritage’s strongest performance on record, overseeing thousands of closings annually with a particular focus on helping first-time homebuyers achieve homeownership. She has championed innovation across the operations team, introducing offshoring partnerships and technical tools to improve efficiency and streamline the loan process, all while growing her team and maintaining a culture rooted in trust, accountability, and shared ownership.

Outside of work, Roshan mentors women in mortgage and finance and serves as Treasurer of the Iranian American Community Center, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Persian culture and connecting generations of Iranian Americans.

In the midst of a successful medical-surgical sales career, Bud was asked by his friend and First Heritage Mortgage CEO Alex Wish to join the company and lead its Business and Cultural Development efforts. The idea was that the skills that had served Bud well in his previous career would translate seamlessly into the mortgage world, bringing a fresh perspective and added value along the way.

While Bud’s primary function is recruiting new Loan Officers, the retention and well-being of the current team remain the top priority. Bud also serves as a conduit between production and operations across a wide range of issues, keeping him closely connected to FHM’s most valuable asset: its people. Central to his role is ensuring that the company’s significant growth never comes at the cost of its inclusive, family-oriented culture.

In Bud’s own words, “Simple recipe: add great people to a fast-growing, dynamic company. That’s what we do!”

Otway Wallace has spent more than 40 years in the mortgage industry, having entered the field straight out of college in 1984. As EVP and Southeast Regional Manager at First Heritage Mortgage, he leads with a focus on hustle, relationships, and attention to detail.

Technology has leveled the playing field, and Otway believes the personal touch is what sets great lenders apart. Knowing people, sharing knowledge, and showing up with integrity are values he has carried throughout his career. He treats every client fairly and honestly, and holds himself to nothing less.

His motivation is straightforward: making a positive impact on the lives of others. As he puts it, “Lending is a contact sport.”

Erica Goodwin joined First Heritage Mortgage in 2016 and built the company’s marketing function from the ground up, growing a team of two into a six-person in-house operation spanning graphic design, digital marketing, and video production. Her leadership philosophy is straightforward: find great people, give them the tools they need, and get out of their way.

Her team’s rallying cry is to “Drive Growth and Inspire Joy,” and both words carry real weight. Erica defines joy not as a fleeting feeling but as a lasting sense of purpose that can coexist with hard days and real challenges. That perspective, she believes, is what allows teams to push through difficulty and drive meaningful growth.

As co-lead of FHM’s AI council, Erica brings a clear conviction to the conversation: the choice is never AI or humanity, but AI and humanity. Used well, technology amplifies human connection. Used lazily, it just adds to the noise. In an age of overcrowded timelines and AI-generated content, she believes authentic storytelling stands out more than ever.

Outside of work, she is married to Jeremy, mom to two young children, and happiest when she can leave someone feeling a little lighter than she found them.

Paul Denmon is one of the most experienced renovation and construction lending specialists in the Washington D.C. metro area, with a mortgage career spanning more than 25 years. A native to the region, Paul has spent decades helping clients navigate some of the most nuanced financing programs available, including bridge loans, FHA 203K, conventional renovation loans, construction lending, VA, jumbo, and first-time homebuyer programs.

Paul began originating 203K loans in the mid-1990s, well before they became widely understood in the industry, and that early expertise has made him a trusted resource for clients, real estate professionals, and contractors alike. His role goes beyond financing. He guides borrowers through the full arc of a renovation or construction project, from initial planning and contractor coordination through to closing, serving as both a knowledgeable advisor and a steady hand throughout the process.

Genuine, fair, and deeply committed to the people he serves, Paul brings the same care and attention to every client relationship that he brings to everything he does.

Lindsay Guevarez is the AVP of Corporate Training at First Heritage Mortgage, where she focuses on developing people, strengthening performance, and building training programs that support long-term business success. She has worked in the mortgage industry since 2002 and is a graduate of Penn State University.

Known for her collaborative and practical approach, Lindsay is passionate about creating learning experiences that are relevant, engaging, and impactful. She believes strong training empowers individuals and drives better outcomes for both employees and customers, and she is committed to fostering a culture of continuous growth throughout the organization.

Outside of work, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her family. She is married to Felix and is the proud mom of two kids: Reese, who attends East Carolina University, and Jaxon, who is finishing high school, along with their bernedoodle, Journee.