Howard Hanna Mortgage Services, 1st Priority Mortgage, and Towne Mortgage were all represented in the 2025 HousingWire Mortgage Rankings by loan count
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Howard Hanna Financial Services is celebrating recognition from HousingWire this month, with 47 loan officers named to the publication’s 2025 Mortgage Rankings by loan count.
The 2025 rankings are made up of more than 27,000 loan officers across the United States. Howard Hanna stood out in 2025, not just for its total representation, but for the strength of its top producers.
“Our people are the foundation of everything that we do,” said Duffy Hanna, President of HannaFinancial. “Seeing so many of our loan officers recognized on a national stage is a testament to their hard work and the culture of excellence that we’ve built at Howard Hanna.”
Leading the way is Michele Lux (OH), who ranked inside the top 5% nationally with 239 closed units. Her $62.7 million in total loan volume also placed her in the top 13% by loan amount, underscoring a standout year.
Three Pennsylvania loan officers – Forrest Jewell, Kenneth Katis, and Robin Caruso – and New York’s Emily Silipini of 1st Priority Mortgage also earned spots within the top 25% nationwide. Jewell ranked in the top 16% with 161 units, followed by Katis (top 21%, 144 units), Silipini (top 22%, 143 units), and Caruso (top 22%, 142 units).
In total, seven Howard Hanna Mortgage Services loan officers and three mortgage consultants from 1st Priority Mortgage surpassed 100 units in 2025, reflecting consistent production across the family of brands. In addition to the aforementioned Lux, Jewell, Katis, Silipini, and Caruso, that group includes Andrew Milligan (119 units) and Dominic Colianni (115 units) of Pennsylvania, Jonathan Long (108 units) and Renee Short (107 units) of New York, and Charles Pearce (115 units) of North Carolina.
“We’re proud to see our mortgage consultants recognized at the national level,” said Ken Wojnowski, President of 1st Priority Mortgage. “This reflects the strong performance and dedication of our team, and our consultants consistently go above and beyond to deliver results for their clients.”
Towne Mortgage (VA), also part of the Howard Hanna Financial Services family, saw Ryan Lawrence earn placement on the HousingWire 2025 National Rankings by loan count with 86 closed units.
HousingWire’s rankings are informed by licensing records combined with county-level mortgage data sourced via InGenius, ensuring all production is verified through official transaction records. To qualify for the HousingWire Mortgage Rankings by loan count, loan originators must have completed at least 60 units in the calendar year.
Howard Hanna Mortgage Services had loan officers recognized across four states, demonstrating the depth of its team and continued strength across its footprint. Pennsylvania led with 22 ranked loan officers, followed by North Carolina (7), South Carolina (4), and Ohio (3).
Together, these results reinforce Howard Hanna Mortgage Services’ commitment to performance, consistency, and delivering results for clients across its markets and family of brands.
Full list of ranked loan officers by state:
- PA (22) [HHMS]: Grant Bacharach, Michael Beatty, Robin Caruso, Dominic Colianni, Kathy DiGnazio, Deanna Downey, Jodie Etzler, Jonathan Harris, Forrest Jewell, Kenneth Katis, Patrick Kernick, Glenn Main, William Mainzer, Judith Malcolm, Andrew Milligan, David Patai, John Pinto, Daniel Stewart, Angelica Tedesco, Fredericus Vander Peet, Vicki Vento, Robert Wilson
- NY (10) [1stP]: Ross Bowman, Michael Capizzi, David Cassidy, Jonathan Long, Kristin Nimmo, Sara Reifler, Jennifer Rich, Renee Short, Emily Silipini, Kelly Singleton
- NC (7) [HHMS]: Julie Chieta, Michael Farmer, Matthew Gaglione, Jennifer Glow, Charles Pearce, Matthew Turnbull, Paula Wagner
- SC (4) [HHMS]: Elaine Duck Young, Carolyn Fast, Don O’Dell, Nicholas Whitman
- OH (3) [HHMS]: Lisa Ballenger, Jay Becker, Michele Lux
- VA (1) [Towne]: Ryan Lawrence
For the full rankings, visit HousingWire.com.
About Howard Hanna
The Hanna Family of Companies proudly provide real estate, title, insurance and mortgage services to clients across 13 states. As the largest family-owned and -operated real estate brokerage in the United States, this full-service real estate company has more than 500 offices and 15,000 sales associates and staff, including many of the industry’s top-producing real estate, title, mortgage and insurance agents. The Hanna Success System provides Howard Hanna agents with 53% more business than agents at the top 1,000 brokerages nationally. For more information, visit howardhanna.com.
About 1st Priority Mortgage
1st Priority Mortgage is part of the Hanna Family of Companies, which proudly provide real estate, title, insurance, and mortgage services to its clients. At 1st Priority Mortgage, we are dedicated to making your home financing journey seamless and stress-free. Since 1986, we’ve been helping individuals and families secure the right mortgage solutions tailored to their unique needs. Our decades of experience have allowed us to refine a proven process, continuously track results, and implement improvements to serve you better. For more information, visit 1stprioritymortgage.com.
About Towne Mortgage
Towne Mortgage is part of the Hanna Family of Companies, which proudly provide real estate, title, insurance, and mortgage services to its clients. At Towne Mortgage, we’re committed to providing our borrowers with a personalized mortgage experience. From pre-qualification to the closing table, our loan officers are dedicated to ensuring that you’re comfortable and confident with your financial decision. We offer a wide variety of loan products tailored directly to your needs, with in-house processing and underwriting that allows us to achieve your home goals quickly and hassle-free. For more information, visit townemortgage.us.
