Meet Our Management Team

CEO
Faisal Adil

Faisal Adil has served as an executive, leader, and founder of several mortgage banking ventures over the course of his 25-year career in the industry. He has a great deal of experience running secondary marketing, recruiting, and managing loan originators, standing up new mortgage banking ventures, leading regional mortgage banks back to exceptional profitability, leading multi-billion dollar privately-owned mortgage banks, and managing all parts of the mortgage loan origination process.

Faisal was one of the founding employees of a national mortgage bank that went on to become the largest independently-owned mortgage banker in the country. Most recently, he led a Southern Arizona mortgage bank that was previously on a downward trajectory to exponential growth. The company grew from less than $170 million per year in originations to $945 million per year in originations in six years because of Faisal’s leadership and ability to recruit, develop, and retain industry-leading sales and operational talent.

President
Erik Lutz

Erik Lutz is a 30-year veteran of the mortgage industry. He has held multiple leadership roles, including Founder and CEO, before joining Altitude Home Loans as its President. Erik has served on many MBA and Mortgage Collaborative Committees and Ellie Mae’s Customer Advisory Board in 2017. He was the co-founder and CEO of the first IMB to become the #1 mortgage company in a top 10 MSA market share.

Loan Operations
Amal Hernandez

Amal Hernandez is an accomplished, 30-year veteran of the mortgage industry. Throughout her career, Amal has held executive roles in organizations of various sizes and functions. She has vast experience in retail, wholesale, and correspondent lending with a focus on closing, funding, and warehouse management.

Amal was one of the founding members and a Senior Vice President of First Magnus Financial Corporation, one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders during its tenure.

Amal has also held leadership positions with multi-state mortgage lenders like Nova Home Loans and nationwide mortgage lenders including Caliber Home Loans and Mr. Cooper (formerly known as Nationstar).

Most recently, Amal served as Executive Vice President of Operations for Sunstreet Mortgage, LLC.

Amal lives in Tucson and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She likes to cook and share traditional food with her loved ones. She also enjoys traveling, recently returning from a trip to Tanzania, an experience of a lifetime.

Credit Risk
Elizabeth Burkholder

Elizabeth Burkholder began her mortgage career in the early ’80s after earning a degree in sculpture—back when rates were 16 percent or higher, there were no fax machines, and all verifications were mailed out. Back when credit reports were mailed in and forms were three-part carbon which had to be typed and carefully corrected if needed. Remember when disclosures were hand-calculated? When processing and closing a loan took up to 120 days?

The industry has changed a lot since then, and Elizabeth has always been among the first to understand and adapt new methods and technologies to make sure the mortgage process remains smooth. Her creative background, combined with her legal education, give her a unique perspective on what is really important. Ultimately, the mortgage business is a people business—no matter how much technology is involved—and clients, loan officers, borrowers, realtors, and title agents are people.

While working at a Maryland-based savings and loan association, Elizabeth attended law school at night, received her law degree, and was admitted to practice by the Virginia State Bar. Her experience includes saving and loans, federal and private mortgage banks, small broker shops, and large national companies. She has been a loan processor, a compliance officer, a manager of quality control, and oversaw a department of more than 100 underwriters at a large national lender.

Elizabeth has remained focused on one thing, and that is making sure the entire mortgage process is as painless as possible for everyone involved.

Capital Markets
Amber Adil

Amber Adil earned her B.S.B.A. in Business Management from the University of Arizona. She holds an MBA from the University of Arizona as well. Amber has extensive experience in product support and secondary marketing, having served as the managing director of both areas for one of the nation’s largest privately-held mortgage banks. Most recently, she served as the Managing Director of Secondary Marketing Services, a firm specializing in lock desk, hedging, and risk management for small to medium sized mortgage lenders. Amber is the mother of three active boys. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering for her sons’ sports teams and with Angel Charity for Children, where she served as the General Chairman in 2016. Amber loves to travel and adopt animals in need.  

Government Relations
Kelly Powers

Kelly Powers has been employed in the Arizona Mortgage Industry for over thirty years. Initially, she began her career as an Assistant Escrow Officer at Minnesota Title. After eight years in Escrow, she turned to Mortgage Lending and has been an Originator, Branch Manager, Regional Manager and National Sales Manager for various companies. Currently she serves as Altitude Home Loan’s Vice President of Government Relations. A passionate industry advocate, Kelly is the 2024 President Elect and three term former President of Arizona Mortgage Lender’s Association and is active within Mortgage Bankers Association, Mortgage Action Alliance and MORPAC. Additionally, she was one of the two founding members of Performance School of Real Estate which provided educational renewal hours for Arizona Realtors. Within this capacity, Kelly has written, developed and taught classes on topics as varied as Into to Real Estate Finance to Section Eight Housing. In this capacity, she combines her dual interests of education and mortgage lending through teaching and training.  

Finance
David Hansen, CPA

Dave Hansen, a 3^rd generation Tucsonan, attended St Mary’s College of California where he earned a BA in Business Management.  Later, after adding additional accounting coursework, he sat for the National CPA exam and obtained Arizona CPA certification.

Dave has a wide range of work experience.  In addition to working 9 years in public accounting, he has held management and accounting positions in copper mining, railroad transportation, charitable non-profits, healthcare and commercial construction.  Dave also served his country for 6 years in the US Army Reserve’s 8^th Battalion 40^th Armor Unit.

In 2002 Dave accepted a position with a national mortgage lender in Tucson, where he discovered an industry that shared his love for numbers, and he has worked in the mortgage industry ever since.  In 2020 he was asked to provide accounting consultation to Altitude Home Loans on the day its first loan was purchased, and he became EVP of Finance shortly after.

Dave grew up in Tucson with 9 siblings and has been blessed with 27 years of marriage to his wife Denise, 6 children and 9 grandchildren.  He enjoys taking long walks, cheering on the Arizona Wildcats, and spending time with family.

Strategic Initiatives
Robin Kasitz

With a broad resume that spans 40+ years in mortgage lending, Robin Kasitz has seen virtually everything the industry has to offer – from carbon copies (literally) & typewriters to paperless &digital loans. Through these changes, her love for the business has never wavered. Getting folks into their dream homes and creating an exceptional experience for the customer has always been Robin’s motivating factor.  

Previously, as the COO of a multi-state mortgage lender, Robin was instrumental in leading multiple Teams. She is a crucial contributor to workflow management, new initiatives, process flow, and cultural development. Robin is also influential in implementing change and streamlining processes. Additionally, Robin’s ability to negotiate and think outside the box has positively influenced the lender’s financial profile. From Origination to Post Closing (including Compliance), Robin’s background allows her to see the big picture.  

“Always know who your customers are, both internally and externally.; it’s vital to any organization’s success.”  

Robin can be found outside the office enjoying family time with her husband, three daughters, and four granddaughters, shopping, dancing, or swimming. Robin also loves shoes (one cannot have too many!). This is something she is passing on to her granddaughters.  

Legal
Raghu Nandan

Raghu Nandan has spent most of his professional career in the mortgage banking industry serving in a variety of leadership and executive management positions.

He has spent more than a decade establishing risk management departments and divisions for a variety of businesses, including mortgage banks and start-up entities. Raghu has also litigated as a plaintiff’s attorney and consulted for various financial institutions on issues ranging from process enhancements to regulatory compliance and enforcement actions.

A member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Association of Corporate Counsel, Raghu is a graduate of the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Raghu holds his Juris Doctor degree from the James E. Rogers College of Law.

Most recently, Raghu served as the Chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Global Real Estate Network.

Risk Management
Anna Kyluchik

Anna Kyluchik, MS, has nearly 20 years’ experience in the mortgage industry, and has spent that time making sure Tucson-owned firms reach their potential.

As a risk management professional, Anna’s responsibilities include serving as a liaison between vendors, investors, warehouse lenders, and regulatory institutions. In addition to overseeing risk management, Anna has supervised multiple facets of compliance, quality control, and the appraisal desk. She’s also worked in secondary marketing and project management.

Anna is a graduate from the University of Arizona with a Master’s of Science in Business Management. She enjoys the pursuit of knowledge and sharing that knowledge and management experience through mentoring students in a faculty role.

Outside of work, Anna, her husband, and their young daughter enjoy traveling. From the Grand Canyon to Quito, they cherish the diverse natural beauty, visit old friends, and savor the local cuisine.

Human Resources
Laura Deleone

Laura DeLeone thrives on the day-to-day challenges of the mortgage industry, and takes pride in working side-by-side with those who share in her passion for family, kindness, strength, and determination.

Known as an enterprising, hardworking, and technically-skilled human resources, commission, benefits, and payroll specialist, Laura brings a high level of energy, endless enthusiasm, and a fierce dedication to caring for those around her. She has 10 years’ experience in the mortgage industry, and has spent more than two decades working in human resources, payroll, training, and management positions in the financial, service, retail, and education industries. She has also served in various accounting roles.

Laura believes her professional background has allowed her to grow and learn a great deal about the world—and is proud of her journey. She is passionate about guiding others, supporting people and processes, providing tools for success, facing challenges head-on, and assisting others in doing so.

Even though she’s lived in Tucson since she was two years old, Laura considers herself a true Tucsonan and feels extremely connected to her local community. In her free time she enjoys the outdoors, volunteering, practicing yoga, cooking for her large family, and trying to stay humble and grounded.

Laura is supported by her husband of more than 15 years, Michael, three sons, their significant others, many rescue dogs and a loving extended family.