WILLPOWER

ALFN's Ninth Annual Women in Legal Leadership "WILL" Summit 

Get ready for WILLPOWER 2026, ALFN’s Ninth Annual Women in Legal Leadership (“WILL”) Summit, returning April 21–22 to The Highland Dallas. This year’s theme, Finding Joy in Leadership, is about replenishing energy, reconnecting with purpose, and building the practical skills to lead teams through change with clarity and care.
 
You’ll experience a thoughtfully curated program that blends dynamic general sessions with structured networking. Our keynote speaker, Amberly Lago, will share Finding Joy Through the Journey: Embracing Every Moment, a powerful message on cultivating gratitude, presence, and resilience no matter where you are in life’s journey. Every attendee will receive a copy of her new book, Joy Through the Journey: Shift Your Mindset, Embrace the Present Moment, and Cultivate Resilience Through Life’s Ups and Downs.
 
We’ll close Day 1 with a joint WILLPOWER & CORE Summit evening experience, including a combined reception, dinner, and silent auction supporting our returning WILLPOWER charity partner, Patriot PAWS. Join us for candid conversations and leave with fresh ideas, strengthened relationships, and renewed inspiration to lead with purpose.

Don't miss this opportunity to be a part of WILLPOWER 2026!

REGISTER HERE

WHO CAN ATTEND?
This event is open to ALFN Law Firm/Foreclosure Trustee Members, Associate Members, Mortgage Servicers, Lenders, Banks, Credit Unions, GSE's, Rating Agencies, Ch. 13 Bankruptcy Trustees, Mortgage Servicing Investors, and other ALFN invited guests.

Non-ALFN Members (Law Firms, Foreclosure Trustees, and Service Providers) that are eligible to join the ALFN may also attend this event.  If you join ALFN in the calendar year of this event, we will refund you the difference between the member and non-member registration fee that you paid.

PRICING - Save an additional $100 by attending both WILLPOWER & CORE Summits (discount provided in the online registration form)

• ALFN Law Firm/Foreclosure Trustee Member - $1350 Early Bird ($1600 after March 24)
• ALFN Associate Member (Service Provider) - $1350 Early Bird ($1600 after March 24)
• Client (Mortgage Servicer/Lender/GSE/Investor) - $250 (scholarships available, or $0 if just attending the reception & dinner)
• Chapter 13 Trustee - $1350 Early Bird ($1600 after March 24)
• Rating Agency - $1350 Early Bird ($1600 after March 24)
• Non-ALFN Member (Law Firm or Foreclosure Trustee) - $1750 Early Bird ($2000 after March 24)
• Non-ALFN Member (Service Provider or Other) - $1750 Early Bird ($2000 after March 24)

CLIENT REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS 

Clients (Mortgage Servicers, GSE's, and Investors Only) - Can't stay for the entire event?  Register for $0 to attend the reception and dinner only (enter promo code Client_Dinner_Only on your registration form).

If you need financial assistance to attend WILLPOWER, please complete our Scholarship Application. 

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS "JPEG MEMBER" DISCOUNT
ALFN JPEG members receive 20% off the event registration fee if they are attending with another fully paid registrant from their same firm/company. There is no limit on the number of JPEG discounts that may be used for the same firm/company (for each fully paid non-JPEG member registrant, a JPEG discount may be used).  ALFN Members use promo code Member_JPEG_20, and Servicers/GSE's/Investors use promo code Client_JPEG_20.

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WILLPOWER SUMMIT ATTENDEE DOCUMENTS

Attendee List, Speaker Bios, Session PowerPoint Materials (ALFN.org login required)
 

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WILLPOWER 2026 SCHEDULE

Tuesday, April 21
Check-in at the ALFN Registration & Information Desk in the Ballroom Foyer to receive your name badge and materials.   

This is the full Day 1 of the WILLPOWER Summit, and the partial Day 1 of the CORE Summit which begins at 4 PM. CORE Summit attendees are invited to participate in the WILLPOWER Summit General Session 5, Networking Reception, Dinner and Silent Auction on this day as part of their CORE Summit registration.   

8:30 AM-6:00 PM – ALFN Registration & Information Desk – Opus Grand Ballroom Foyer

9:00-10:30 AM – WILLPOWER Breakfast Available (full breakfast buffet offered) – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

10:00-10:15 AM – WILLPOWER Opening Remarks – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

10:15-11:15 AM – WILLPOWER General Session 1 – Leadership Styles: Embracing Authenticity and Emotional Intelligence – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

What does effective leadership look like for women in today’s legal profession — and how can authenticity and emotional intelligence become strategic advantages rather than afterthoughts?
 
This dynamic panel brings together accomplished women in legal leadership to explore how different leadership styles operate in real-world legal environments and why emotional intelligence is one of the most powerful tools for influence, resilience, and career advancement. Through candid conversation and practical examples, panelists will discuss navigating high-pressure workplaces, managing teams, building trust, and leading with confidence while staying true to personal values.
 
Attendees will gain actionable insights into developing a leadership style that is both authentic and effective, strengthening emotional intelligence skills, and overcoming the unique challenges women face in positions of authority. This session sets the stage for a follow-up interactive workshop where participants will translate insight into practical leadership strategies they can immediately apply in their careers.
 

• Moderator:
  • Natalie Grigg, Esq., Partner, NY & NJ Default Servicing, Tromberg, Miller, Morris & Partners, PLLC
• Speakers:
  • Tiffany Caruso Benway, EVP Client Success & Strategy, ALAW
  • Liz DeSilva, Esq., General Counsel, McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLP
  • Jessica Sharp, Director Servicer Oversight, Newrez

11:15-11:30 AM – Refreshment Break - Opus Grand Ballroom Foyer

11:30 AM-12:30 PM – WILLPOWER General Session 2 – Interactive Workshop: Applying Emotional Intelligence and Authentic Leadership in Practice – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 

This interactive workshop builds directly on the insights from the leadership panel and invites participants to translate concepts into action. Through guided self-assessments, structured reflection, and small-group scenario work, attendees will examine their own leadership styles, strengthen emotional intelligence skills, and clarify the values that shape authentic leadership.

Participants will work through real-world legal scenarios, practice reframing limiting leadership narratives, and develop a personalized leadership action plan focused on sustainable growth. Designed as a high-level, hands-on experience for women in legal leadership, this session provides practical tools to navigate complex workplace dynamics, communicate with intention, and lead with confidence and alignment.
 
Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of their leadership identity and a concrete roadmap for applying emotional intelligence and authenticity in their professional roles.
 

• Co-Moderators:
  • Blake Strautins, Esq., Managing Partner, Kluever Law Group, LLC
  • Natalie Grigg, Esq., Partner, NY & NJ Default Servicing, Tromberg, Miller, Morris & Partners, PLLC

12:30-1:30 PM – WILLPOWER Networking Lunch (full lunch buffet offered) – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

1:30-2:30 PM – WILLPOWER General Session 3 – Keynote Speaker Presentation – Finding Joy Through the Journey: Embracing Every Moment – Amberly Lago – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

View this short video message for ALFN WILLPOWER attendees from Amberly Lago


Amberly Lago
USA Today Top 8 Inspirational Speaker
2x Bestselling Author
Top 1% Global Podcast Host
Peak Performance Coach
 
Amberly Lago is a Peak Performance Coach. TEDx Speaker, Podcaster, and a leading expert in the field of resilience and transformation. She is the best-selling author of “True Grit and Grace" and “Joy Through the Journey,” and is the founder of "UNSTOPPABLE Life Mastermind." Through her books, coaching methods. and masterminds she has curated unique tools to teach others how to tap into their superpower of resilience and elevate their lives and businesses. Amberly has most recently been featured on NBC's The Today Show, The Doctors, Hallmark. and featured in magazines such as Shape. Fit Pregnancy, Yahoo. Forbes. USA Today, LA Style, Health Magazine. Keynote Speaker Magazine and Disability Magazine.
 
Finding Joy Through the Journey: Embracing Every Moment
Join renowned resilience and transformation expert Amberly Lago for an inspiring session on rediscovering joy, fulfillment, and gratitude, no matter what challenges life brings. Drawing from her bestselling work and her extraordinary personal journey of recovering from a life‑altering accident, chronic pain, and the loss of her career, Amberly shares powerful strategies for reclaiming your joy even in the darkest moments.
 
Through moving stories, practical tools, and mindset‑shifting exercises, Amberly will guide you toward embracing the present, building unshakeable resilience, and transforming adversity into purpose. You’ll learn techniques to cope with burnout and lack of fulfillment, navigate life’s toughest obstacles, and shift from simply surviving to fully thriving.
 
This session is a compelling reminder that joy is possible, accessible, renewable, and worth fighting for. Amberly’s hard‑won wisdom will leave you motivated, empowered, and equipped to bring more light into your life and work.

2:30-2:45 PM – Refreshment Break – Opus Grand Ballroom Foyer

2:45-3:45 PM – WILLPOWER General Session 4 – Bridging Generations, Building Joy – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

Leadership can be demanding—but it can also be deeply joyful when we build teams where people feel seen, trusted, and stretched in the right ways. In this panel, multi-generational leaders explore how they cultivate joy while leading (and being led) across generations—navigating differing communication styles, values, career expectations, and definitions of success. Expect candid stories, practical tools, and actionable ways to create a culture where joy isn’t accidental—it’s intentional.
 

• Moderator:
  • Annalise Hayes Deluca, Esq., Managing Partner, McMichael Taylor Gray
• Speakers:
  • Alicia Dux, Director, Default Management, loanDepot
  • Laura O’Sullivan, Esq., President, McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC
  • Stephanie Ruiz, SVP Default, Celink

3:45-4:00 PM – Refreshment Break – Opus Grand Ballroom Foyer

4:00-5:00 PM – WILLPOWER & CORE General Session 5 (combined WILLPOWER & CORE Summit session) – Presentation by WILLPOWER Charity Partner – Patriot PAWS – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

The mission of Patriot PAWS is to train and provide service dogs of the highest quality at no cost to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in order to help restore their physical and emotional independence. Patriot PAWS intends to build partnerships with local, state and national organizations to help develop and support this goal.  
 

• Moderator:
  • Michele Lublin, Director of Finance & Operations, Rubin Lublin, LLC  

• Speakers:
  • Lauren Vaughn, Director of Development, Patriot PAWS Service Dogs
  • Sarah Mathers, Development Manager, Patriot PAWS Service Dogs
  • Bailee Gerdes, Development Coordinator, Patriot PAWS Service Dogs
  • Liberty, Service Dog, Patriot PAWS Service Dogs

5:00-6:00 PM – WILLPOWER & CORE Networking Reception & Silent Auction for WILLPOWER Charity Partner Patriot PAWS – (combined WILLPOWER & CORE Summit reception) – Opus Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 

6:00-7:00 PM – WILLPOWER & CORE Dinner & Silent Auction – Silent Auction Concludes at 6:45 PM (full dinner buffet offered) (combined WILLPOWER & CORE Summit dinner) – Opus Grand Ballroom


Wednesday, April 22
Check-in at the ALFN Registration & Information Desk in the Ballroom Foyer to receive your name badge and materials.   

This is the last part of the WILLPOWER Summit Day 2 (WILLPOWER concludes at 10:30 AM), and is the full schedule for the CORE Summit Day 2. WILLPOWER Summit attendees are invited to participate in the CORE Summit Breakfast and General Session 1 on this day as part of their WILLPOWER Summit registration.

8:30 AM-2:00 PM – ALFN Registration & Information Desk – Opus Grand Ballroom Foyer

8:15-9:45 AM – CORE & WILLPOWER Breakfast Available (full breakfast buffet offered) (combined CORE & WILLPOWER Summit breakfast) – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

9:00-9:15 AM – CORE Summit Opening Remarks – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

9:15-10:15 AM – CORE & WILLPOWER General Session 1 (combined CORE & WILLPOWER Summit session) – The Evolving Role of Servicing Leadership in a Regulatory and Economic Crossfire – Opus Grand Ballroom 1 & 2

In today’s high stakes servicing landscape, leadership is no longer just about operational efficiency; it’s about navigating regulatory volatility, economic uncertainty, and increasing reputational risk. With inflation-driven delinquency pressures and heightened scrutiny from regulatory agencies, state attorneys general, and investors, servicing executives are being challenged to lead through complexity while driving innovation. This executive-level roundtable will feature candid insights from senior leaders at top mortgage servicers on how they’re evolving their teams, technologies, and strategies to stay agile and compliant in 2026 and beyond.
 
Discussion topics will include: • Executive decision-making amid regulatory ambiguity • Anticipating and managing borrower distress in a shifting housing market • Organizational alignment across legal, compliance, and operations • Building and retaining a workforce that can adapt to risk and scale • The future of vendor oversight, automation, and investor collaboration
 

• Moderator:
  • Gina Daya, Director of Client Services, Diaz | Anselmo
• Speakers: 
  • Erum Nayani, Esq., SVP, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer & Secretary, BSI Financial Services
  • Jackie Torres, SVP Core Operations, Cenlar FSB
  • Maria Centeno, VP, Loss Mitigation, BOK Financial
  • Yvette Gilmore, SVP, Servicing Product Strategy, Default Services, ServiceLink

10:15-10:30 AM – Refreshment Break & WILLPOWER 2026 Concludes – Opus Grand Ballroom Foyer