Stearns Lending has appointed Steve Smith to the role of president, in which he will focus on growth opportunities for the 12^th largest non-bank lender in the U.S.

Smith will work with David Schneider, chief executive officer of the company, and will continue in his current role as chief financial officer. Also, he has been appointed to the Operating Committees of Stearns’ Preferred Partnerships Certainty Home Loans and Citywide Home Loans.

“In my new role, I look forward to continuing to explore opportunities for growth including ways we can continue to engage our employees, customers and partners with new advances in technology that are changing the mortgage landscape,” said Smith.

His appointment is the second at Stearns in recent days. Jim Linnane was promoted to national retail president and will report to David Schneider, CEO of Stearns Lending. He will focus on increasing Stearns’ national presence and volume while expanding the business into new territories. Linnane had served as the division president for the central and eastern regions of Stearns Home Loans.

Since joining the executive team three years ago, Smith’s strategic focus on digital technology has created efficiencies and increased cost containment, while also ensuring that Stearns Lending stays ahead of the technology curve. A seasoned mortgage veteran with three decades of finance, mortgage-banking and real-estate industry experience, Smith worked at Caliber Home Loans and Bank of America.

“Success in today’s mortgage industry requires a strong leadership team focused on our employers, customers and partners,” said Schneider. “In his dual roles as president and CFO, Smith and I will work closely together as we continue to identify growth opportunities for Stearns while remaining focused on serving our customers, business partners and most importantly our team.”