Kevin Cuff, former executive director of the Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Association (MMBA), has a new gig that will take his Bay State experience to a national level.

He’ll now serve as executive director at the Community Mortgage Lenders of America (CMLA), a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group for middle-market mortgage companies and banks. While the larger Mortgage Bankers Association is the trade group for lenders of all sizes, including behemoth companies, this organization provides a voice specifically for the smaller guy – similar to how the Independent Community Bankers of America compares to the larger American Bankers Association.

Cuff left the MMBA in 2010 and has since worked for Arlington-based Leader Bank as vice president of residential lending compliance and director of community investment. The new position at CMLA attracted him because it’s a history-making time in the mortgage industry, he said, and this position offers a chance to be involved with the sweeping changes now taking place.

"It’s a very challenging opportunity, which is what’s appealing to me," Cuff told Banker & Tradesman.

Cuff will remain an Andover resident for the foreseeable future, he said, traveling to D.C. frequently to fulfill his duties. As head of the group, Cuff aims to expand the CMLA from its current level of 100 members, and he will also organize the advocacy agenda by working with legal experts and lobbyists on behalf of members.

As with the banking industry, new regulatory proposals have wildly different impacts on different companies depending on their size. For example, one idea to reform government sponsored entities (GSEs) such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He proposes that the GSEs be privatized and rolled into the five largest mortgage companies. That puts the middle-market on the fringes of the industry. Cuff said: "Why should we be on the outside looking in?" In that light, it’s important to have a strong voice for the middle market.

In a statement, CMLA Chairman Mark McDougald praised Cuff’s dedication to the lending industry and his extensive experience with regulatory and legislative agendas "both nationally and regionally."