It is with regret and solace that I share today we have lost a long time veteran of our industry, Joanne Gaskin. To those who knew and worked with Joanne, she was a beacon of light. Her personality glowed and she championed a number of consumer centric leadership roles. Many others recall Joanne for her unwavering presence as an executive at FICO. She has been a steadfast leader in the housing and financial markets for decades.
In her official capacity, Joanne was the Vice President of Scores at FICO. She was responsible for the FICO Scores Mortgage and Capital Markets practice which encompasses setting the strategic direction of FICO’s analytic solutions and partnerships serving mortgage and capital market participants
I was fortunate to cross paths years ago with Joanne during the Great Financial Crisis. At the time, I was the leader of HOPE NOW, an industry consortium charged with seeking alliances between non-profits and government agencies to help mitigate foreclosures. In the heat of that moment, Joanne did what she so often would do. She reached out to see how FICO could be helpful to HOPE NOW and provide support for our events. Joanne encouraged the leadership at FICO to be supportive of stressed borrowers who were often upside-down on their mortgage with little to no home equity.
We were blessed to hear from Joanne early on in the crisis as her call led to others we received that helped the HOPE NOW Alliance broaden its reach so that many distressed borrowers could avoid foreclosure and stay in their home.
I know watching Joanne operate in our business was a big help to me. She broke the glass ceiling in her early years forging her path in financial services after graduating from Michigan State University and accepting a position at Merrill Lynch banking. Joanne moved on to increasing roles of responsibility at Michigan National Bank and AAA Auto Trust where she served as CEO. Joanne’s desire to learn, her warm inquisitive nature and empathy were ever-present features she extolled in her dealings with colleagues, staff and industry partners.
When I started Housing Finance Strategies, Joanne was quick to support me. She joined me on panels at our #HousingDC events and FICO was a prominent and returning sponsor at all of our conferences over the years. The level of confidence and trust in me from Joanne meant a great deal when I made that transition from corporate America to my own ‘entrepreneurial efforts.’
I also knew Joanne as a woman who knew how to have fun. A few years ago, we attended an MBA conference in Colorado. The conference was an intimate and C suite affair. Joanne thought it would be fun to arrange a sleigh ride and host a small collegial dinner in a cabin on the mountain. That we did. Together we invited a mix of industry leaders to join us and we had a delightful time. That was one of many evenings together we enjoyed with a number of long lasting comrades who I know today join me in missing Joanne.
It goes without saying that we lost an industry colleague and dear friend far too early. It is a reminder to us that we have a wonderfully connected and caring industry and it is important that we all take a moment to think about Joanne and bid her a farewell. We offer our thoughts and prayers to her family and friends and especially her son Connor who will miss her very much. And to her FICO family, we are very sorry for your loss.
Joanne’s obituary may be found here: https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/ft-myers-fl/joanne-gaskin-11996382 and her family established a Joanne Gaskin Memorial Scholarship at Michigan State University that you can view here: https://givingto.msu.edu/gift/?sid=18736