Freddie Mac names former Ginnie Mae head Sam Valverde to executive role

Sam Valverde, who stepped down as acting president of Ginnie Mae on Nov. 30, will join Freddie Mac as vice president of mission and community engagement in the government-sponsored enterprise’s single-family acquisitions division. The move is effective Monday.

With more than 20 years of experience in housing and capital markets, Valverde has held senior positions at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. At Freddie Mac, he will focus on advancing risk management strategies, increasing lender adoption of digital tools and products, and overseeing affordability initiatives. National Mortgage News first reported his hiring.  

Valverde, who joined Ginnie Mae in 2022, served as principal vice president and chief operating officer before assuming the acting president’s role after Alanna McCargo’s resignation in May. Gregory Keith, Ginnie Mae’s senior vice president and chief risk officer, has succeeded Valverde as acting president.

This marks another significant leadership shift for Freddie Mac in 2024. It follows the departure of chief financial officer Christian Lown in June and CEO Michael DeVito’s retirement in the first quarter, less than three years into his tenure.

Valverde’s move occurs as the housing sector anticipates further changes under President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration. During his first term, Trump only appointed acting leaders at Ginnie Mae, leaving the agency without a Senate-confirmed president. It remains unclear whether this will be the case in the second Trump administration.

For his second term, Trump has selected Scott Turner, former executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).