Panel: Street-Level Reality Check – Practitioner Panel
Moderator
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Councilwoman Odette Ramos
Baltimore City Council
Odette Ramos is the first Hispanic person elected to any office in Baltimore City.
As a City Councilwoman, she has championed affordable housing and the elimination of vacant and abandoned properties,
passing several pieces of legislation to advance this agenda.
Ramos lives in Charles Village with her husband, John Spurrier, and daughter, Teresa. A Puerto Rican native who grew up
in Albuquerque, she came to Baltimore in 1991 to attend Goucher College, where she served three years as Student Government
President and graduated with honors in Social Justice. She later earned an M.S. in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute
at Rutgers University.
Ramos worked for Delegate Jim Campbell in the Maryland House of Delegates and for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski. She led
the Neighborhood Congress at Greater Homewood Community Corporation, founded the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance
(BNIA), and in 2005 started her firm, Strategic Management Consulting. She later served as Executive Director of the Community
Development Network of Maryland before being sworn in as District 14’s Councilwoman.
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Panelists
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Wayne Davis
Realtor, United Real Estate Executives
United Real Estate Executives (UREE) is a full-service brokerage specializing in residential, commercial, luxury,
investment, REO, short sales, and property management. Broker and owner Wayne S. Davis brings 27+ years of experience
in sales, training, contracts, financing, management, investments, and distressed property, with over $100 million
in personal sales. A Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), he established UREE’s REO Department and holds
memberships with NAR, MAR, and the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors®. His philosophy: “Preparation and exposure
create opportunity to live your dream.”
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Larry McMillan
Senior Mortgage Banker, Ameris Bank
Larry McMillan studied Finance at Virginia State University (HBCU) and built a 26-year career in mortgage origination
across Baltimore City and County. He has received Presidents Club, Chairmen’s Club, and CRA Producer of the Year honors,
and partnered extensively with Baltimore City and County HCD, closing 2,100+ transactions. He focuses on strategic housing
solutions, strong agency partnerships, and staying ahead of industry trends.
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Hope Mims
Realtor, NextHome
Broker/Owner of NextHome Mims Realty Group, gubernatorial appointee to the Maryland Real Estate Commission, and current
Chair of its Education Committee. With nearly 20 years in residential, commercial, and investment real estate, Hope is
known for elevating professional standards and mentoring future leaders. She authored The Step by Step Guide to
Financial Readiness: Your Key to Homeownership and champions women’s empowerment through workshops and training.
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Richard Pazornik
Mortgage Banker, Shore United Bank
Richard Pazornik has been a dedicated loan originator since 1999, originating approximately half a billion dollars in
mortgage loans. Now a Mortgage Banker with Shore United Bank, he focuses on first-time homebuyers in Baltimore City.
A long-time city resident, Richard has taught financial literacy in Baltimore City Public Schools through a SunTrust
partnership and served on multiple nonprofit and community boards, including Moveable Feast and the Reservoir Hill
Improvement Council. He completed graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, holds a J.D. from the University of
Maryland School of Law, and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.
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