About Our Philanthropy Committee

The Philanthropy Committee is the charitable heart of the LMBA, dedicated to making a positive impact through fundraising and community support. This committee leads fundraising campaigns, identifies deserving organizations for charitable contributions, and develops strategic plans for each initiative. Beginning in 2026, the committee will also focus on raising funds for the proposed LMBA Scholarship Programs, providing financial support to Louisiana mortgage professionals pursuing SOMB classes, AMP designation, or CMB designation. Led by the Committee Chair, this team is committed to fostering a culture of giving and professional growth within the industry.

Meet Our Committee

Chairperson
Carl Benefield, CMB, AMP

MGIC

Don McPherson

Bank of Zachary

Christy Solar

Benchmark Mortgage

Scott Cobb

Home Bank

Princess Mackie Buys a House

Every Princess Deserves Her Very Own Castle! Princess Mackie’s biggest dream is to live in her very own castle so she can paint her bedroom walls bright pink, and glue stars on her ceiling. She can dance all around the house without the downstairs neighbor complaining about the noise. She can finally have a fluffy puppy to play with in the backyard. But can she make her dream come true?

Your child will enjoy the Adventures of Princess Mackie and her mother as they navigate their home-buying journey. Through this story, children will gain a better understanding of the path to homeownership and also learn valuable lessons about other financial concepts such as generational wealth–building, saving money, budgeting, and goal setting. It is important to plant seeds of home ownership and financial literacy early and often so that children can understand this as a true possibility for them in the future.

Twala Lockett-Jones, also known in her community as the Purpose-Driven Realtor, is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Kalamazoo, Michigan with over 25 years of real estate experience. She is passionate about helping to remove barriers to homeownership for Black and Brown people and educating communities of color about the benefits of homeownership because she understands that homeownership is the cornerstone of building generational wealth in America.