XENIA, OH, August 17, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Michelle L. Hedger has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mrs. Hedger currently serves as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Technology and Innovation at Independence Home Loans LLC, where she is responsible for defining and executing the company's enterprise technology strategy. Working directly with executive leadership, she aligns technology investments with business objectives, customer experience initiatives and long-term organizational growth. Her focus centers on delivering scalable, sustainable solutions that drive operational excellence while keeping the needs of borrowers and employees at the forefront.
With more than two decades of experience spanning mortgage banking, servicing, compliance, operations and software engineering, Mrs. Hedger has built a reputation for transforming complex business challenges into innovative technology solutions.
Prior to joining Independence Home Loans, she served as Director of Software Engineering at CrossCountry Mortgage LLC from 2022 to 2026. Recruited to help accelerate the company's technology transformation, she led initiatives that modernized the loan origination platform, automated key operational processes and expanded the organization's proprietary technology ecosystem. Her leadership contributed to significant operational efficiencies and supported CrossCountry Mortgage during a period of exceptional growth, helping position the company among the nation's leading mortgage lenders.
Before CrossCountry Mortgage, Mrs. Hedger held several leadership positions at myCUmortgage LLC, including manager of mortgage systems and applications, mortgage servicing systems manager, CUSO servicing compliance specialist and mortgage servicing auditor. During her tenure, she oversaw critical technology platforms, including loan origination, servicing and data warehouse systems, while championing process improvement initiatives, robotic process automation and early artificial intelligence applications. Her ability to bridge business operations, compliance and technology helped drive meaningful organizational transformation.
Mrs. Hedger began her mortgage industry career in 2003 as an underwriter with National City Mortgage, gaining experience across wholesale, retail and correspondent lending channels. Following the financial crisis, she joined PNC Financial Services Group, where she transitioned into default and servicing operations. While working in servicing, she recognized a growing need for automation and data-driven decision-making at a time when many mortgage processes remained highly manual.
Driven by a passion for continuous improvement, she earned a Six Sigma Black Belt – Level III certification through the International Association for Six Sigma Certification and committed herself to leveraging technology to solve systemic business challenges. In preparation for sweeping Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulatory changes taking effect in 2013, she entered an informal mentorship with a solution architect at PNC, combining her deep business expertise with newly developed technical skills. Together, they designed and implemented automated applications that enabled regulatory compliance without increasing staffing levels. Her work earned her the PNC Performance Award in 2014.
Among her most significant professional achievements was the development of a pioneering loss mitigation decision engine during her tenure at PNC. Working alongside a colleague, Mrs. Hedger helped create an automated platform capable of evaluating borrowers for loan modifications, forbearance plans and repayment solutions based on investor guidelines from organizations including FHA, VA and Freddie Mac. At a time when these decisions were largely performed manually, the platform demonstrated how technology could improve consistency, efficiency and borrower outcomes. She considers this accomplishment one of the defining milestones of her career and an early example of applied intelligent automation within mortgage servicing.
Throughout her professional journey, Mrs. Hedger has distinguished herself as a leader who combines technical vision with operational expertise. Her career reflects a unique progression from underwriting and servicing to software engineering, enterprise architecture and executive technology leadership. She is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and is widely recognized for her ability to lead organizations through complex transformation initiatives.
Mrs. Hedger earned a Bachelor of Science in Forensics from the University of Michigan in 2002, specializing in crime scene investigation, and graduated from Xenia High School in 1999. Her academic foundation instilled the analytical thinking, investigative discipline and problem-solving mindset that continue to define her leadership approach today.
She credits much of her success to the mentors who have guided her throughout her career, as well as to her unwavering commitment to integrity, accountability and excellence. She believes effective leadership is rooted in doing what is right even when it is difficult and in helping others reach their fullest potential.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Mrs. Hedger has demonstrated a deep commitment to service. From 2014 through 2018, she participated in annual mission trips to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, helping construct churches and dental facilities while supporting initiatives focused on clean water access, food security and dental care for underserved children and families.
A lifelong resident of the Xenia area, Mrs. Hedger enjoys camping, hiking and spending time outdoors with her husband, children, grandchildren, and their two silver Labrador retrievers. She is an avid learner with aspirations of mastering the piano and remains passionate about mentoring future leaders in technology.
Looking to the future, Mrs. Hedger is focused on advancing the responsible use of artificial intelligence, automation and context engineering to create more intelligent, personalized and efficient experiences for borrowers, lenders and employees. She believes the next era of innovation will be driven by the ability to align human expertise with AI capabilities, empowering organizations to make better decisions, deliver greater value and create more meaningful outcomes at scale.
As she continues to lead transformational technology initiatives, Mrs. Hedger remains committed to reshaping the future of financial services through innovation, strategic leadership and a relentless focus on solving real-world problems.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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