About Mark Jones

Mark Jones has spent more than forty years building, scaling, and guiding American mortgage institutions. In 1983, he co-founded AmeriFirst Home Mortgage in Kalamazoo, Michigan with David Gahm. Over the next four decades, Mark served as Co-CEO and guided AmeriFirst's growth into a full-service nationwide lender with over 80 locations, 900 employees, and multi-billion-dollar annual production.

Under Mark's leadership, AmeriFirst earned national prominence for its commitment to affordable homeownership, repeatedly ranking as one of the country's top USDA Rural Development and FHA lenders. In 2023, AmeriFirst merged with Union Home Mortgage, where Mark assumed the role of President to continue advancing national retail expansion and operational strength.

Active in national housing policy and governance, Mark was elected by his peers to serve as the 2024 Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), representing more than 2,200 member companies across the real estate finance industry. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, met with federal regulators, and advocated for policies that promote responsible lending and accessible homeownership.

Today, Mark is the Managing Partner of Lake Michigan Capital, where he provides strategic advisory services, governance oversight, and private capital to growth-stage businesses in financial services and real estate.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he competed on the Varsity Swimming & Diving team. In 1979, he won the Virginia Intercollegiate State Championship in 1-meter springboard diving and was a two-time NCAA Regional Qualifier.

Mark lives in the greater Kalamazoo area with his wife, Toni. They have three adult children and five grandchildren.