A thoughtful, business-minded leader, Al has grown First Freedom Preservation (FFP) from a property management and preservation firm to a regional leader in the REO preservation and renovation space. Al began FFP in 2008 with projects from Baltimore to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and has since grown the company to cover five states and Washington, DC. His relationship with owners, portfolio and asset managers, and specialty contractors are built through his ability to craft creative solutions to complicated problems leveraging technology, industry knowledge, and hands-on experience to provide clients with a complete, custom solution to meet their needs and budget. Al is a fixture at industry events, and is dedicated to improving the REO space through excellence in quality and leadership.

Al’s experience managing businesses for over twenty years has made him an experienced and compassionate leader who guides his team to keep focus on the core value of the company, improving communities. He fell into the REO world unconventionally, by actually falling out of a burning building when he was a tradesman performing maintenance at a facility in New York. As a result of his injuries, Al found himself better suited to lead a team than to perform the work himself. His natural aptitude for finding smart solutions to complicated problems made him the go-to guy for time-sensitive or unique challenges.

Al sits on the board for the National Association of Mortgage Field Servicers (NAMFS). He is a regular contributor to DS News and The Five Star Institute as a writer and webinar presenter, and contributes frequently to trade publications as an industry expert. Through his leadership, FFP has received a Better Business Bureau A+ rating for the last nine years in a row. He is also a member of ABC Baltimore, and is a licensed MHIC contractor in the state of Maryland.

Al is the heart of First Freedom Preservation, and has built a team of nearly 50 employees who focus on immediate responses to efficiently and safely secure properties and provide exceptional renovation services that are consistently delivered on-time and on-budget. Al prides himself on consistently receiving exceptional scorecards and feedback from trusted clients, as he understands that delivering exceptional service is the best way to maintain his sterling reputation in the REO space. Al’s commitment to his client’s needs is reflected in FFP’s delivery of promptly completed projects– the same level of care is offered from a lock change and grass cut to a full renovation. Every project, every asset is treated with the same level of dedication and care.

Outside of work, Al spends his time with his wife Dena and their six children. When he’s not swimming or spending time with his family, Al is also a volunteer EMT. Following his passion to give back, Al responds to medical calls in the Baltimore area, which often has him sprinting from meetings when his radio calls him away from the office. He sits on the board of a local high school, is a board member of the KAYTT Synagogue, and recently was an altruistic kidney donor. Additionally, Al is the founder and president of Misaskim Maryland, a non-profit organization that offers services to those dealing with crisis and the grieving process.