• multifamily
• seniorliving
• skilled nursing
• other commercial

Our Team

Tim O'Donnell, President, is responsible for the company's overall strategy, marketing, and originations. A 25-year veteran of housing finance, he has originated, structured and closed over 200 transactions involving FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, securitized lenders, and conventional portfolio sources. In addition to his responsibilities at Eastern Mortgage Capital, he serves as Managing Director and Principal at Fantini & Gorga, New England's premier real estate investment banking firm in the areas market-rate, affordable, and seniors housing. Email Tim O'Donnell

Peter J. Panagako, Director, is responsible for originating FHA Insured transactions nationwide. As an underwriter and originator, Peter has been involved in 125+ FHA Insured transactions located in 38 states. His experience with FHA-insured projects extends beyond lending and includes tax credit syndication, asset management, and new construction development. Peter's direct experience with the FHA Insured programs from the borrower's side of the transaction gives him invaluable insight to achieve our clients' financial goals and to ensure accurate and efficient deal structuring. Email Peter Panagako

George Fantini, Executive Vice President, directs the company's new business development and strategic planning. In a career that spans over 40 years, George has directly supervised the successful completion of hundreds of transactions involving taxable and tax-exempt debt, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, new construction of rental housing, debt restructuring, mezzanine financing, joint ventures, and equity. He is currently Chairman of Fantini & Gorga, which he co-founded in 1995. He has served as a director of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (where he chaired the Investment Committee), Atlantic Bank, Northeast Savings, NAIOP, and the Boston Financial Group; and he has been a trustee of Meditrust and of Bentley College. In 1997 the Real Estate Finance Association honored him with the Robert Swain, Jr. Award for his distinguished contributions to the real estate finance industry. A noted speaker on industry trends, George is the principal author of the Master Money Matrix © series.

John R. Gorga, Executive Vice President, oversees the company's operations and investor relations. In addition to his responsibilities at Eastern Mortgage Capital, John serves as President of Fantini & Gorga, which he co-founded in 1995. Earlier, as a Principal at the Boston Financial Group, he became a specialist in arranging Section 42 affordable housing loans and private placement financing for corporate investors in institutional tax credit funds. An expert in structuring complex transactions, John has personally originated and placed over 200 financings for clients.

Daniel P. Pimental, Underwriting Manager, joined EMC in 2008. He has over 20 years experience in the analysis, underwriting, and administration of FHA insured loans. He has a particular expertise in construction loans and all aspects of healthcare. Prior to joining EMC he was a Vice President at Charles River Mortgage Company where he specialized in the preparation of FHA applications for the health care industry. Dan graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in accounting.

Keith Wentzel, Director, handles origination of FHA-insured transactions. With 30 years experience covering all aspects of real estate and corporate finance he brings a uniquely broad perspective to FHA transactions. Prior to joining EMC in 2009, he was at GE Capital, and he held positions with several banks and specialty lenders in his career. He has both a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Michigan State University.

Mark Whelan, Director, joined EMC in 2009. Mr. Whelan is tasked with preparing pre-underwriting reports for EMC transactions. Mr. Whelan also holds the title of Director at the commercial mortgage banking firm Fantini & Gorga, where he has worked since 2006. In his Fantini & Gorga role, Mr. Whelan determines deal feasibility, conducts financial analysis of various transactions and prepares materials to be distributed to potential capital sources. Mr. Whelan also works closely with clients and capital sources to ensure a successful completion of a transaction. Prior to Fantini & Gorga, Mr. Whelan was part of a two member permanent mortgage team for the Boston office of KeyBank Real Estate Capital. This team completed more than $1 billion in permanent mortgage transactions, the majority of which were Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, followed by CMBS and life/pension product lines. Mr. Whelan earned a Master of Science in Finance degree from Bentley University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management (with a concentration in Finance) from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Jill Gentile, Senior Loan Analyst, handles loan processing from initial sizing through financial analysis, document review, and submission. A 15- year veteran of commercial banking, Jill joined EMC from within Eastern Bank. She coordinates the efforts of other loan analysts from the Bank who provide additional expertise and professional support for Eastern Mortgage Capital's underwriting process.

Heather Baldassari, Director of Servicing & Operations, oversees servicing for the company and coordinates closings. She currently handles a servicing portfolio with a balance in excess of $400 million. In addition to her servicing responsibilities, Heather oversees the firm's financial reporting, coordinates the administrative staff, and handles the company's marketing activities. She is a 2002 graduate of Bentley College with a major in Finance.