Gaffney Austin
WHO WE ARE.
MEET OUR TEAM.
JACOB GAFFNEY
As Editor-in-Chief of HousingWire, Jacob led double-digit growth for more than a decade. He helped broker the acquisition of HousingWire by Riomar Capital in 2016. During his tenure, Jacob oversaw editorial operations and was responsible for editorial strategy. Prior to that, he spent a decade abroad in London, holding editor positions for both Reuters and SourceMedia.
While at HousingWire, Jacob built and launched several short-term and long-term email campaigns. He helped rebrand the company twice and coordinated the website redesign three times. He didn’t stop there, in his last few years, he launched video and audio services to HousingWire’s millions-strong audience and helped brand the editorial op-ed sections and further enhanced subscriber services.
ALYSON AUSTIN
A seasoned communications advisor, public relations and communications professional, Alyson has served as a chief spokesperson for nearly three decades. Most recently with CoreLogic where she managed the c-suite and was part of the launch team to take the company public in 2010. Her role included spearheading economic and financial communications initiatives to elevate the company as thought leaders in the industry. Alyson leverages her extensive experience with public companies and leading trade associations to offer comprehensive communications strategy and marketing initiatives to further the goals of her clients.
During her career she has served on the frontline defending the reputation of her clients. She maintains deep media relationships as both a trusted source and a subject-matter expert. Alyson is recognized as a leader in the real estate, mortgage, insurance and fintech business with proven results across these industries.
CATHERINE WHITEMAN
Catherine is a respected communication strategist. Her diverse background includes more than 20 years as a public relations and policy counsel to members of Congress, the executive branch, and various private sector interests.
As a senior advisor to public officials, Catherine spearheaded successful issue initiatives critical to the officials’ constituencies, including complex issues such as financial services industry reform. Later, she moved to the private sector, representing a leading property-casualty industry association as principal spokesperson and policy advisor before Congress and the Administration. In this role, and later as a consultant, her ability to combine strategic thinking and tactical execution, along with messaging expertise, enabled her to advance public policy campaigns and meet client objectives. Catherine created and edited background materials and developed copy, including earned and paid media content, that positioned clients as thought leaders and industry experts.
Throughout her career, she has taken a thoughtful and engaged approach to communication, advocacy, and storytelling. Catherine holds a B.A. in Economics and J.D.
JESSICA GUERIN
Jessica is an experienced writer and editor who has spent the last decade deeply invested in the housing finance and real estate space. A former editor at HousingWire, she has built relationships with top professionals in the sector while reporting multiple stories daily covering the housing and mortgage markets. In her years covering industry news, she has become adept at creating content across platforms for a business audience.
Jessica’s mortgage expertise extends to the reverse mortgage market, as she spent six years managing the production of a monthly reverse mortgage magazine as editor-in- chief of Reverse Publishing. She has long been a student of journalism, with both a bachelor’s and a master’s in the field.