Latest news with #Roberson
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Todd Roberson Announces Release of New Book The Veteran Advantage, Revolutionizing VA Loan Education for Veterans and Realtors
Todd Roberson, award-winning VA loan specialist, announces the release of The Veteran Advantage, a comprehensive guide aimed at educating veterans and realtors about the benefits of VA home loans. United States, June 27, 2025 -- Todd Roberson Announces the Release of The Veteran Advantage to Educate Veterans and Realtors on VA Home Loans Todd Roberson, a leading expert in VA home loans and founder of Texas Loan Pros, has officially released his new book, The Veteran Advantage. This book is designed to provide veterans and Realtors with an in-depth understanding of the benefits and opportunities that come with the VA loan program, a vital tool for veterans looking to achieve homeownership. The Veteran Advantage offers a comprehensive overview of how the VA home loan works, debunking common myths that can hinder veterans from fully utilizing the benefits they have earned through their service. With a focus on practical advice, the book also provides insights for real estate agents, helping them guide their veteran clients through the complexities of VA home loans. 'Throughout my career, I have seen many veterans miss out on the opportunity to buy homes due to misunderstandings about the VA loan process. With this book, I aim to clear up the confusion and help veterans take full advantage of the benefits available to them,' said Todd Roberson. 'The goal is to empower both veterans and realtors with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.' Todd Roberson's Expertise Recognized Across the Industry Todd Roberson's expertise has been recognized across the mortgage industry. As a VA loan specialist, he has received multiple accolades, including being named the Top Veteran Loan Originator by the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), Best VA Educator by Insider Weekly, and Best Veteran Loan Originator by the International Business Journal. These honors reflect Roberson's commitment to educating veterans and realtors about the VA loan process and ensuring that veterans can successfully navigate the homebuying process. Roberson's work extends far beyond simply originating loans. He is a passionate educator, regularly hosting seminars and webinars for realtors, lending professionals, and veterans to ensure that they fully understand the financial benefits and process of securing a VA loan. Dispelling Common Myths About VA Loans A key feature of The Veteran Advantage is its focus on debunking the widespread misconceptions about VA loans. One of the most common myths is that VA loans come with higher interest rates than conventional loans. In reality, VA loans often offer lower interest rates and do not require private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is typically a significant added cost with conventional loans. Additionally, many believe that VA loans are only available to first-time homebuyers, when in fact, veterans can use their VA loan benefit multiple times throughout their life. Roberson dedicates a significant portion of his book to addressing these and other misconceptions, empowering veterans to make the most of their benefits. By educating both realtors and veterans, Roberson seeks to ensure that all veterans have access to the tools and resources they need to navigate the homebuying process confidently. Texas Loan Pros: A Veteran-Focused Mortgage Company Roberson's company, Texas Loan Pros, has built its reputation on a foundation of veteran-centered values. With a strong focus on the VA loan program, Texas Loan Pros is committed to providing veterans with the support and guidance they need to successfully obtain home loans. The company works with veterans to ensure they understand their loan options, are fully informed about the benefits available to them, and are empowered to make sound financial decisions. At Texas Loan Pros, Roberson and his team focus not only on securing loans but also on providing valuable education to veterans about the homebuying process. This commitment to both lending and education sets Texas Loan Pros apart from many other lenders who do not specialize in VA loans. 'I believe that the more veterans and realtors know about VA loans, the more confident they will be when navigating the process,' said Roberson. 'At Texas Loan Pros, we are committed to providing exceptional service, education, and support for our veteran clients every step of the way.' A New Era for Veteran Homeownership Education With the release of The Veteran Advantage, Todd Roberson aims to revolutionize the way veterans and realtors approach the homebuying process. By providing essential information and insights, Roberson is helping to clear up misconceptions and empower veterans to take advantage of their VA loan benefits. Real estate professionals will also benefit from the book, as it offers expert guidance on how to serve veteran clients with the knowledge and care they deserve. Roberson's ongoing mission is to build a better understanding of the VA loan program, ensuring that more veterans achieve the dream of homeownership without the barriers that often arise due to lack of information. About Todd Roberson and Texas Loan Pros Todd Roberson is a recognized VA loan specialist and the owner of Texas Loan Pros. With years of experience in the mortgage industry, Roberson has become one of the leading voices in VA loan education. His book, The Veteran Advantage, is a culmination of his work educating veterans and real estate professionals about the benefits of the VA loan program. As the founder of Texas Loan Pros, Roberson is committed to providing exceptional service to veterans, guiding them through the VA loan process with expertise and care. Through his work, Roberson continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of veterans and their families, helping them achieve their dream of homeownership. For more information about The Veteran Advantage or to learn more about Todd Roberson and Texas Loan Pros, visit Texas Loan Pros or Todd Roberson Author. Media Contact: Todd Roberson Owner, Texas Loan Pros Email: [email protected] Contact Info: Name: Todd Roberson Email: Send Email Organization: Texas Loan Pros Website: Release ID: 89163362 In the event of any inaccuracies, problems, or queries arising from the content shared in this press release, we encourage you to notify us immediately at [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our diligent team will be readily available to respond and take swift action within 8 hours to rectify any identified issues or assist with removal requests. Ensuring the provision of high-quality and precise information is paramount to us.
Herald Malaysia
3 days ago
- Health
- Herald Malaysia
Studies show need to raise Catholic mental health support for young women, mothers
Experts say rising isolation drives worsening mental health in young women and mothers Jun 26, 2025 The US Conference of Catholic Bishops during their annual General Assembly. (Photo: Vatican News) By Zoey Maraist, OSV NewsLimited access to mental health care, rising substance use disorders and increasing income inequality are three likely reasons that young women and mothers are reporting declining mental health. But another reason for worsening mental health struggles that's widely cited by studies and mental health experts alike is the growing, societal-wide social isolation. "We expect everybody to be able to handle everything by themselves," said Daniel Roberson, a Catholic mental health counselor based in Arlington, Washington. "Women are more relational ... (so) isolation is always going to affect women more than it's going to affect men, and I think isolation could be the word of the decade." A March 13 Gallup poll found that from 2020 to 2024, just 15% of women aged 18-29 polled said they have excellent mental health, down 33 points from 2010-2014. A May 27 study from the JAMA Network found that self-reported mental health was found to have significantly declined for mothers of minor children. The Gallup poll notes that some of this reported decline in mental health is due to a growing awareness of mental issues. "The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have been a turning point in Americans' perceptions of their mental and physical health, compounding declines already underway," the survey notes. "The shift in how people perceive their mental health could reflect several dynamics: heightened anxiety brought on by the COVID-19 crisis; heightened public and medical attention to mental health during this period; and a lessening of the stigma around admitting mental health challenges." In his clinical experience, Roberson believes there is both an increased personal awareness of mental health struggles as well as a decline in mental health. Among his clients who are mothers, especially stay-at-home mothers, he sees a tendency to give and give that leads to burnout. "There's a risk where the woman starts to think that it's her job to pour out everything until she has nothing left," said Roberson, who is also part of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association. He helps clients to see that taking care of themselves ultimately allows them to take better care of their family and friends. At her practice, The Perinatal & Reproductive Wellness Group, Becky Morrison Gleed works with women and mothers struggling with mental health issues. She echoed the findings of the studies. "This is matching what I see," said Morrison Gleed, who is based in Falls Church, Virginia. "It's a bit stark (and) sad." She feels mothers are expected to do more with fewer resources, in addition to other problems including medical birth-related traumas or difficulties with partners, if they have partners. "This is a new generation where we have more dual-working parents and so gone are the days of the stay-at-home mom who has the village in her cul-de-sac," she said. "The expectations have not necessarily shifted to catch up with demands on mothers in terms of roles, mental load, working responsibilities and childcare." Morrison Gleed said she encourages people to check in on their mom friends and family members, especially postpartum moms. "The biggest risk factor that we know is if the person is not sleeping. If they've gone multiple days with no or minimal sleep, that should be considered an emergency," she said. She also advises against giving unsolicited advice. "Try to listen to what she's telling you," said Morrison Gleed. "Then she might share a little bit more and before you know it, you have a better idea of what she might need to feel supported and thrive as a mom." The JAMA Network study noted that the self-reported physical and mental health status was significantly lower among mothers who were US born, single parents, less educated, and those with publicly insured or uninsured children. Countless Catholic ministries reach out to the underserved through food banks, rental assistance and free medical clinics. But there's also special outreach to struggling pregnant women through parish-based ministries such as the Gabriel Project and Walking with Moms in Need. Kat Talalas, assistant director of pro-life communications for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, is working to expand Walking with Moms in Needs so that every parish is equipped to serve struggling families. So far, at least 60 US dioceses — approximately one in three — have a Walking with Moms in Need presence. Talalas sees the ministry as answering St. John Paul II's call to "radical solidarity" with mothers. "We are meant to welcome children into a community and have that community be a secure place to raise a family," she said. "It's really important to increase opportunities for women to know they're not alone, to have people who are willing to help them both practically and emotionally with all the changes that come with motherhood. Community and friendship can be a huge benefit to women's mental health." In one archdiocese, just advertising the program has made a big difference, said Talalas. "Women who are struggling with an unplanned pregnancy, maybe they're a single mother — they might think that the church doesn't want to help them because they're a single mother," she said. "By advertising, it helps reconnect women to the church, where they find that God loves them and they have people around them who are going to support them in welcoming new life." Other parishes and dioceses support flourishing mental health through Catholic Charities' counseling services or through mental health ministries. Numerous parishes and dioceses are part of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, including the Diocese of Boise, Idaho, which recently launched a diocesan mental health team. They've held retreats for parish staffers, an outreach event in a community impacted by suicide, and some "Catholic Mental Health 101" sessions. "Many people suffer from this, sometimes silently," said Jay Wonacott, director of Marriage and Family Life at the Boise Diocese. "There's still a great stigma around mental health issues and I think the purpose of the church is to allay that mental health stigma and help people understand the psychological, the medical and the spiritual dynamics." Separately, the diocese also has a ministry for women suffering from miscarriage. "Especially when there's a loss, there can be depression and there can be anxiety," he said. On an institutional level, Roberson believes the Catholic Church can better serve women's mental health by helping them form and keep healthy marriages, and by making mothers feel welcome in church, even when their babies are crying. "A lot of the single mothers that I work with and a lot of women with children simply don't feel like they can go to church, simply don't feel like they can engage in society until the children are grown up," he said. "And by then they've formed a habit through their life of staying on the outskirts." On an individual level, Catholics must commit to accompaniment. Roberson thinks of a friend who is currently accompanying a woman going through a mental health crisis. "That's painful and messy for him and his family, and it takes a lot of his time," said Roberson. While it's tempting for his friend to go back to his job and family and leave the struggling woman by herself, he knows that's not right. "I think we can talk about all the financial or societal supports that we need — and they're good and true — but it begins at the heart," Roberson said. "Do I individually make space for the people around me to talk to me about the things that are hurting them, and do I allow that to actually hurt me?"--
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Elmira sex offender arrested after failing to update address; police said
CHEMUNG COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) — An Elmira man, currently being held at the Chemung County Jail, was arrested back in June after deputies said he failed to update his address on the sex offender registry. Alonzo K. Roberson, 42, was arrested on Tuesday, June 10, on the charge of failure to notify the Division of Criminal Justice Services of a change of information within a required timeframe, a class D felony. NYSP: Man facing grand larceny charge after stealing over $90K from parents Back on May 8, the Chemung County Sheriff's Office was given information by the New York State Division of Parole stating Roberson, who is a level 3 registered sex offender, failed to update his address with the NYS Sex Offender Registry. The failure to update his address violated his parole, resulting in his release. Roberson was arrested on the charges and remains in the Chemung County Jail. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Official leaving Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration for Obama Foundation
CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson's chief operating officer is leaving the administration to join the Obama Foundation, ending weeks of speculation — and pushback — over his potential appointment to lead the CTA. The Obama Foundation told the Tribune John Roberson will join its leadership team as executive vice president starting July 7. And Johnson spokesperson Cassio Mendoza confirmed Roberson's last day in the mayor's office will be June 20. 'I want to thank John Roberson for his dedication and service to our city over these past two years,' Johnson said in a statement. 'I wish him the best of luck as he continues to serve our city in his new role at the Obama Foundation.' Roberson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. A member of the administration since the freshman mayor assumed office, Roberson is the last official within Johnson's inner circle with previous City Hall experience. His resignation was announced in a senior staff call Monday morning, sources said. 'John has the right background, experience and reputation to lead the operations of the Obama Presidential Center as we prepare to welcome the people of Chicago and the world to our campus next year,' Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation, wrote in a statement. 'John is well known for his rigor and commitment to excellence and his values-based leadership approach which aligns strongly with President Obama's vision.' For the last several weeks, Roberson had been the subject of opposition from transit advocates who feared the Johnson administration was angling to install him as the next president of the CTA. The agency has been left without a permanent leader since late January, when embattled president Dorval Carter retired. Transit activists sought a thorough search process for the agency's new head, whom they hoped would have previous experience leading a mass transit system. Johnson's team has said they did do a national search and he has not made a decision. Earlier this spring, Roberson was also rumored to be Johnson's next Chicago Department of Aviation commissioner. In the end, he was tapped for neither the Aviation nor the CTA role, and his exit from city government leaves the Johnson administration without any old-school City Hall bureaucrats among his top advisers. It also leaves a giant question mark on how the course of a looming budget crisis within for the CTA will play out. The Illinois General Assembly adjourned this month without a solution to the estimated $771 million budget gap for Chicago-area transit agencies after negotiations fell apart at the eleventh hour. Some Johnson critics said the trepidation over CTA's leadership under Johnson, who defended Carter throughout his controversial reign, impeded the transit agency's case before lawmakers that it can be trusted with more revenue to stave off the fiscal cliff. The mayor retorted last week that was a 'poor analysis' but did not say whether he will name the next CTA president before Springfield reconvenes to hammer out its transit package. 'I have not made a decision on who our appointment is going to be,' Johnson told reporters last week. Roberson's transition into the nonprofit sector comes after wearing multiple hats over the course of his government career, including commissioner of the Aviation, Buildings and Sewers departments under Mayor Richard M. Daley. He stepped down from city government in 2005 after he was named as a cooperating witness in a federal investigation into fraud in city hiring and promotions, though he denied that his role in the probe was behind his decision. Afterward, Roberson served as a top aide under Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Ald. David Moore, 17th, before returning to City Hall to join the Johnson administration in May 2023. As COO, his main task has been overseeing the nuts and bolts of city operations and ensuring that government services run smoothly. The most visible role Roberson took on in that respect was managing the behind-the-scenes preparations for the Democratic National Convention's arrival in Chicago last August, when the mayor was thrust into the national spotlight and concluded the made-for-TV week of events with relatively high marks for how the city was portrayed on the national stage. A former organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, Johnson took office after running as a firebrand progressive and had appointed Rich Guidice and Roberson as the two City Hall veterans among his top deputies. Their hires were seen as reassurance to members of the business community who worried the new mayor would shake up city government too much by only bringing in allies from his activist grassroots coalition. Those familiar with both Roberson and other top Johnson aides' thinking said the City Hall veteran at times clashed with mayoral staffers from more progressive grassroots backgrounds. Guidice, also the former head of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, left as Johnson's chief of staff in April 2024 after less than a year on the job and was replaced by Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who rose up among the Northwest Side progressives and served as a state senator before joining the Johnson administration in 2023. Asked about Roberson's apparent tensions with progressives in the Johnson administration, Guidice said he never saw direct clashes but defended his former colleague and friend of more than two decades. 'They're losing someone with institutional knowledge in the administration, who knows the day-to-day operations of the city,' Guidice said. 'He was pretty aligned with my way of thinking, I would say, and my understanding of city government.' In the Obama Foundation release, Roberson said he's looking forward to his new role. 'As a son of the South Side, I couldn't be more proud to build on the tremendous accomplishments of the OPC team and deliver this game-changing institution to our community and for our great city,' he said. _____ (The Tribune's Gregory Royal Pratt contributed reporting.) _____
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Official leaving Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration for Obama Foundation
Mayor Brandon Johnson's chief operating officer, John Roberson, is leaving the administration, ending weeks of speculation — and pushback — over his potential appointment to lead the CTA. Roberson is exiting the mayor's office to join the Obama Foundation, according to two sources with knowledge of his plans. A member of the administration since the freshman mayor assumed office, Roberson is the last official within Johnson's inner circle with previous City Hall experience. A source close to the mayor said Roberson is also no longer being considered to lead to the CTA. Roberson, as well as a spokesperson for the Obama Foundation, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. Roberson's transition into the nonprofit sector comes after wearing multiple hats over the course of his government career, including commissioner of the Aviation, Buildings and Sewers departments under Mayor Richard M. Daley. He stepped down from city government in 2005 after he was named as a cooperating witness in a federal investigation into fraud in city hiring and promotions, though he denied that his role in the probe was behind his decision. Afterward, Roberson served as a top aide under Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Ald. David Moore, 17th, before returning to City Hall to join the Johnson administration in May 2023. As COO, his main task has been overseeing the nuts and bolts of city operations and ensuring that government services run smoothly. The most visible role Roberson took on in that respect was managing the behind-the-scenes preparations for the Democratic National Convention's arrival in Chicago last August, when the mayor was thrust into the national spotlight and concluded the made-for-TV week of events with relatively high marks for how the city was portrayed on the national stage. For the last several weeks, Roberson has been the subject of opposition from transit advocates who feared that the Johnson administration was angling to install him as the next president of the CTA, which has been left without a permanent leader since late January, when embattled president Dorval Carter retired. Those activists sought a thorough search process for the agency's new head, whom they hoped would have previous experience leading a mass transit system. A former organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, Johnson took office after running as a firebrand progressive and had appointed Rich Guidice and Roberson as the two City Hall veterans among his top deputies. Their hires were seen as reassurance to the business community who worried the new mayor would shake up city government too much by only bringing in allies from his activist grassroots coalition. Guidice left as Johnson's chief of staff in April 2024 after less than a year on the job and was replaced by Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who rose up among the Northwest Side progressives and served as a state senator before joining the Johnson administration in 2023.
