Credit Information Systems
accurate Financial Services
Appraisal Firewall

New Website Launch for Leading Appraisal Management Company

If you want to know more about a company whose job it is to make the appraisal management process as compliant and smooth as possible for lenders and their customers, go now to the new website for Star Appraisal Management Company, https://www.starappraisalmc.com/.

This new website, which launched on June 1st, highlights the benefits and features offered by Star Appraisal Management Company in the states they cover – Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota – states where they help their lenders create a dependable and trustworthy appraiser panel.

Also being launched are new websites for Credit Information Systems, creditinfosystems.com, and accuratefs.com, for Accurate Financial Services, which all fall under the same ownership.

Heather Russell-Schroeder, Owner and President, shared, “This new streamlined website will allow Star Appraisal Management Company to continue providing stellar service and will educate our clients on changes in the industry while facilitating the communication between the lenders and their appraisal panel.”

Marketing Director, Amy Blubaugh, is proud of the work the Subject Matter Experts at Credit Information Systems, Accurate Financial Services and Star Appraisal Management Company accomplish daily and feels the new websites reflect their efforts. “Our Teams provide an incomparable commitment and knowledge base to our clients and it’s evident by our leadership status in the risk management and appraisal management industries. The new websites are just a window into the dedication and loyalty of our employees and our clients.”

About the Company

Star Appraisal Management

Star Appraisal Management Company is a division of Credit Information Systems.

Star Appraisal Management Company provides a safe harbor for our clients by establishing a firewall between loan production and the appraisal function and compliance with the Frank-Dodd Act, all while keeping the appraiser free from any coercion.

Our flexibility allows clients to create a panel of appraisers they know and trust, or we can assist you in finding a qualified appraiser in a less familiar market.

At Star Appraisal Management Company, we ensure our appraisers possess the geographic and product competence required to deliver accurate and timely appraisal reports.

Our clients are loyal to us because quality and personal attention is given to every step of our operation in a timely manner.

Credit Information Systems

Credit Information Systems, Parent Company of Accurate Financial Services

Clients first – that’s the reason our ever-evolving, multi-generational family business has been an industry leader since 1915. We put our clients first by delivering accurate, quality information quickly and efficiently so they can service their customers in short order. Best of all, when our clients have questions, they know we will pick up the phone or reply to their email – immediately.

The Russell Family, owners since 1948, have been at the forefront of the credit reporting world by delivering information needed to make sound lending decisions as the industry continues to evolve. The dedicated staff members, many of which have been with the company over 25 years, bring their vast knowledge to assist the lending process and are committed to providing unequaled service.

Accurate Financial Services

Accurate Financial Services, a subsidiary of Credit Information Systems.

Established in 1998 by Linda Eagley and Kent Blankenship, Accurate Financial Services quickly became known as a credit industry expert, sourcing the years of knowledge Linda and Kent acquired while working for Equifax.

Accurate Financial Services established the rule of placing the client at the top of the organizational chart to ensure the finest service was always provided.

In 2014, Accurate Financial Services became a subsidiary of Credit Information Systems when Heather Russell-Schroeder partnered with Linda. Linda retired in 2018, and Accurate Financial Services became wholly owned by Credit Information Systems.

Join Our Email List

Star Appraisal Management

225 S Main St
Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Email: support@starappraisalmc.com
Phone: 800-875-7402
Contact Us

Search Our Site:

Amy Blubaugh, Marketing Director

402-320-2398
amy@creditinfosystems.com

Over the last thirty years, Amy Blubaugh has been honing her marketing skills while gathering experience and learning from each of her diverse career opportunities and co-workers.

As a college student studying communications and public relations in the early 1990s, Amy worked as a research phone representative at a radio station. It was with this job, and through several other tasks assigned at the station, Amy noticed she was drawn to events and messages generating a response.

Upon college graduation from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 1993, Amy accepted a Sales Assistant position for KEZO-FM (later, Journal Broadcast Group). Eager to support the sales team with communication to clients and office management, she was also excited to help with station events and programming needs. Her dedication and the talents she observed from her co-workers helped her learn to listen to the customer’s needs and create turnkey marketing programs.

In early 1995, Amy moved on to Redstone Communications as a Media Buyer. Broadening her media knowledge, she was invigorated by people with the same goal of garnering a response by delivering the right message to the right customer via the right mix of media.

After a short return to radio, Amy found herself taking her marketing knowhow to the finance industry as a Product Manager for First National Bank Omaha’s bank card division. Working for eight years with direct mail, event marketing, operations and emerging forms of electronic media was a great way to learn to project profitability, measure response and properly analyze results.

As both the Partnership Marketing Manager and Acquisition Manager for Omaha Steaks, Amy spent the next ten years working with various companies throughout the country developing marketing programs to sell product, acquire new customers, and generate leads and awareness of the business. It was with this position Amy was able to improve both her marketing analyst and creative abilities, producing reports to track real time results and make tweaks to print and digital ads to improve marketing efforts.

Amy began her four years at Mutual of Omaha in late 2015 managing product launches, applying process to all areas of marketing, testing print and online campaigns and maneuvering marketing projects in a very regulated industry.

Excited to be the first marketing-focused member of the Credit Information Systems team and work within the business-to-business area, Amy joined as Marketing Director in December of 2019.

Mike Osbourne, Senior Account Manager

402-660-0060
mike@creditinfosystems.com

For Mike Osbourne, his 28-year career in the credit reporting industry began October 1990 in a sales role for CSC Credit Services. As an Account Manager for CSC, Mike opened a brand-new sales territory in Western Iowa and developed new and existing accounts in Eastern Nebraska. CSC was acquired by Equifax and Mike continued to work successfully at various sales roles within the new organization for his midwestern clients. Mike joined Credit Information Systems as a Senior Account Manager April 2021.

Mike has a passion for the financial services industry both personally and professionally. Mike has served on several credit industry boards and continues to facilitate financial literacy though Financial Peace University.

Mike grew up in Northwestern Illinois and received his Management degree from Millikin University in 1985. He moved to the Omaha in 1987. Eventually, he went on to earn his MBA from the University of Phoenix. Mike is excited to now be part of the customer-focused sales team at Credit Information Systems.

Shane Hoelscher, Senior Account Manager

712-308-0030
shane@creditinfosystems.com

Shane Hoelscher received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics in 1991 from Texas A&M University. He followed that up with a Master of Agriculture in Agricultural Economics – Agribusiness emphasis in 1994. Shortly thereafter he entered a management training program with Terminix Pest Control engaging in all aspects of the professional environment.

Shane began his 23-plus year career in the credit industry after leaving Terminix to join CSC Credit Services as an Account Manager. He managed the relationships and was responsible for revenue-growth with various resellers in the auto, mortgage, tenant, and employment screening industries. In addition to his account management role, Shane was also a member of a new business development team and eventually led a trio of representatives engaged selling credit reporting services to all types of industries.

Shane continued with Equifax as a Channel Manager after they acquired CSC Credit Services in 2012. His primary focus was on the small-to-mid-sized resellers of Equifax products and services before he separated from Equifax in 2020.

Shane joined Credit Information Systems in April, 2020 as a Senior Account Manager and is looking forward to continued growth for the company.

Chad Hartnett, Chief Financial Officer

chad@creditinfosystems.com

Chad has over 29 years of finance leadership experience in industries that include professional services, vertically integrated supply chain, franchise and public accounting.

After graduating in 1992 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Accounting, Chad spent 6 years in public accounting as a consultant and auditor with companies that included Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young.

Chad then worked 16 years at HDR, Inc., one of the country’s largest engineering and architecture firms, in various roles including leading the company’s mergers and acquisitions division. He spent his final 7 years as the company’s Treasurer and Corporate Controller.

Chad then worked for 4 years as the Chief Financial Officer of Scooter’s, one of the fastest growing vertically integrated franchise companies in the country before joining Credit Information Systems in 2020 as their Chief Financial Officer and member of the board of directors.

Helen M. Meyers, Senior Executive Vice President

helen@creditinfosystems.com

With a Credit Reporting career spanning more than forty years, Helen Meyers started at Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs (1975-1979) learning the business and providing service to customers by reading their credit reports to them over the phone, verifying tradelines and gaining certification to interview consumers during a time when consumer files were handwritten.

In 1980, Helen accepted a customer service position in the installment loan department of Council Bluffs Savings Bank. Before she left the bank in 1995, she had worked her way up to Assistant Vice President/Loan Officer.

Returning to the Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs (d/b/a Credit Information Systems) in 1996, Helen has spent the last twenty-five years overseeing all mortgage loan customer service staff members, ensuring happy clients and a smooth flow of the company’s day-to-day operations. She also manages compliance with the Repositories as well as with state and federal laws.

Helen also served on the board of the National Consumer Reporting Association (NCRA) from 2018–2020.

Heather Russell-Schroeder, President

Heather Russell-Schroeder
800-782-9094
heather@creditinfosystems.com

Heather Russell-Schroeder began her 35 plus year career in the Credit Reporting industry as a high school and college student working part-time answering phones, entering data, handling consumer disputes and public record bulletins for her family’s business, Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska Lincoln with a Master of Arts Degree in Deaf Education in 1997, Heather spent two years teaching 1st grade at Crete Elementary and managing their Deaf Education program.

Heather returned to the Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs in 2000 as Compliance Officer – Executive Vice President, holding that position for eight years.

Heather has been the Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs, President and the President of Performance Data Systems, Inc since 2008. Beginning in 2009, Heather was the Co-Owner Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs, Inc and Performance Data Systems, Inc.

Currently, Heather is the third generation Owner Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs, Inc and Performance Data Systems, Inc.

Lee H. Volmer, Vice President Sales

402-714-0856
lee@creditinfosystems.com

In 1979, Lee Volmer’s Credit Reporting industry career launched with the Credit Bureau of Rockford, Illinois, where he was involved in automation to the Chilton System. After the Credit Bureau was purchased by Parker Business Systems, Lee was promoted to General Manager and led the Bureau’s conversion to the TransUnion System.

Lee was transferred to Seattle, Washington in 1982 to automate and market Washington and Oregon as an affiliate of the TransUnion System. Parker Business sold the franchise to TransUnion in 1985 and Lee took on the role as sales manager of Chilton’s Dallas, Texas operation. Promoted to General Manager of Chilton’s Omaha, Nebraska location in 1986, Lee’s duties included management of a 5-state area. Lee left TRW (formerly Chilton) in 1994 and worked with CSC Credit on special projects.

The Credit Bureau of Council Bluffs added Lee to the team as Vice President of Sales in 1995, a position he currently holds along with being a trusted resource to many in the credit reporting industry.