Fifth Third Bank Chicago announced that Howard Ackerman has been appointed 2007 president of the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association (IMBA). He will serve as president until January 2008.

As president, Ackerman will serve as chief executive and oversee the affairs of IMBA. He will also lead the board of directors in determining the general direction of the Association, which represents the interests of 250 companies focused on residential and commercial mortgage lending. He most recently served as VP for IMBA. Before that, he served as the organization’s treasurer.