NEW YORK, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE: MFA ) today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Craig L. Knutson as the Company's co-Chief Executive Officer. A nine-year veteran of MFA and currently the firm's President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Knutson will provide additional leadership atop the Company while working alongside current Chief Executive Officer William S. Gorin, allowing Mr. Gorin to focus on his ongoing treatment for cancer.