Speakers & Presenters

Harley E. Rouda, Jr.

CEO and Managing Partner

Real Living, Inc.

Harley E. Rouda, Jr. is chief executive officer and managing partner of Real Living, Inc., the largest residential real estate firm in the Midwest and the fourth-largest in the nation, with more than 4,000 agents and supporting staff working from 140 offices nationwide. Rouda spearheaded the creation of Real Living in February 2002 by acquiring several regional real estate firms to create a new kind of residential real estate company focused on family, innovation and results – an agent-focused company that would lead the industry in marketing technology, professional development and measurable results. 

Rouda earned the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in June 2002, in recognition of his industry leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.  And under his direction, Real Living, Inc. was named an Ohio 200 company by Ohio Business Magazine – a designation shared by the top 100 privately-held and top 100 publicly-held companies in the state.

Rouda speaks nationwide about trends and changes affecting the real estate industry, is extensively involved in various industry organizations, and writes a weekly newspaper column.  He is often quoted in national publications (including The Wall Street Journal, CNN.com and Forbes.com) and is a frequent guest on radio stations across the U.S.

Before entering the real estate industry, Rouda was an attorney with the national law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris and Arthur, specializing in capital information, securities work, and intellectual property. 

Rouda serves or has served on the Board of Directors of numerous for-profit and not-for profit companies including Rocky Shoes and Boots (NASDAQ: RCKY), Insight Bank, The Realty Alliance and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce.  As the chair of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) working group, Harley was instrumental in keeping the base open. He was also appointed to the All-Ohio Task Force to save defense jobs by Governor Bob Taft.

His participation in community organizations includes the American Cancer Society; Columbus Theatrical Association; Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Commission; March of Dimes; Prevent Blindness; Mid-Ohio FoodBank; Columbus Area Leadership Program; Ballet Met; Upper Arlington Civic Association; Southern Theatre Restoration; COSI (Center of Science and Industry); World of Children; The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University; and Capital University Law School.

Rouda received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kentucky; his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School; and his Masters in Business Administration from Fisher College of The Ohio State University.

He resides in Upper Arlington, Ohio, with his wife, Kaira, and their four children.

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Patrick Stone

Chairman

The Stone Group

Patrick Stone currently holds multiple board positions in several mortgage and real estate-related companies. He serves as the Chairman of The Stone Group, a commercial brokerage and development company headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Previously, Stone enjoyed a lengthy career with Fidelity National Financial (FNF), including eight years as President and Chief Operating Officer, and as a Director. During that time, the company grew to be one of the top title companies in the world. He was named one of the “10 People to Watch in 2004” by Inman News.

Most recently he was Vice-Chairman of Metrocities Mortgage, Inc., a national mortgage company based in Sherman Oaks, California, specializing in high-end residential retail, affiliated business arrangements and wholesale Alt-A lending.

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Stefan Swanepoel

CEO

RealtyU®, Inc.

Stefan Swanepoel is widely recognized as the leading visionary on trends and change in the real estate industry. He has penned 13 Book,s Whitepapers and Reports including the 1998 Amazon.com bestseller, Real Estate confronts Reality (1997), the sequel Real Estate confronts the Future (2004) and the Swanepoel Real Estate TRENDS Report (2006).

He has received numerous awards including; Businessman of the Year (Jaycees), Best Idea in Real Estate (Great Ideas Conference), has been ranked as one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in the Real Estate Industry (Today's REALTOR®) and was listed on of the Top 15 Technology Trainers in the US (The Real Estate CyberSpace Society).

His academic accomplishments include a bachelor's in science, a master's in business economics and diploma in arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, real estate computer science and marketing.

Today Stefan serves as:

CEO of RealtyU®, Inc. - Largest network or real estate schools in the US, annually educating over 300,000 agents in classrooms and over 40,000 agents online.

CEO of iSucceed, Inc. - Leading provider of online real estate mentoring and productivity

enhancements for real estate agents and brokers.

CEO of CreateAPlan, Inc. - Providers of the only online real estate business planning software system for real estate agents and brokers.

CEO of RealSure, Inc. - Management consulting practice, research firm and publishing company.

Chairman of Seller Agency Council, Inc. - Owner and manager of the sought-after Accredited Sellers Representative® (ASR®) designation and course.

Chairman of BASB, Inc. - The largest speaker's bureau in the real estate industry with over 100 speakers under contract.

Chairman of The Real Estate Apprentice Foundation, Inc. - A non-profit foundation providing $1,000,000 of grants to new licensees every year.

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Richard J. DeKaser

Senior Vice President and Chief Economist

National City Corporation

 

Richard J. DeKaser is senior vice president and chief economist at National City Corporation, where he provides analysis to senior management, business leaders, and clients of the bank.  His responsibilities include economic forecasting and financial market analysis.

Mr. DeKaser is responsible for the corporation's economic and interest rate forecasts and related research.  He authors the Financial Market Outlook, a monthly commentary on timely economic issues, and The Region, offering quarterly analysis and forecasts of the Midwest economy.  Each is available via mail or on the National City Economics Web site (www.nationalcity.com/economics).  He is also responsible for the Corporation’s widely-followed analysis of metro area housing valuations, which is updated quarterly and may be found at www.nationalcity.com/housevaluation.

Prior to joining National City, Mr. DeKaser was senior financial economist at Bank of Boston, now Bank of America, where he handled capital market and risk management research.  Previous to that, he was senior associate at Data Resources Inc., a division of Standard and Poors Corporation, where he managed contract research and forecasting.  He joined DRI after serving two years as staff economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Mr. DeKaser is a graduate of New York University, where he received undergraduate and advanced degrees in economics.

He is a member of the Governor's (Hon. Ted Strickland) Council of Economic Advisors, chairs the Financial Roundtable of the National Association for Business Economics, and contributes to the Blue Chip Economic Indicators and Financial Forecasts surveys.  His forecast accuracy has been recognized by USA Today (which subcontracts the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to perform its scientific assessment), ranking first in 2006, fourth in 2004 and third in 2003. He is a former chairman of the American Bankers Association's Economic Advisory Committee, former member of the Business Research Advisory Council (an advisory board to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), and past president of the New England Economic Project.

He is often quoted in leading financial publications, including the Wall Street Journal and Business Week, appears frequently on Bloomberg, CNBC and Fox News television broadcasts, and is a widely sought-after public speaker.

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Phil Schulman

Partner
K&L Gates

One of the nation’s most widely respected and most recognized RESPA attorneys, Phil Schulman’s national practice focuses on real estate finance and mortgage banking, with specialties in RESPA, the Truth-in-Lending Act and administrative and regulatory compliance matters. He is a former Assistant General Counsel for the Inspector General and Administrative Proceedings Division, H.U.D. Mr. Schulman will join the legal panel to discuss RESPA, affiliated business arrangements and answer audience submitted questions.

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Francis H. Azur

President & Chief Executive Officer

ATM

Since founding ATM, in 1993, Fran Azur has served as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. In this role, he’s responsible for setting ATM’s overall strategic direction and for guiding the executive management of the company’s business units. Under his leadership, ATM was the first settlement services company to form joint ventures with national mortgage lenders in the establishment of captive, settlement services subsidiaries. With twelve of its joint ventures in existence, ATM is the leader in the creation of captive subsidiaries.  In addition to joint venture and consulting revenues, ATM’s wholly owned subsidiary, Vision Global Solutions, provides operating Technologies for joint venture partners and independent Vendor Management Companies.  Azur also guides ATM in generating more than $100 million annually through retail sales of settlement services to lenders nationwide.

Prior to founding ATM, Azur, a 30-year-industry-veteran, spent eleven years with Lender’s Service Inc (LSI).  As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, he helped build LSI into the nations first and — at the time — largest Vendor Management Company, with sales in excess of $120 million in 1992. Before this, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at LLC Corporation, where he was responsible for the management of the company’s daily operations. Azur also previously held executive management positions at ITT Financial and Signal Finance.

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Jeffrey A. Arouh

Partner
Holland & Knight LLP

One of the nation's leading RESPA attorneys, Jeffrey Arouh, is a partner in the New York City office of Holland & Knight. He has practiced in the real estate, executive relocation and settlement services areas for several years, and represents title insurance companies, real estate brokers, appraisers and title insurance agencies. Mr. Arouh is a frequent lecturer for seminars and conferences on numerous legal issues involving real estate, title, mortgage banking and consumer finance. Mr. Arouh has been published in HR, Mobility, National Relocation & Real Estate magazines and Corporate Relocation News.

Mr. Arouh will discuss the legal requirements and practical considerations necessary for setting up a large and small joint venture or affiliated arrangement during the AfBA Tool Kit session.

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Stewart Morris, Jr.

President & Co-CEO

Stewart Information Services Corp.

As President and Co-CEO of Stewart Information Services Corp. and President of Stewart Title Co., Stewart Morris, Jr. is responsible for the affiliated title offices, real estate information companies and technology companies. He joined Stewart Title Co. in 1973. He was elected Vice President of Stewart Title Co. in 1975, and President of Stewart Title Co. and Chairman of Stewart Title Guaranty Co. in 1991. He became an Advisory Director of Stewart Information Services Corp. in 1997 and was elected to the Board as President and Co-CEO in February 2000. Under the direction of Mr. Morris, Stewart has become a real estate information industry leader in technology for productivity and e-commerce as well as a host of settlement services needed to close real estate transactions, which is key to Stewart’s future. Mr. Morris has often spoken at real estate conferences such as Title Tech, ALTA, ALTA Technology Expo, Real Estate Connect, Vision 2000, the National Association of Realtors®, ATIM and other industry forums on the subject of technology, the real estate transaction process and e-commerce. Mr. Morris has been occasionally invited to speak about real estate information and the title insuring and closing processes at the Jones School of Business, Rice University as well as participating in the Jones Partners Thought Leadership Series.  Mr. Morris contributed a chapter, “From Contract to Closing” to the book, Home Buying By the Experts. He was the recipient of the “2001 Outstanding Achievement Award” from Settlement Services Today, a prominent industry publication as well as being named to the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders:  2006 by Inman News.

Today, he serves as a Director for RealEC and is also on the Board of Trustees for the Oldham Little Church Foundation. Mr. Morris also serves on the board of Wharton County Historical Museum. He served as a member of the Advisory Council of Fannie Mae for the years 2000 and 2001, and served for five years on the Board of the Housing Roundtable. He is a member of Rice University Associates and River Oaks Country Club. An avid horse drawn carriage collector and driver, he served as President of the Carriage Association of America from 1995 through 1998. He was the founder of the Houston Area Carriage Association and currently serves as a Chairman of the board of trustees of the Carriage Museum of America as well as being an Honorary Life Director of the Carriage Association of America. Mr. Morris is a member of the prestigious New York Coaching Club.

Mr. Morris is an instrument rated multi-engine pilot with over 2,500 hours flying time.

Mr. Morris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University in 1971 and received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas in 1973.

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Richard Rennell

Owner & Chairman

Resource Title Agency, Inc.

Richard Rennell is the Owner and Chairman of Resource Title Agency, Inc. located in Independence, Ohio and is managing partner in seven title companies serving select states throughout the U.S. He has been in the mortgage industry over 30 years and has extensive experience in relocation and default services.

He received his J.D. at the University of Detroit and his Bachelors from Michigan State University.

Richard will lead a practical, how-to session for those seeking to add default and REO services to their revenue stream and product offerings.

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G. William Evans

Chief Financial Officer

LandAmerica Financial Group

Bill Evans is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: LFG), a leading provider of real estate transactions services. Evans has served as CFO since 1999 and is responsible for the integrity of all financial information including the underlying strength of LandAmerica’s balance sheet. He is the primary spokesperson on all financial matters necessary to meet public financial reporting needs mandated by the SEC. He also serves, along with Bob Sullivan, Senior Vice President – Investor Relations and Capital Markets, as the primary investor relations contact.

Effective January 1, 2005, Evans assumed expanded responsibilities in working more closely with company operations in the areas of budgeting, business planning and performance, and improving profitability.

Departments reporting directly to Evans include Centennial Bank, Corporate Controller, Corporate Development, Corporate Performance, Investor Relations, and Treasury.

Evans has served the company in a variety of financial positions over the past 30 years. Before assuming the role of CFO, he served as Executive Vice President – Information Technology and was previously the CFO for Lawyers Title.

A Certified Public Accountant, Evans received his bachelor of science degree in business administration from Concord College in West Virginia.

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Jeffrey M Krider

Vice President Operations

United One Resources, Inc.

Jeff Krider is Vice President of Operations for United One Resources, overseeing day to day operations of this multi-state full settlement services provider. Jeff has over 25 years experience is managing operations and directing national sales in the settlement services industry.

Prior to joining United One Resources Jeff was Director of Vendor Management for USA Home Loans, a national mortgage banker, where he was responsible for building a captive vendor management  as well as corporate compliance. Previously Jeff has held several Executive Management positions, in sales and operations, with a number of national vendor management companies. In addition, he owned and operated a full service vendor management company in the mid-atlantic region where his client base included a several Top 25 lenders.

Jeff is a gradutate of Towson State University and is in the process of relocating to Pennsylvania with wife Becky and their four children.

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Joseph Petrelli

President & Founder,
Demotech, Inc.

Joseph Petrelli is a member of the Casualty Actuarial Society, American Academy of Actuaries and Conference of Consulting Actuaries. He has earned a Bachelors of Science in Actuarial Science from St. John's University and an MBA from Ohio State University.

Mr. Petrelli's background includes thirty-six years of progressively responsible property, casualty and title insurance actuarial and statistical work. In 1985, he authored an MBA research paper entitled 'An Actuarial Perspective on Title Insurance,' and in 1999, was a contributor to a Commerce Clearing House publication that presented information on the emerging title insurance market in Canada. In 2003, Demotech, Inc. purchased Performance of Title Insurance Companies from Corporate Development Services. As a featured lunch speaker, Mr. Petrelli will discuss the valuation dynamics and merger and acquisition opportunities available to today's title agencies.

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David Ginger

President & Director

Alliant National Title Insurance Company

Dave brings over 30 years in the title insurance business to Alliant National Title Insurance Company. Early in his career, Dave became sympathetic to and passionate about the need for Independent Agents to have a non-competing underwriter. Driven to pursue this dream, Dave pursued the founding of Alliant National Title Insurance Company in 2004—the direct result of over 20 years in the making. As president of Alliant National, he is committed to helping preserve the independence of Alliant’s Agent-Partners and brings an invaluable level of insight and know-how to this pursuit.

Dave has spent countless hours serving the industry at both the state and national levels. He was president of the Texas Land Title Association and served six terms on their board of directors. He has served, at different times and over the course of a half-dozen years, as executive vice president, general manager and board member at two different Texas-based title companies. In 1998-1999, Dave was chairman of the Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO). 

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Mick Goldstein

Senior Vice President, Business Development

RamQuest Software, Inc.

Mick Goldstein joined RamQuest Software in November, 2006, as Senior Vice President, Business Development.  In this role, Mick leads the development, sales and marketing efforts of Closing Market™, a digital marketplace that connects business trading partners securely and in real-time.

Prior to joining RamQuest Mick spent six years with RealEC Technologies, Inc., most  recently as Executive Vice President, Business Development there where he led the business functions of RealEC Technologies, including sales, marketing, operations, product development, and major client and service provider relationships.

Earlier in his career, Mick served as Vice President, Client Support Services for Chicago Title and Trust for 3 years; and as Vice President, Client Support Services for Informative Research for 7 years.  Before joining Informative Research, Goldstein owned and was President and CEO of Mutogo Data Corporation. 

Goldstein graduated from UCLA in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He has resided in Irvine, California since 1975. He and his wife Penny have two sons and three grandchildren.

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Joe L. Piernock

President

Corporate Development Services

Joseph L. Piernock joined Corporate Development Services, Inc. (CDS) earlier this year. Prior to CDS, he was the president of a respected consulting firm that delivers complex analyses and large-scale computer solutions to a wide range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, retail, education, investment management and finance. Joe’s skills and experience are allowing CDS to offer new services to the title industry.

Prior to consulting, Joe spent twenty years with ARCO. In several different roles, he conducted dozens of large and complex “buy” and “sell” valuations. The total value of these analyses totaled many billions
of dollars and spanned a wide range of manufacturing and service industries. While in business management, Joe led marketing, business development, and governmental affairs for ARCO’s most politically and commercially active business center during the most active period in its history. Joe also held positions in finance, manufacturing and engineering. Joe received an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Brian Collins
VP National Agency Sales Manager

LandAmerica

Brian K. Collins currently serves as the V.P. National Agency Sales Manager for LandAmerica.  He and his team provide specialized agency services which are tailored to fit the needs of agencies operating on a national scope.  Prior to this role, Brian was the Acquisition Manager for LandAmerica.  Specifically, he targeted title company acquisition where he was responsible for negotiating 35+ deals ranging in value from $800k to $100 million.  Prior to LandAmerica, Brian spent 10 years in the banking and financial services industries.  Brian’s work life has come full circle as he spent his high school and college years working part time as a title abstractor.

Brian has a B.S. and MBA in Finance from the R.B. Pamplin School of Business at Virginia Tech.  He has two step children (21 and 19) and twin girls age 6.

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Bob Skalstad

Executive Vice President and Principal
Corporate Management Advisors

A 25-year veteran of the financial services industry, Bob Skalstad has been instrumental in driving CMA to be one of the nation’s leading and most respected executive search firms in the mortgage and title space. His employment background includes national account sales and sales management with Unisys, TRW Information Services and ALLTEL Information Services. Mr. Skalstad will moderate a panel discussion on the basics of sales strategy and execution, including marketing strategy, targeted recruitment and retention of sales personnel, strategic account mapping and more.

The panel will also explore the successful sales practices for entering the REO/Default Services markets.

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Erika Meinhardt 

Executive Vice President, Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

President of National Agency Operations, Fidelity National Title Group

Erika Meinhardt is President of  National Agency Operations for Fidelity National Title Group, a division of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. She began her career in the title insurance industry in 1982 with Ticor Title Insurance Company and served in a number of  management positions with both Ticor and Chicago Title prior to joining Fidelity through the acquisition of Chicago Title Corporation in 2000.

Erika received her Master’s of Business Administration degree through George State University’s Executive MBA program in June of 1998.

She resides in Jacksonville, Florida. She and her husband, John Parks, are the parents of two sons and grandparents of a grandson.

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Anne L. Anastasi, C.L.T.P.

President

Troon Management Corp.  

One of only a few people who hold the coveted Certified Land Title Professional designation showing her excellence in title knowledge, educating others and serving the industry, Anne L. Anastasi has been in the title insurance business for over 25 years.  Prior to opening her own agency Genesis Abstract in 1994 she served as Vice President of a regional underwriter, managing branch operations and joint venture arrangements.

In 1999 Anne served as President of the Pennsylvania Land Title Association for which she was the first female President in the Association’s 80-year history.  She currently serves as Board Member and as Chairman of the very active Public Relations committee for the American Land Title Association.

In 1996, along with partner Chip Lutz, Anne created Troon Management Corp., a consulting company dedicated to the creation and management of compliant Affiliated Business Arrangements.  Anne has been asked by many state associations, title underwriters and national agencies to address their members on this burgeoning trend in our industry. 

Anne is a renowned national speaker covering topics such as title insurance, customer service, sales and motivation. In the past seven years she has been the key-note speaker at more than 20 title industry state conventions and has addressed audiences for ALTA and RESPRO.  Anne has recently published a book on the art of public speaking called, “Fearless Public Speaking” which has been reviewed as a “must-read” for all business people by Rick Wolff, Editorial Director for Warner Business Book.

Anne graduated with honors from Colgate University with a major in Japanese.

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Mary O'Donnell

President & CEO

Westcor Land Title Insurance Company

Ms. O’Donnell is President and CEO of Westcor Land Title Insurance Company, a California domesticated underwriter currently licensed in 19 States. Westcor is an agent based independent underwriter committed to aggressive expansion through relationships with independent entrepreneurial agents. Westcor currently maintains regional offices in Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida.

Ms. O’Donnell was born in Liverpool, England. She graduated with honors from the University of Sheffield, College of Law, Yorkshire, England in 1984 (LLB 1984).Ms. O’Donnell is admitted to practice law in the States of New York and Florida. In February of 1989, she entered the title insurance industry with a regional underwriter and became Assistant General Counsel. Her duties have included underwriting and handling insurance claims. She served on the Florida Land Title’s Forms and Continuing Education Committee, as well as the Government Affairs Committee. She is one of the authors of the Florida Land Title “Title Insurance Handbook”. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Florida Bar Association.

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William Welge

President & COO

Realty Data

Record Fusion

Bill Welge is President and COO of RecordFusion and RealtyData corporations.  Mr. Welge sets business strategies for all company operations, including product development, business development and client relations.  Mr. Welge oversees offices in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and New York.

Mr. Welge has built his success on the implementation of innovative technologies for the management and accessibility of land records.  Prior to founding RecordFusion, Mr. Welge led the RealtyData team in developing advanced solutions to manage land records for more than 130 counties nationwide.  Mr. Welge instills his forward-thinking strategies in RecordFusion to provide superior land records management services to county governments and commercial businesses. 

Mr. Welge began his career in 1987 as a mortgage banker.  He has over 15 years of experience working with businesses to develop their comprehensive plans.

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Guy Cecala

President
Inside Mortgage Finance

Guy D. Cecala is the President of Inside Mortgage Finance Publications, Inc., a Bethesda, MD-based company that he founded in 1984 and that publishes 10 newsletters and numerous special reports related to mortgage finance.

The company's oldest and largest circulation newsletter is Inside Mortgage Finance, a weekly publication devoted to all aspects of the residential mortgage business. Other newsletters include Inside MBS & ABS, Inside B&C Lending, Inside Alternative Mortgages, Inside Regulatory Strategies, Inside Mortgage Technology, Inside Mortgage Profitability, Inside The GSEs, Mortgage Market Update, and Mortgage Broker Update.

Mr. Cecala is a recipient of the Newsletter and Electronic Publishers Association's "best investigative reporting" award. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and other major newspapers.

Mr. Cecala will provide an inside look at the trends that affect the largest originators and how those trends affect the mortgage market.

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Charles Cain

Vice President, Midwest & Northeast Alliance Business Partner
LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc.

Chuck Cain has been in the Title Insurance industry since 1977. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. He is admitted to practice in Ohio and Kentucky, several Federal District courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. He is former chair of the Real Property section of the Cincinnati Bar Association, a former director of the Cincinnati Mortgage Banker's Association and a recipient of a special citation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development concerning Fair Housing Best Practices.

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Sue Johnson

President & Executive Director

Real Estate Services Providers Council, Inc. (RESPRO)

Sue Johnson has served as President and Executive Director of the Real Estate Services Providers Council, Inc. (RESPRO®), a national non-profit trade association devoted to promoting a federal and state regulatory environment that enables providers offer diversified services for home buyers through business alliances, since she founded the organization in 1993.

Prior to founding RESPRO®, Ms. Johnson served as Director of Government Relations for the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group.  In this position, she was liaison to Congress, state legislatures and the Federal and state regulatory agencies on behalf of the Coldwell Banker Residential Group, Sears Mortgage Corporation, Sears Savings Bank of Homart Development Corporation.

From 1987 to 1989, Ms. Johnson was Legislative Counsel for Sears, Roebuck and Co., where she represented the Sears Financial Network’s ability to offer and cross-market diversified financial services before Congress and the Federal regulatory agencies.

From 1982 to 1987, Ms. Johnson represented the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) before Congress as Senior Legislative Assistant.  She served as Legislative Director for Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) in 1981, and as Attorney-Advisor for the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs from 1977-1980.

Ms. Johnson received her J.D. and B.S. with honors from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska.  She is a member of the District of Columbia, Nebraska, and American Bar Associations.

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Christopher W. Christensen

PeirsonPatterson, LLP

Christopher W. Christensen is an associate with PeirsonPatterson, LLP, concentrating his practice on regulatory and compliance issues related to residential real estate transaction documentation. His primary areas of focus include compliance rule implementation, multi-state form drafting projects, and residential mortgage lending eCommerce issues.

Chris is a Vice Chair of the Mortgage Banker's Association Political Action Committee.  He is also a member of the Committee on Consumer Financial Services of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association; the American Land Title Association Title Counsel and Closing Committees; the MBA ResTech 2007 eMortgage Adoption Task Force; and the Texas Bar.  Chris participates in the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) where he co-chairs the eMortgage Legal Issues Subgroup.

He received his bachelor's in business administration with a degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Texas at Austin, and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law. Chris completed the Mortgage Bankers Association of America Future Leader Program in 2003.  Chris has spoken on financial privacy regulation, RESPA, and eMortgages, and has co-authored a paper on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Uniform Instruments. 

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Marc Rittenhouse

President

SecoLink Settlement Services

Marc Rittenhouse is President of SecoLink Settlement Services, a division of Cleveland-based KeyBank NA (NYSE:KEY). SecoLink is a nationwide provider of valuation, title, flood determination and settlement solutions and is based in Amherst NY.

Mr. Rittenhouse offers 17 years of leadership experience in the vendor management industry. His background encompasses strategic planning, business consulting, operations management, technology development, and new product initiation.

Prior to joining SecoLink, Mr. Rittenhouse was Senior Vice President of operations for ATM Corporation of America. In this role his responsibilities included Appraisal Quality/Production, Client Services, Closing Vendor Management and captive Vendor Management (CBA/JV) development.

As an Executive CBA Consultant for ATM, Mr. Rittenhouse was influential in the strategic planning and development of the operations departments for ATM’s joint ventures with subsidiaries created for Citigroup (Chesapeake Appraisal and Settlement Services), Countrywide (LandSafe Settlement Services), GMAC Mortgage (Home Connects Lending Services), KeyBank (SecoLink Settlement Services), Conseco (Convergent Lending Services), Navy Federal Credit Union (NFRES) and E*Trade (E*Trade Settlement Services).

From 1990 to 1992, Mr. Rittenhouse was employed by Lender’s Service Inc., in their appraisal management division.

Rittenhouse attended Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is based in SecoLink’s offices in Amherst, New York.

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Ginger Bigelow
Vice President/General Manager

Beltway Title

Ginger is Vice President and General Manager of Beltway Title. She joined the Beltway Title team in September 1995. She has over 35 years experience in the Title Industry. She has held every position in a title company beginning with processor, then settlement officer, director of sales and client services and now holds the top position in the company, General Manager. She has attended many conferences, seminars and management training sessions.

Ginger is very passionate about her position and the industry in general. She is very active in the Realtor Associations, Mortgage Broker Association, Mortgage Banker Association, Homebuilder Association, Respro, MLTA and ALTA (American Land Title Association). She holds a seat on the Board of Directors for Respro. She is a member of the State Issues Task Force Committee for Respro. She has been appointed to the closing committee for ALTA and the legislative committee for MLTA. She has been interviewed and quoted many times in many national publications including the industry’s premier publication, “The Title Report”. Ginger also holds the CLTP (Certified Land Title Professional) designation which is awarded through the Maryland Land Title Association. She has been recently chosen by The Title Report the Industry Premier National Publication as an Industry Leader and featured in the Title Report Leadership Edition. She is a dynamic, passionate manager who believes not only in the movement of the industry but the vision of Beltway Title.

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Rachel A. Torchia

Founder & President

Gateway Title Agency

Rachel A. Torchia, of Brecksville, Ohio is the founder and president of Gateway Title Agency. She is known as the “FSBO Queen” of the Northern Ohio real estate industry. She appears frequently on TV and radio and is a frequent speaker. Rachel, developed the “For Sale By Owner” niche’ in 1994.

A former Realtor, Rachel, entered into the title industry 25 years ago with First American, (previously Midland Title) in Cleveland. Gateway Title has evolved into a family affair with her husband Mike, a Real Estate broker, three daughters, two grandchildren, and a niece all working for those who are selling and buying property.

Gateway Title has received numerous awards for innovation in business, outstanding customer service and consumer education.  

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Leslie C. Rennell

President & CEO

Resource Title Agency, Inc.

Leslie C. Rennell is President and CEO of Resource Title Agency, Inc. and affiliated companies, Resource Title Agency of Tennessee, Resource of Pennsylvania, LLC, Resource Title Agency of Florida, LLC and Resource Title Gulf States, LLC. She has been with Resource Title Agency, Inc. for ten years and is very active in all aspects of the settlement services industry, paying particular attention to the promotion and utilization of advanced technology for the processing of settlement services in all arenas of the title and closing industry, including retail, lender, builder, relocation and default transactions, Under Leslie's supervision and promotion of specialized processes and advanced technology, Resource Title Agency, Inc. has expanded to providing settlement services throughout ten states in a uniform and consistent capacity.

Prior to joining Resource Title, Leslie spent many years as a Senior Litigation Paralegal, eventually moving into Law Firm Administration for several large law firms in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area.

She attended Michigan State University and Myer's College, obtaining an undergraduate degree in Business Administration with advanced degrees in business and the ABA Paralegal Certification.

She is a member of ALTA, OLTA, ERC, REOMAC, AFN and various alumni and business organizations.

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Ginny Abiassi

Sr. VP, Director of Marketing & Communications and Counsel
Stewart Title Guaranty Company

Ginny is responsible for marketing Stewart’s products and services on a world-wide basis, including public relations, advertising, publications, and marketing communications for all Stewart entities.  Additionally, she oversees the majority of customer-facing web development, creating stewart.com, stewartmarketing.com, StewartSitebuilder; and specialalerts.com.  Before becoming Stewart’s Director of Marketing & Communications, she spent fifteen years in the legal departments of both Stewart and another national title underwriter, handling claims and underwriting.  While in Stewart’s Legal Department, she co-developed Virtual Underwriter, Stewart’s award-winning underwriting software.

Abiassi holds a Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law and is currently a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas and Houston Bar Association.  She is also a member of the International Association of Business Communicators, American Marketing Association, National Association of Real Estate Editors and Urban Land Institute.  She is a director on the board of the Real Estate section of the Houston Bar Association.

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Kenneth R. Jannen

National Agency Director and Vice President - Counsel, Associate Senior Underwriter

First American Title Insurance Company

Kenneth R. Jannen is National Agency Director and Vice President - Counsel, Associate Senior Underwriter - Home Office Staff of First American Title Insurance Company, Sunrise, Florida. Ken is a 30 year plus veteran of the title insurance industry. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Dowling College, Oakdale, New York, received a Juris Doctor Degree from New York Law School and is admitted to the New York and Florida Bars. Ken is a Past President of the Florida Land Title Association and recipient of its prestigious Raymond O. Denham Memorial Award. He currently serves on the Forms Committee of the American Land Title Association. He has lectured on real estate and title insurance related issues throughout the United States.

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Syndie Eardly
Editorial Director
October Research Corporation

Syndie is the editorial director for October Research Corporation, managing the day to day editorial function and content for The Title Report, The Legal Description and each of the October Research publications. She is an accomplished industry speaker and is recognized for her insight on high impact matters such as RESPA reform, affiliated arrangements and non-compete clauses.

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Timothy L. Kalep
President
Real Living Title Agency

Timothy L. Kalep serves as President, Real Living Title Agency. Beginning with a career which started with Ticor Title in Southfield, Michigan, Timm possesses over 33 years of management experience in the title insurance and settlement services industry and holds title insurance licenses in the states of Michigan and Ohio. Real Living Title Agency is one of Ohio's largest Title Insurance Agencies. 

Previously, Timm was Senior Vice President, Director of National Operations for Valocity, a national real estate valuation company and prior to that, Vice President, Metropolitan Title, a wholly owned subsidiary of First American Title, overseeing all of it's Ohio title insurance operations. There, he initiated the genesis of Title Insurance Operations and was involved in various acquisitions. He also served as Director of Real Estate Information Services, where he was instrumental in managing the title operations for various real estate affiliated joint ventures as well as the companies largest title production facility. Timm also held various executive positions within TRW Real Estate Information Services, including Senior Vice President of National Operations, Regional vice president, Mid Atlantic Division, and Vice President of Michigan and Pennsylvania Operations.

A Michigan native, Timm currently resides in Avon Lake with his wife Becky and their son Michael.

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Prashant P. Kothari
CEO & Founder
String Real Estate Information Services

Prashant P Kothari is the CEO and founder of String Real Estate Information Services (http://www.stringinfo.com), the foremost Mortgage Process Outsourcing company.

String, with headquarters in Washington, DC and operations centers in India provides outsourcing solutions to companies in settlement services (title agencies, vendor management companies, appraisal firms and others)

and mortgage lending (lenders, QC firms, processors and more)

As CEO, Prashant provides overall direction and strategy with a specific focus on global marketing and client relationship management.  He is a well-known expert on offshore outsourcing, and has spoken about this at several industry conferences.

Before starting String, Prashant worked for 13 years within the American mortgage industry, in various roles – on Wall Street’s #1 mortgage trading desk, trading Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) and other mortgage derivatives, and in the Office of the President at Freddie Mac.

Prashant received his undergraduate degree from Loyola College, Chennai where he was voted the Most Outstanding Student of his class and an MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. He has also done graduate work in math & statistics at George Mason University.

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Julie Joseforsky

President
Key Bank Mortgage and Secolink Settlement Services

Julie Joseforsky leads Key Bank Mortgage and Secolink Settlement Services for Key Bank. Julie was the Chief Administrative Officer for Key Consumer Finance prior to her current role. She also held positions as a Director of Direct Lending and Compliance for HSBC (formerly Household International) and the Consumer Lending Group at Banc One. Julie holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and political science from the University of Indianapolis. She is based out of Key's corporate offices in Cleveland, OH. She is married and has two children and resides in Brecksville, OH.

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Mark McElroy
President & CEO

RamQuest Software, Inc.

Mark McElroy began his career in Fortune 100 application development and technology deployment in 1984.  He has since been involved in major application development and technology support for healthcare, wholesale distribution and technologies consulting that have resulted in countless successful implementations, helping businesses save millions of dollars in efficiencies. In 1993, he moved to implementing SAP in large multi-national companies and, in 1996, became a partner in IT Services, Inc., where, as a key member of the executive management team, he helped to grow that business to $40M in annual revenues by 2000. In May 2001, along with several other investors, McElroy purchased RamQuest. Since the purchase, under McElroy’s direction, RamQuest has more than quadrupled its user base and revenues. Mark McElroy currently serves as president and CEO of RamQuest Software, Inc.

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Joe Casa
Founder and Publisher, October Research Corporation

The Title Report

Located in Richfield, Ohio, October Research is the nation’s leading provider of market intelligence, business news and regulatory information for the real estate services industry. During 2005, the company was named a top ten Weatherhead 100 company by Case Western Reserve University as one of the region’s fastest growing businesses. Prior to October Research, Joe served as Executive Vice President of Old Republic National Title Holding Company where he oversaw their Realty Services Group and the company’s Corporate Development activity. Prior to Old Republic, he was a General Manager and Group Vice President for TRW Information Systems and Services. Joe obtained his BA from Otterbein College and is a graduate of TRW’s worldwide business study program and executive education programs from several business schools.

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