2008 National Settlement Services Summit

Home | Order on DVD | Sponsors | Agenda | Speakers | Attendees

Kurt Pfotenhauer

Chief Executive Officer

American Land Title Association (ALTA)

Kurt is Chief Executive Officer of the American Land Title Association. Prior to joining ALTA in January 2008, he was Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy for the Mortgage Bankers Association, a position he held since 2002. As the MBA's chief lobbyist, he represented the mortgage industry on Capitol Hill and at the White House. He was responsible for policy formation, legislative and regulatory advocacy, and managing the association's relationships with policymakers, industry allies, consumer groups and the GSE's. Prior to joining MBA, Kurt served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Vice President of Public Affairs for United Parcel Service.

Kurt graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor of arts degree magna cum laude , where he double-majored in humanities and German. He received a master of arts degree in arts and religion from Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

______________________________________________________________________________

Carter W. Murdoch, PhD.

Compliance & Marketing Executive

Realtor Builder Mortgage Services Group

Bank of America Consumer Real Estate

Dr. Murdoch is the Compliance and Marketing Executive for the Realtor Builder Mortgage Services Group of Bank of America. His responsibilities include managing the Infrastructure team as well as overseeing the compliance and marketing initiatives for the Banks 700+ Realtor-Builder alliances. The Realtor Builder Mortgage Services group has doubled production year over year for the past two years and is on pace to deliver 30+% growth in 2008 despite significant changes to market conditions.

Prior to joining Bank of America, Carter was the Managing Director and Principal Economist for the National Association of Realtors® in Washington DC. and Co-CEO of BidTrac, a real estate technology company. Carter holds a PhD. in Economics, a Master of Administration, and a BA in Economics and has been an active Realtor for more than 20 years.

______________________________________________________________________________

Jeffrey 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 LLP. 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.

Jeff is a frequent lecturer for seminars and conferences on numerous legal issues involving real estate, title, mortgage banking and consumer finance. Jeff has been published in HR, Mobility, National Relocation & Real Estate magazines and Corporate Relocation News.

______________________________________________________________________________

Chris Backe

Director of Sales

Ellie Mae

Chris Backe has dedicated his career to evangelizing eCommerce technology in several industries, including mortgage, for over 15 years. Currently, Chris is the Director of Sales for Ellie Mae. In this role Chris’ leadership that has contributed to ecommerce adoption from over 10,000 mortgage lenders and 2,000 settlement service providers.

______________________________________________________________________________

Cheryl Baillis

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Western Title & Escrow Company

With over 20 years in the title and escrow industry, Cheryl has held positions with local, regional and national organizations.

Currently Cheryl holds the positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with Western Title & Escrow Company. Western Title is an Oregon agent with 20 locations throughout the state. Prior to joining Western Title, Cheryl held the position of Vice President of National Title Operations for First American National Lenders Advantage. As Vice President of National Title Operations, Cheryl was responsible for the products and services that were provided to national lenders and agents throughout the country. This included creating new and unique products to gain more of the market share while implementing system enhancements to improve productivity and service levels.

Prior to her position with First American, Cheryl held the positions of Director of Marketing and Title Operations for Safeguard Properties, Director of National Title Operations with Old Republic, and President of a local title company that she co-owned in Cleveland, Ohio.

______________________________________________________________________________

Sandra Bell

Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer

The First American Corporation

Sandra Bell serves as Chief Marketing Officer for First American, where she is responsible for identifying and overseeing corporate marketing strategies as well as advertising, Internet promotion, industry events, and market research.

Sandra currently serves as Chairperson of the Public Relations Committee of the American Land Title Association. She has been a speaker at Business Marketing Association and American Marketing Association functions and is a member of the CMO Council, a group comprised of senior marketing and brand-decision makers from some of the world’s foremost brands.

Prior to joining First American, Sandra served as a partner in Ervin/Bell Marketing Communications, a full-service advertising and communications agency. There she worked closely with the title industry and with national companies involved in the consumer goods, real estate, mortgage, and financial industries. Sandra holds a Bachelor’s Degree with honors from California State University, Fullerton, where she serves on the College of Communications Dean’s Advisory Board and was recently named as one of the university’s 50 Women of Distinction. She also holds a Professional Certificate in Change Leadership from Cornell University.

______________________________________________________________________________

Joe Casa
Founder and Publisher, October Research Corporation

The Title Report

Joe Casa, Founder and Publisher of October Research Corporation. 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, Joe 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.

______________________________________________________________________________

Guy D. Cecala
CEO & Founder
Inside Mortgage Finance Publications

Guy D. Cecala is the CEO/Founder 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.

Guy 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.

______________________________________________________________________________

Thomas W. Cronkright II

Owner & CEO

Sun Title Agency

Thomas W. Cronkright II is a founding member of Sun Title Agency and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. He is a licensed title producer in multiple states. Tom is an attorney admitted to practice in the State of Michigan and holds a real estate broker's license. His primary responsibilities include marketing, strategic planning, business development and oversight of the company's commercial property division.

Tom was previously an attorney in the business and corporate practice groups of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP and Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone, P.L.C. In 2004, Tom formed Corporate Advisors PLC, a private law firm that specializes in legal and corporate strategy services for businesses and business owners. Tom received his B.A. degree in finance from Western Michigan University and his law degree from Wayne State University.

Tom is a member of the American Land Title Association (ALTA), National Realtor's Association, Michigan Realtor's Association, American Bar Association, Michigan Bar Association and the Downtown Development Authority of the City of Rockford.

______________________________________________________________________________

Syndie Eardly
Editorial Director
October Research Corporation

Syndie Eardly 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.

Syndie 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.

______________________________________________________________________________

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. Bill 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, Bill 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 Bill include Centennial Bank, Corporate Controller, Corporate Development, Corporate Performance, Investor Relations, and Treasury.

Bill 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, Bill received his bachelor of science degree in business administration from Concord College in West Virginia.

______________________________________________________________________________

Jan Fisher

Senior Vice President

Manager, Title & Exchange Banking

Guaranty Bank

Jan Fisher joined Guaranty Bank in January 2008, bringing over 25 years of experience in the title and banking industries to her role in managing its Title & Exchange Company Banking Division. Jan began her career in the title industry with Stewart Title Guaranty Company and served Stewart in a number of capacities during her 24-year career with

the company. She moved to Comerica Bank in July 2003, serving as National Sales Manager of the Financial Services Division, focusing on banking title, escrow and exchange companies.

Jan graduated from the University of Mississippi with special distinction, where she double majored in mathematics and English with minors in German and education. Jan is a member of the Association of Financial Professionals, the American Land Title Association, the California Land Title Association and the Texas Land Title Association, where she has served on numerous committees.

______________________________________________________________________________

Louis Frank

President

General Title & Trust

Louis S. Frank obtained his Juris Doctor in January 1969 from Case Western Reserve University Law School in Cleveland, Ohio. In the 1970s, he purchased a real estate company, which is currently run by his son Aaron. During that time, he was counsel to Ohio Bar Title Insurance Company handling claims, and counsel to many large mortgage companies and banks doing foreclosures.

In 1981, Louis S. Frank purchased a small and relatively unknown title insurance underwriter called the General Title and Trust Company. He started a dozen successful title agencies, by providing capital and expertise. These types of connections became a business philosophy for General Title. In 27 years since he purchased the fledgling underwriter, he methodically grew General Title into a respected regional title insurance underwriter by staying consistent with his vision. Now with over forty title insurance agents with license authority in both Indiana and Ohio, Mr. Frank has been instrumental in assisting the needs of the independent title agent by giving a voice to their issues and providing opportunities for agencies that would otherwise have fallen through the cracks of the national underwriters. Through Mr. Frank's guidance, General Title has become one of the premier authorities on issues related to the independence of title insurance agents in the title insurance industry.

Louis is married to his wife Linda and is the proud parent of three children and grandparent to five grandchildren. He enjoys golfing, reading and is an accomplished bridge and poker player. Mr. Frank lives in Sarasota, Florida.

______________________________________________________________________________

Roy Frank
Senior Vice President

Stewart Title Guaranty

California Agency Services Manager

Roy Frank began his career in the Title Industry in 1971. Having joined Security Title Insurance Company as an Escrow Branch Manager, he quickly became a County Manager. In July 1979, Roy started El Camino Title Company, an Underwritten Title Company in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1982 the company was acquired by Commonwealth Land Title Insurance and Roy remained running his old company till joining Stewart Title Guaranty in 1993. Besides being the California Agency Services Manager, Roy serves as a Board of Director for various Stewart entities, is one of 6 Regional Trainers in the Country for Stewart Title Guaranty, and speaks to various organizations throughout California and other Regions.

Roy has been on the Board of Directors of the California Land Title Association since 1985 and is a Past President of that organization in 1991 -1992.

Roy resides in Sacramento California with his wife Marcia, who is retired as the Director of Marketing for Greater Bay Bank Corporation, a 3.2 Billion Dollar bank holding company.

Roy’s hobby’s include golf, classic car restoration (1963 Corvette Roadster), holds teaching credentials in business for the California Junior College System, and is a licensed Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor.

______________________________________________________________________________

Lawrence A. Fried

Chief Operating Officer, Strategic Markets Division

First American Title Insurance Company

Lawrence Fried serves as chief operating officer for the Strategic Markets Division of First American Title. In this position, Lawrence is responsible for the execution and implementation of strategic markets initiatives to promote homeownership among the nation’s minority and low- to moderate-income families.

Prior to joining First American, Lawrence was chief operating officer for RightNow Business Systems in Walnut Creek, Calif. His background also includes management positions with several technology companies, including Peracon, E-Loan, iOwn and Cambridge Technology Partners. He also spent three years as an engineer with Mobil Oil.

Lawrence earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the university’s Haas School of Business. He also holds a California Real Estate Broker’s license.

______________________________________________________________________________

Todd Gregory

Executive Vice President & Industry Manager, Commercial Division

Countrywide Bank

Todd Gregory is Executive Vice President and Industry Manager, responsible for leadership of commercial sales, with Countrywide Bank. Prior to his promotion, Todd, who joined Countrywide in 2005, served as Senior Vice President in charge of commercial deposit sales specializing in tailored financial services targeting the title insurance, mutual fund, private equity, broker dealer and financial institution industries.

Prior to joining Countrywide, Todd served as industry sales head, financial institutions in the Treasury Services Group of JPMorgan Chase Bank. A graduate of Texas Tech University, he is a member of the Association of Financial Professionals (AFP) and holds its Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation. He is also a member of the American Land Title Association and its state affiliates in California and Texas.

______________________________________________________________________________

David J. Gutmann

Vice President & Corporate Counsel - Customized Lender’s Services

Vice President - First American Title Insurance Company of New York

David J. Gutmann, Vice President and Corporate Counsel for Customized Lender’s Services and Vice President of First American Title Insurance Company of New York, has been with the company since 1999. As Corporate Counsel to Customized Lender’s Services he oversees all regulatory compliance and underwriting matters. He was previously in private practice with two mid-sized firms in the Rochester, New York area where he concentrated his practice in real estate, both residential and commercial.

David was admitted to practice in New York State in 1982, and is a member of the New York State and Monroe County Bar Associations. He obtained his B.A. from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida and his J.D. from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

______________________________________________________________________________

Randy Heltemes

President & Co-owner

Title One

Randy Heltemes serves as President for Title One, Inc., Minnesota's largest independent title agency. Randy is responsible for the day to day operations of the company, marketing, closing, national business units and quality control.

In addition to his role as President for Title One Inc., Randy shares his Real Estate experience through multiple community efforts. He is a board member of Comunity Neighborhood Housing Services (a non-profit organization dedicated to creating home ownership and building community); a volunteer at the Children's Home Society as an educator for home ownership; and serves as the co-chair of the education committee at MLTA.

Randy attended St. John's University and focused his studies on Business Management and Marketing. He has worked in the Real Estate industry since 1991 and prides himself on building long term relationships with his clients. Service is his passion and making a difference is his mission!

______________________________________________________________________________

Curt Johnson

President

First American Title Insurance Company

Curt G. Johnson serves as president of First American Title Insurance Company, where he is responsible for overseeing the company’s title operations on a national level.

Curt began his career with First American in 1996, when he was hired as vice president-Builder/Commercial Services for the company’s Phoenix branch office. Two years later, he transferred to the Home Office in Santa Ana, Calif., to accept the position of vice president-California Subdivision. In 2000, he was named senior vice president-National Subdivision director; and, in 2001, he assumed the position of senior vice president and director for the company’s National Commercial Services group. Curt was promoted to the position of president in December 2006.

Prior to joining First American, Curt served for six years as senior associate for Prudential Arizona Realty Commercial Services Group in Phoenix. Prior to that, he served as executive vice president-designated broker for the Phoenix office of Merrill Lynch Commercial Real Estate. Curt started his real estate career with Westcor, Inc.

In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University in Tempe, and the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation awarded by the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute, Curt is currently involved with various professional organizations, including the National Association of Home Builders, the California Building Industry Association, the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Curt, who was born in Oregon, lived in Arizona for 41 years, before relocating to San Juan Capistrano, Calif., in 1998, where he lives with his wife and their son.

______________________________________________________________________________

Julie Joseforsky

CEO, SVP Consumer Bank Lending

IndyMac Bank

Julie Joseforsky is the CEO, SVP of the Consumer Bank Lending division for IndyMac Bank. She joined IndyMac in November of 2007. Prior to joining IndyMac, she was the President of Key Bank Mortgage while also overseeing the vendor management and indirect home equity divisions. Upon joining Key, she was the CAO of Key's Consumer Finance division. She has also held director roles in Compliance and Direct Lending at HSBC (formerly Household International) and director roles in Mortgage and Home Equity Lending and Marketing at JP Morgan Chase (formerly Banc One). She has 17 years of industry experience.

______________________________________________________________________________

Mark McElroy

President & CEO

RamQuest Software, Inc.

Mark McElroy currently serves as President and CEO of 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, Mark 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.

______________________________________________________________________________

Dan Miller

CEO

RightNow Consulting

Dan Miller founded RightNow in 1997 after a successful executive career with one of the largest title firms in the U.S. Recognizing a need within the industry for better ways to teach sales and management skills, he launched what has become the market leader in performance consulting for real estate-related organizations and professionals.

Dan started his career at North American Title. His steady rise in the organization paralleled the firm's meteoric growth as it became the largest independently held title insurance agency in the nation, prior to its acquisition by Lennar Builder Services.

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Dan is a published author and highly sought-after keynote speaker, having delivered speeches on the subjects of sales, sales management and leadership at more than 150 real estate industry events nationwide.

______________________________________________________________________________

Mary O’Donnell

President & CEO

Westcor Land Title Insurance Company

Mary O’Donnell is President and CEO of Westcor Land Title Insurance Company, a California domiciled 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.

Mary was born in Liverpool, England. She graduated with honors from the University of Sheffield, College of Law, Yorkshire, England in 1984 (LLB 1984). Mary 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”. Mary is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Florida Bar Association.

______________________________________________________________________________

Stuart Orns

CEO

Elm Street Management

Stuart Orns has served in executive, operational and communication roles for top companies in the printing, digital media, advertising and real estate industries. Backed by extensive knowledge of business operations and communication strategies, his entrepreneurial thinking shows in his innovative and strategic business plans. His expertise in developing operational efficiencies, business partner synergies, and creatively sourcing new business were showcased in his championing the early adoption of digital technologies, as well as in successes in growing real estate companies.

Stewart earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

______________________________________________________________________________

Anthony J. Park
Chief Financial Officer

Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

Anthony J. (Tony) Park is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF), a leading Fortune 500 provider of title insurance, specialty insurance, claims management services and information services.

As CFO, Tony is responsible for all of Fidelity National Financial’s corporate finance and accounting and reporting functions.

Prior to being appointed CFO, Tony served as the Chief Accounting Officer of Fidelity National Financial from 2000 to 2005. In this role, Tony had primary responsibility for all aspects of corporate accounting and production of the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Before that, Tony served as Controller and Assistant Controller of Fidelity National Financial, which he joined in 1991.

Tony earned his B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California – Santa Barbara and his M.B.A. from Jacksonville University. He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Debbie, and two sons, Justin and Tyler.

______________________________________________________________________________

Nancy G. Pratt
Business Development Director

PropertyInfo Corporation, a Stewart Company

Nancy G. Pratt, the Business Development Director of eMortgage Services at PropertyInfo Corp., is responsible for the strategic planning and decision-making process to create revenue producing business development programs that promote and sell eMortgage solutions throughout the lender customer segments. Pratt is responsible for targeting and calling on direct sales opportunities as well as defining other potential distribution partners to embed our technology and offer as a service.

Nancy most recently served as Director of Lender Solutions for Stewart Title Guaranty in Region H. In this capacity she was responsible for the Marketing initiative for Stewart’s Regional Order Center. (ROC) The Regional Order Center facilitated National Title orders for nationwide lenders, and established consistent distribution and fulfillment of Stewart’s services across the country. In addition, Pratt provided solutions for Foreclosure Attorneys, Mortgage Servicing Portfolio Retention plans, Commercial Cell Tower clients, as well as supporting Stewart Agents and Affiliates in a 17 state Region.

As Director of Lender Solutions, Pratt brought the 1st eClosings with Lenders to Stewart and the first eClosings in the state of Indiana.

Nancy has over 22 years of experience in the Mortgage Industry, working in multiple positions in Management, Operations and Origination. She also served as Education liaison for a Mortgage Company where she was responsible for FHA/VA training of Loan Officers in a multi state area.

Nancy is a member of ILTA and has served as Past President for South Central Mortgage Bankers and Chairman of the Legislative Committee. In her spare time, Nancy dedicates time to the Center Grove High School Theatre Department in Greenwood, Indiana as Business Manager for all of the productions.

Nancy graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelors degree in Political Science. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana and has one son.

______________________________________________________________________________

Michael B. Pryor

President and CEO

Lenders Title Company

American Land Title Association (ALTA) President-elect

Mike Pryor is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lenders Title Company, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The company has 32 offices throughout Arkansas and Louisiana with annual revenues in excess of $18 million.

In Arkansas, Mike is both a licensed abstracter and licensed title agent. He is a Past President of the Arkansas Land Title Association and was awarded the 2006 Arkansas Titleman of the Year. He is President-Elect of the American Land Title Association (ALTA). In addition to his position on the Board of Governors, Mike ’s ALTA committee service includes the Governmental Affairs Committee, Trustee and former Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Title Industry Political Action Committee (TIPAC), the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Task Force, the Mortgage Impairment Committee and Agents Section Chair. The Arkansas Business Publishing Group named Mike a Business Executive of the Year finalist in both 2006 and 2007.

Mike and his wife Linnette live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have a son, Dan, who is also in the title business.

______________________________________________________________________________

Anne Randolph

Publisher, LORE Magazine

Partner, Murray Consulting, Inc.

Anne Randolph is the publisher of LORE Magazine, and a partner in Murray Consulting. Prior to building a practice in real estate consulting, Anne built 20 years of progressive line management experience in marketing and new product development at Fortune 500 companies including General Foods/Phillip Morris, Sara Lee, Frito Lay/PepsiCo and Citibank. During this time, Anne developed a proven track record for creating successful new businesses, including three that were over $100 million in first year sales. She was also a consultant in the technology practice at Booz Allen Hamilton in New York.

Currently, she is the publisher of LORE Magazine, a national high end publication focused on the personal stories of the top producers and brokers of the real estate industry. Lore has received four Maggie Awards for outstanding creative, and is a finalist in five Maggie’s for 2007. For the last 8 years, Anne has focused on bringing a strong consumer and analytic perspective to the real estate industry through research, consulting, and speaking. Her national level research has included:

“Room for Improvement: Perspectives of Real Estate Consumers and the Professionals Who Serve Them” a comprehensive study of consumer attitudes, behaviors and preferences in the residential real estate transaction.
“One Stop Shopping” for RESPRO
“Perspectives on Financial Institutions in the Real Estate Industry”, for the Financial Services Roundtable, an organization of the key money-center banks.
Co-authored the Weston Edwards & Associates study of Changes in the Way Houses Will Be Bought and Sold, with a focus on profitably expanding minority homeownership, gaining a greater share of purchase markets and the impact of the potential HUD packaging proposal published in March of 2004.
Use Of Alternative Service Models In Selling Homes
A white paper on Bundling, Packaging and One Stop Shopping , co-authored with Stefan Swanepol that was released at NAR in October 2005
The Consumer Tsunami, a 2006 comprehensive look at the entire industry from every perspective: brokers, agents, consumers, builders, and mortgage and other settlement service providers. This was purchased by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice and was key testimony to the benefit of the National Association of Realtors.
“The Invaluable Investor” which defines the characteristics and behaviors of true investors in real estate – where they get information and how they make decisions.

Her consulting clients in the residential real estate industry include many national and regional brokerage companies as well as mortgage and title companies, Vail Resorts Development Company, and a number of associations (RESPRO, California Association of Realtors, Wisconsin Association, Kansas Association of Realtors, CRS, CRB, etc.)

Anne has a BS from University of Wisconsin, Madison and an MBA in Finance from the Leonard Stern School of Business at New York University

______________________________________________________________________________

Chip Ridge
President

Heritage Title

Chip serves as vice president for BB&T Insurance Services and chief operating officer for Heritage Title Services. Chip opened Heritage Title in 2003 in Kentucky, eventually opening branches in Tennessee and Florida, while servicing 19 states and employing over 55 people. In October 2007, he sold Heritage Title to BB&T. Chip graduated from Washington and Lee University with a BA in economics and from Vanderbilt Owen School of Management with a Masters in Business Administration. He entered the title business as a regional manager for Michigan-based Metropolitan Title and served as chief financial officer for First Title Group, based in Louisville, Ky.

______________________________________________________________________________

Ralph E. Rosynek, Jr.

President and HECM Direct Endorsement Underwriter

1st Reverse Financial Services, LLC

______________________________________________________________________________

Judy Sasfy

Managing Partner

TiTAN Referrals

Judy is co-founder of The Independent Title Agent Network (TiTAN), a referral network for independent title agents to refer business back and forth. She was a Realtor for 25 years and is a life member of the Ohio Association of Realtors. Judy joined Chicago Title in 2002, working in escrow. Within two months, she was named agency representative of Michigan. Judy left Chicago Title in 2005 to head up the commercial sales team for a 13 office independent agency located in Holland, Mich. It was here she contacted other agents across the state of Michigan and formed Michigan Association of Title Agents (MATA). This was started to refer business back and forth across the state of Michigan. Because of the success of MATA, five of the original members created TiTAN.

______________________________________________________________________________

Brent Scheer

Chief Financial Officer

Farmers National Title Insurance Co.

Brent Scheer is the Chief Financial Officer of Farmer’s National Title Insurance Company in Columbia, MO and a licensed CPA. He graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield, MO with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1995.

Before joining Farmers National Title in 2006, he worked in governmental audit, internal audit, cost accounting and public accounting. His career in public accounting focused on small businesses in the areas of audit, tax, business valuation, consulting and litigation support.

Brent and his wife Wendi were married in 2003 and have a daughter, Lainie, born in December 2007.

______________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Schurman, CAE
Executive Director
Title Appraisal Vendor Management Association

Jeff Schurman is the executive director of TAVMA, the trade association of the real estate settlement services industry. In this role, he is responsible for member services, fund raising, membership development, and administration. Jeff is also an independent consultant at Schurman Research Company, LLC, a vendor management and leadership advisory service.

Jeff serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute, a Pittsburgh-based state-licensed and nationally-accredited interfaith counseling and psychotherapy 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. There he serves as Treasurer and chairs the fund raising committee. In addition, he is a Past-Chair of the Appraisal Foundation’s Industry Advisory Council. He is a member of the World Future Society, and the American Society of Association Executives, where he holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential.

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management from La Roche College, and a Master of Arts degree in Leadership and Liberal Studies from Duquesne University.

______________________________________________________________________________

Laura Sextro

Vice President, Title Operations
DataQuick Information Systems

______________________________________________________________________________

Bob Skalstad

President

SCI-Skalstad Consulting, Inc.

Executive Vice President & Principal
Corporate Management Advisors, Inc.

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.

Bob's employment background includes national account sales and sales management with Unisys, TRW Information Services and ALLTEL Information Services.

Bob 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.

______________________________________________________________________________

Matt Smith
Managing Editor
Real Estate Technology News and Valuation Review

Matt Smith is the Managing Editor of Real Estate Technology News and Valuation Review, which provides analysis and insight into the latest developments in mortgage technology and real estate data, including e-mortgages and risk management tools.

Prior to joining October Research, Matt was a Managing Editor with Advisor Media, which publishes educational journals for IT professionals.

A graduate of Tulane University, Matt lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and two daughters.

______________________________________________________________________________

Scott Stucky

Principal, The Stucky Group

Executive Vice President, DocuTech Corp.

Prior to joining the DocuTech team as EVP of sales, Scott Stucky worked for Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv. At Fiserv, he served as sales Vice President for the DataTrac loan production software suite, where he was responsible for managing and directing all sales activity for DataTrac products.

During his career, Scott developed products and configured solutions for direct and indirect consumer lending, retail and wholesale mortgage lending as well as collections, recovery and loss mitigation.

______________________________________________________________________________

Bill Stueber

Chief Executive Officer

Garden Home Title

Bill Stueber is the Chief Executive Officer of Garden Home Title Group, a national title, escrow and settlement service provider formed in 2004 and based in Sunrise, FL. Since 2005, Bill has also served as Managing Partner of Title Advisors Group, which delivers enterprise-class technology solutions and software consulting to title companies across the country. TAG had succcesfully guided its clients to uncommon profitability and increased marketshare. Optimistic, as the title industry enters an unprecedented period of opportunity stemming directly from rapid, broad-based changes in regulatory and internet technology influences, TAG provides a cost-effective, high ROI value proposition to its client base.

As a nationally-recognized technology to business expert, Bill has consulted for more than two hundred companies, financial institutions, analysts and investment groups in the areas of technology to business integration, business process flow, financial model sustainability, management change outs, financial and operational forecasting, mergers & acquisitions and rollup consolidation strategies. Bill’s clients include CitiGroup, Goldman Sachs, Franklin-Templeton, Oppenheimer Funds, Bear Stearns, Fidelity Investments, Pequot, Deutsche Bank, McKinsey & Co., Bain & Company among many others.

Prior to the joining Garden Home Title, Bill served as CEO of Wireless Assets Inc., a NJ-based technology company in the telecom industry where Bill guided the Company to more than $80M in revenues and industry-leading profitability in less then 4 years, including a successful private equity exit.

Immediately prior to joining Wireless Assets, Bill served as CEO of Securfone America Inc. (NASDAQ: SFAI), one of the first prepaid wireless software companies in North America. At SFAI, Bill chaperoned development and deployment of the first network-based, non-carrier, prepaid wireless software platform in the US.

Since 2002, Bill has served as Trustee and Director at his Alma Mater, DeSales University, in Center Valley, PA., where he also serves on the Development and Advisory Board Committees. Bill has been a member of the Gerson Lehrman Group Technology Leaders Council since 2002, maintaining a consistent “Top 5%” national ranking among his industry peers. Throughout his career, Bill has spoken at numerous conferences, symposiums and panels. Most recently, he has been the Key Note speaker for the 2007 GMAC National Conference presentations on Affiliated Business Arrangements (AfBA’s) for Title, Escrow and Closing Services, the Key Note speaker for the 2007 South Florida Technology Alliance together with numerous other speaking engagements.

______________________________________________________________________________

Kevin Thomas

Vice President & Florida Underwriting Counsel

Stewart Title Guaranty Company

Kevin D. Thomas is Vice President and Florida Underwriting Counsel for Stewart Title Guaranty Company and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Prior to joining Stewart Title he spent 7 years as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Director of Alliance Title of America, a Florida title insurer owned primarily by title agents until its acquisition by Stewart Title Guaranty.

Kevin began his career in the title industry in 1985 and served as State and Underwriting Counsel for other national title insurers specializing in commercial transactions.

Kevin also served as a Staff Assistant to the President in the Carter White House. Kevin received a B.A. in Foreign Service and International Politics from Pennsylvania State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore.

Kevin is a member of the Florida Bar and has lectured extensively on title insurance and real property matters.

______________________________________________________________________________

David A. Townsend
President & CEO

Farmers National Title Insurance Company

David A. Townsend is President and CEO of Farmers National Title Insurance Company, a regional title insurance underwriter based in Columbia, Missouri.

David is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law and Drury University. He founded Farmers National Title Insurance Company to address the needs of independent agents.

Prior to entering the title insurance world, David worked in private law practice in the areas of real estate and insurance defense. He has presented at the Missouri Land Title Association Title School and many other title and real estate seminars. David is a member of the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, and the Missouri Department of Insurance Title Insurance Advisory Committee.

______________________________________________________________________________

Steve Trayte
Vice President
Director Credit and Technology
AmTrust Bank

Steve Trayte is a twenty-six year veteran of the residential mortgage industry, thirteen years with AmTrust. He is currently responsible for the residential credit risk management of AmTrust and the administration of the technology used in the acquisition of residential loans. Steve has been instrumental in the creation of AmTrust’s award winning Gemstone technology application, including their pioneering efforts in their eSign module used for the electronic execution of loan documents.

______________________________________________________________________________

Darryl Turner

Founder & CEO

The Darryl Turner Companies

Darryl Turner is a leading expert in helping title companies achieve and exceed their business goals. Known for his integrity in the sales process, over the past 13 years. Turner has built a national, multi-million dollar consulting and sales and training company.

Rapidly becoming a friend and mentor to those in the title and real estate related industries. Turner's focus is to see individuals and companies achieve ultimate success in the world of sales without compromising integrity. He is Founder and CEO of The Darryl Turner Corporation based in Modesto, California.

His team of Executive Consultants provide on-site, cutting-edge business solutions to real estate related companies nationwide. Turner's exclusive system of business development has been successfully implemented in over 400 title companies alone in over 38 states since 1994.

Additionally, Turner is a renowned and much-sought-after speaker to thousands of organizations. He has been the driving force for positive change in the way business expansion is accomplished. Delivering over 200 seminars to over 100,000 people annually, each of Turner's presentations is packed with practical advice, which attendees can employ as soon as they get back to their offices.

Turner and his wife, Darlene, have two sons, one daughter and one grandson and live in Modesto, California.

______________________________________________________________________________

Robin Wardzala

Managing Editor

RESPANews, Real Law Central, Mortgage Law Central

Robin Wardzala serves as the Managing Editor of RESPAnews.com, a site dedicated to all things RESPA, featuring fast-breaking coverage of HUD settlements and events; exclusive, in-depth reports on compliance issues and regulatory reform debates; and analysis of important RESPA court cases.

Robin is also the Managing Editor of Real Law Central, a legal publication aimed specifically at real estate agents and brokers, featuring exclusive, analytical reporting on the court cases, legislative developments and regulatory compliance challenges unique to the real estate industry.

______________________________________________________________________________

Judy Wheatley, CMB,

Senior Vice President

Mortgage Dynamics, Inc., an Indecomm Global Services

Company

Ms. Wheatley is a with Mortgage Dynamics, Inc., an Indecomm Global Services

company. She advises clients on loan production strategies, and operations,

including process workflow. She also performs due diligence reviews and credit

risk analyses for clients.

Before joining Mortgage Dynamics in 1999, she spent 17 years with residential mortgage lending institutions in the positions of Vice President of operations and director of underwriting. Ms. Wheatley has extensive

experience in residential underwriting and risk analyses. She received the designation of Certified Mortgage Banker from the Mortgage Bankers Association in 2003 and the designation of Accredited Residential Underwriter from the MBA in 1993.

In addition, she teaches mortgage banking courses for the CampusMBA, AllRegs Academy, several local Mortgage Bankers Associations, and various financial institutions. Ms. Wheatley serves as a governor on the

Maryland Mortgage Bankers Board. She has a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

______________________________________________________________________________

Garry Wolff
Owner
TIservices, LLC

A 33-year Colorado title insurance industry veteran, Garry Wolff founded TISERVICES, LLC, in 2006, as a title insurance consulting & services provider to title companies.

Garry launched his career in 1974 as a salesperson with Security Title Guaranty Company. In the years that followed, he learned through first-hand experience the many different aspects of the title business ranging from sales and title to closings and management. His front line experience, allowed Garry to apply his knowledge and expertise to expand Security Title’s operations in Colorado through mergers & acquisitions.

In 1997 he joined Security Title’s holding company, United Title Companies, (now known as Mercury Companies), to utilize his expertise in growing the Mercury Companies’ presence in both California and Arizona.

In 2002, Garry joined First American Heritage Title, another Mercury subsidiary, to expand its operations in both Colorado and Arizona. Garry was recruited in 2005 by LandAmerica as their Colorado State Manager to direct there operating brands of Transnation Title, Lawyer’s Title and Commonwealth Land Title, where he successfully created and implemented a corporate strategy of one branded company in Colorado, under the name of “LandAmerica”.

Garry broadened his knowledge base by actively participating into regulatory and legislative processes of the industry in both Colorado and Arizona. His participation covered a variety of areas including required rate and fee filings for various companies, serving on numerous regulatory task forces, which include the revision of the “Good Funds” Tri-Party Agreement and Insurance Regulation 3-5-1 and as a current member of the Colorado Title Advisory Council and Interprofessional Committee.

Garry has also committed his time and efforts to the title industry as a Director and Past-President of the Land Title Association of Colorado (“LTAC”). He has served on numerous committees addressing the many regulatory and legislative issues confronting the title industry and has worked with related industry players such as the Colorado Association of Realtors (“CAR”) and the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association (“CMLA”). Garry continues to participate as an associate member of LTAC and the American Land Title Association (“ALTA”) to lend his ongoing experience and support to the title industry.

______________________________________________________________________________

Travis Wright

Principal

Wright Advisors

Travis works with companies seeking to clarify their business strategy as a customer centric enterprise and to amplify their customer relationships by adopting social media systems to engage their customers, partners and employees.

As past president of technology divisions at Stewart Title, Travis successfully concluded three technology acquisitions and two title insurance joint ventures and merged business units into profitable operations. He also was a frequent speaker at industry conferences and was regarded as the public speaking persona for Stewart Title.

______________________________________________________________________________

Jeremy Yohe

Editor

The Title Report

Jeremy Yohe is the Editor of The Title Report, which provides business news and analysis for the settlement services industry.

Prior to joining October Research, Jeremy was the Managing Editor of The Massillon Independent, a daily newspaper in Northeastern Ohio. He has 15 years experience as a journalist and has won several Associated Press awards for writing and design while working for several newspapers in Ohio and Indiana.

______________________________________________________________________________

This is a tentative program schedule. Sessions and presentations are subject to change. Additional information is continually added to this site. Please check back often for updates.

October Research Corporation, Box 370, Richfield, OH 44286 Toll Free: 877.662.8623 Telephone: 330.659.6101 Fax: 330.659.6102

© Copyright 2008 October Research Corporation. All rights Reserved.