MAY 21 – 23, 2024 | NAPLES, FL
Speakers
Click on their photos below to learn more about this year’s speakers. Check back for updates as our roster continues to grow.
Keynote Speaker
Tawn Kelley
Executive Vice President
Taylor Morrison
President
Financial Services
Tawn Kelley
Executive Vice President
Taylor Morrison
President
Financial Services
As Executive Vice President of Taylor Morrison, (NYSE: TMHC) and President of Financial Services, Tawn leads Taylor Morrison Home Funding, Inspired Title Services and Mortgage Funding Direct Ventures. She is responsible for the management, financial performance, and long-term growth strategies of these companies.
In 2001, Tawn founded and served as CEO and President of Mortgage Funding Direct Ventures (MFDV), a management company that partners with production homebuilders to create in-house mortgage subsidiaries. In the same year, MFDV and then Morrison Homes, began a partnership that expanded nationally and evolved from a mortgage brokerage to a full-service lender. The success and growth of this joint venture ultimately paved the way for Taylor Morrison to acquire the MFDV management company and its interests in Taylor Morrison Home Funding in 2009.
Existing home builder relationships remain a valuable differentiator and profit source that continues to contribute to the overall success of the company while serving a broad range of customers outside of the Taylor Morrison business.
Tawn has always believed that financing sells homes. In 2011, she established a free qualification improvement program to better position families for home ownership, and today Able, Ready, Own (ARO) continues to educate and improve qualification which has positively impacted over 8,500 families.
In addition to Tawn’s executive responsibilities, she contributes to the mortgage industry as a board member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and holds director roles in the MBA Residential Board of Governors, Investment Committee and Affordable Home Ownership Advisory Council.
Tawn currently serves as an independent director on the Board of Directors for two public companies, Skyline Champion, (NYSE: SKY); Nomination & Government Committee, Audit Committee and ECN Capital, (TSX: ECN); Credit and Audit Committee.
As Chairman of the Board, Tawn led the acquisition of STORE Capital (NYSE: STOR) in an all-cash transaction to GIC and Oak Street, completed on February 2023.
Tawn resides in Winter Park, Florida with her husband Brian and has two grown children and two grandchildren.
Featured Speaker
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D.
Chief Economist
GraphsandLaughs, LLC
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D.
Chief Economist
GraphsandLaughs, LLC
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is an internationally acclaimed economist and public speaker specializing in making economics fun, relevant and educational. Dr. Eisenberg earned a B.A. in economics with first class honors from McGill University in Montreal, as well as a Master and Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University. Eisenberg is the Chief Economist for GraphsandLaughs, LLC, a Miami-based economic consultancy that serves a variety of clients across the United States. He writes a syndicated column and authors a daily 70-word commentary on the economy that is available at www.econ70.com.
Dr. Eisenberg has spoken hundreds of business groups and associations, serving as keynote speaker on topics including economic forecasts, economic impact of industries such as homebuilding, consequences of government regulation, and other current economic issues. Dr. Eisenberg has been invited to testify before lawmakers and is often asked to comment on proposed legislation. His research and opinions have been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Bureau of National Affairs, Forbes, Fortune, and many other publications. He is a regularly featured guest on talk, and public radio.
Dr. Eisenberg was formerly a Senior Economist with the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C. He is the creator of the multifamily stock index (the first nationally recognized index to track the total return of public firms principally involved in the ownership and management of apartments), the author of more than 100 articles, serves on the Expert Advisory Board of Mortgage Market Guide and is a regular consultant to several large real estate professional associations, financial institutions and investment advisory groups.
Elliot’s interests include walking at least five miles a day and reading as many newspapers as he can get his hands on. He loves ice hockey and talking economics with crowds large and small!
Regulators
Anna Burns
Regional Director, Southeast Region
Federal Trade Commission
Anna Burns
Regional Director, Southeast Region
Federal Trade Commission
Anna Burns is the Regional Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Southeast Region. As Regional Director, Anna leads the Southeast Region’s efforts in protecting consumers by preventing deceptive and unfair business practices through law enforcement, advocacy, and education. Anna joined the FTC in 2013, and, prior to becoming Regional Director in 2020, served as the Assistant Director of the Southeast Region from 2018-2020. While at the FTC, Anna has litigated and supervised consumer protection cases against payment processors and nonbank lenders, debt relief schemes, nationwide false advertising cases, and telemarketing scams.
Prior to joining the Commission, Anna practiced in the areas of financial services litigation, consumer protection and trade litigation, and securities and shareholder litigation at a law firm in both its Atlanta and Washington, D.C., offices. Anna received her undergraduate degree from Emory University and is a graduate of Emory University School of Law.
Angela Crooker
Manager RESA Investigations Section, Agent Regulation Division
Virginia Bureau of Insurance
Angela Crooker
Manager RESPA Investigations Section, Agent Regulation Division
Virginia Bureau of Insurance
Angela Crooker is the manager of the Real Estate Settlement Agents Investigations Section, within the State Corporation Commission’s, Bureau of Insurance, Agent Regulation Division. Angela has 13 years of experience as an investigator for the State Corporation Commission. Angela is responsible for the oversight of staff investigators, decision-making concerning enforcement action against licensees, and responding to requests for information and interpretation of Code Sections and Regulations from regulators, industry, and the public regarding Real Estate Settlement Agent Investigations and Title Insurance questions. A graduate of Longwood University, Angela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting and Real Estate. She also obtained and maintains her Certified Fraud Examiner, CFE designation.
Gary Funk
Senior Director
Freddie Mac
Gary Funk
Senior Director
Freddie Mac
Gary Funk is a Product Owner of Freddie Mac’s Title Initiatives and a Senior Director within Loan Products in the Freddie Mac Single-Family Acquisitions Division. He is responsible for developing Title solutions with Freddie Mac’s Sellers and establishing strong partnerships with the Title Community. In addition, Gary drives Seller adoption of offerings related to Collateral Valuation and Title.
Prior to joining Freddie Mac in 2019, Mr. Funk worked for Black Knight, Citi Mortgage, Rabo AgriFinance and Wells Fargo. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems and Policy Studies from Syracuse University, Go Orange!
Freddie Mac makes home possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Since our creation by Congress in 1970, we’ve made housing more accessible and affordable for homebuyers and renters in communities nationwide. We are building a better housing finance system for homebuyers, renters, lenders and taxpayers. Learn more at FreddieMac.com, Twitter @FreddieMac and Freddie Mac’s blog FreddieMac.com/blog.
Chuck Myers
Deputy Commissioner Office of Property and Casualty
Louisiana Department of Insurance
Chuck Myers
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Property and Casualty
Louisiana Department of Insurance
Chuck Myers serves as the Deputy Commissioner for the Louisiana Department of Insurance – Office of Property and Casualty. Chuck’s professional background includes: 8 years with the Virginia Bureau of Insurance as Manager of the Real Estate Settlement Agents Investigations Section and 7+ years with the Virginia State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation as a Special Agent Accountant and Certified Crime Scene Analyst. Chuck has 37 years of insurance industry, a master’s degree in Risk Management and Insurance from the Florida State University and holds designations as a: Senior Professional in Insurance Regulation, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Economic Crime Forensic Examiner.
Susan Nicolson
Commissioner
Arizona Department of Real Estate
Susan Nicolson
Commissioner
Arizona Department of Real Estate
On February 17, 2023, Governor Katie Hobbs appointed Susan Nicolson as the Commissioner of the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE).
For nearly three decades, Commissioner Nicolson worked as a real estate professional and up until the appointment was a Designated Broker and small business owner of a boutique brokerage in Phoenix, AZ. She also ran and operated a real estate school working as the school administrator and an instructor. Nicolson was also a Director at the National Association of REALTORS®, a Director at Arizona REALTORS® and the 2023 President Elect of her local association, WeSERV.
In 2021, the now-Commissioner graduated from the Women’s Council of REALTORS® Leadership Institute and was the recipient of the Tyler Strout Vision Award from Arizona REALTORS®. She is a Graduate of the REALTOR® Institute, certified by the National Association of REALTORS® as Pricing Strategy Advisor, a member of the Residential Real Estate Council, endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS® with the C2EX (Commitment to Excellence) certification, a Seniors Real Estate Specialist and holder of the PMN, SRS, ABR and CRS designations.
For Nicolson, these accomplishments are an acknowledgement to her success in practice and her pursuit of the highest levels of real estate education.
As the Arizona Real Estate Commissioner, Nicolson sees a future for the Department of Real Estate of not only upholding the laws of Arizona but a Department that is also proactive in supporting and educating small businesses while protecting the public.
Valerie Williams
Acting Director
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development – Atlanta Homeownership Center
Valerie Williams
Acting Director
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development – Atlanta Homeowernship Center
Valerie D. Williams is the Acting Director of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s FHA/Atlanta Homeownership Center (AHOC). The AHOC is one of four HOCs that coordinate and implement diverse aspects of FHA’s mortgage insurance business for designated geographic areas. Serving in this role since January 2024, she is responsible for the management, promotion, and utilization of Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Single Family Programs.
In her role as Acting HOC Director, Valerie also provides executive leadership and oversight of FHA’s Operations/Customer Service, Processing and Underwriting, Program Support, Real Estate Owned and Quality Assurance Divisions. The Atlanta HOC’s jurisdiction covers the Southeast/Caribbean, which is comprised of ten states and the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with the states of Indiana and Illinois in Region V. Prior to this role, Valerie served as AHOC Deputy Director from February 2020 and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Atlanta Homeownership Center.
Valerie’s career in the lending industry began 25+ years ago where she held various roles to include Commercial Loan Processor, Auditor, Underwriter and Senior Underwriter. Valerie transitioned into leadership when she launched and managed a mortgage broker company as President/Principal whereby the skills necessary to operate a financial company were developed. She began her career with HUD 14 years ago as an Underwriter in the Processing and Underwriting Division. She was promoted to Branch Chief within a year and held that position for about 5 years before becoming the Director of that Division. She served as the Processing & Underwriting Division Director from 2015 to January 2020.
Speakers
Rod Alba
SVP, Mortgage Finance & Senior Regulatory Counsel
American Bankers Association
Rod Alba
SVP, Mortgage Finance & Senior Regulatory Counsel
American Bankers Association
Rod Alba is Senior Vice President & Senior Regulatory Counsel in ABA’s Regulatory Compliance and Policy Division. Rod is responsible for oversight of residential real estate lending laws, regulations and other legal developments. Rod also manages legal and policy issues relating to commercial real estate lending, and is the principal staff on ABA’s Dodd-Frank mortgage-related implementation efforts. Rod serves as the ABA staff liaison to the Mortgage Markets Committee, responsible for policy formulation on issues affecting real estate finance.
Prior to ABA, he served as Legislative Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association, advising and coordinating on advocacy, regulatory compliance, and state and federal legislative efforts. Rod served as head of the MBA’s Regulatory Compliance and Legal Issues Committees, where he organized the advisory and advocacy activities of the industry’s legal and regulatory experts.
Before joining MBA, Rod was an attorney with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in the Office of General Counsel, GSE/RESPA Division. As Senior Attorney for RESPA, Rod participated in the drafting and development of rules and administrative interpretations under RESPA and Regulation X.
Rod is a frequent speaker on panels and conferences relating to legal and regulatory developments in mortgage lending. In his experience with the mortgage industry, Rod has held roles in both public and private sectors. From 2004 to 2007, Rod served as Vice President for Federal and Regulatory Affairs with ACC Capital Holdings, in Washington, DC. In addition, Rod served as special projects counsel to National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino civil rights organization.
Rod has received numerous recognition awards in his years with MBA and HUD. Prior to that, Rod was recognized as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Fellow, and served in a legal capacity in various federal administrative agencies. He serves as board member in non-profit organizations focusing on emerging market issues. His education includes a Juris Doctor (1993) from Syracuse University College of Law and a B.A. in Economics (1990) from the University of Maryland, College Park Campus.
Jeff Bluhm
Executive Vice President
Old Republic National Title Insurance Co.
Jeff Bluhm
Executive Vice President
Old Republic National Title Insurance Co.
Jeff Bluhm is Executive Vice President of Old Republic National Title Insurance Company (ORNTIC), and Executive Liaison for Attorneys’ Title Fund Services (The Fund), which is a subsidiary of the Old Republic Title Insurance Group (ORTIG).
Jeff joined Old Republic Title 41 years ago as an auditor and has held progressively significant positions in the Company’s direct and agency operations in: auditing, financial, strategic and leadership roles.
Jeff is a prolific speaker at various industry-related organizations, as he has a deep knowledge of the title insurance business and a well-rounded understanding of direct and agency operations.
In his current leadership role, Jeff supports The Fund, which has nearly 500 employees who provide title insurance and related services to approximately 3,000 member/agents on behalf of ORNTIC. In addition to his responsibilities with The Fund, Jeff is a key member of the Company’s innovation team that explores efficiencies and disruptions in the title insurance industry. Jeff provides subject matter expertise, strategy contributions and acts as a liaison to the Company’s field operations regarding technological and digital initiatives that will shape the title insurance industry in the future.
Jeff is a graduate of St. Could State University with a degree in accounting. He is a long-time member of the Minnesota Land Title Association, the American Land Title Association’s Best Practices Executive Committee and Work Group, and TIPAC and TAN Committees.
Ryan Cabrita
Chief Information Security Officer
Gulotta Grabiner Law Group, LLC
Ryan Cabrita
Information Security Officer
Gulotta Grabiner Law Group, LLC
Ryan Cabrita is the Chief Information Security Officer for both the Gulotta Grabiner Law Group, PLLC and Real Estate Data Shield, Inc. In recent years, Ryan has gained national recognition for his work in information & cyber security: compliance, implementation, oversight, and best practices in the title and settlement industry.
Ryan earned his Master of Science in Cybersecurity from New York University’s (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering, graduating with the highest academic achievement. Ryan also holds National Security Agency (NSA) NCAE-C designations in: (i) Cyber Operations; and (ii) Cyber Defense.
Ryan regularly works and consults with industry leaders (from national title underwriters and national mortgage lenders to small law firms and title agencies) to provide industry-specific guidance and cost-effective solutions for cybersecurity compliance. More specifically, he consults on compliance with pertinent data privacy and cyber laws and regulations, such as the New York DFS Cybersecurity Regulation (23NYCRR500), state adaptations of the NAIC model insurance data security law, breach/cyber incident notification laws, and the increasingly evolving data privacy laws (e.g., CCPA/CPRA, Virginia’s CDPA, and Utah’s CPA).
Since the early stages of the global pandemic, Ryan also provided consulting guidance to the title and settlement industry on the emerging business continuity and disaster recovery challenges. Ryan regularly teaches CE and CLE courses on cybersecurity, best practices and wire fraud prevention, and has guest lectured at prestigious graduate schools, such as Berkeley Law School and Fordham University’s Graduate Real Estate Institute.
Elizabeth Daniel
President
Continental Title Company
Elizabeth Daniel
President
Colonial Title Company
Elizabeth A. Daniel is the President for Continental Title Company. Continental Title has 18 offices in Kansas and Missouri.
Elizabeth has been in the Mortgage and Title Insurance industries for 28 years. She began her career with a local Title Insurance Company in 1996 and later worked with a National Lender. Elizabeth came back to her true passion, the Title Industry in 2006, when the opportunity to work for Continental Title presented itself. Through her extensive experience in both the Lending and Title industries, Elizabeth has instilled her leadership skills in a way that helps her team to perform at a high level.
In addition to her years in management, Elizabeth is involved in teaching continuing education classes for the Kansas Land Title, Missouri Land Title, American Land Title Associations and National Business Institute. She has also spoken on a nationally syndicated radio program for the National Association of Realtors on behalf of the American Land Title Association.
Elizabeth is a member of several State and National Associations. As a member of the Kansas Land Title Association, she serves on the Education Committee. She is the Co- Chair for the Political Action Committee for the Missouri Land Title Association and is an associate member of the American Escrow Association. Elizabeth is a member of the American Land Title Association and serves as Vice-Chair of the Membership Committee. She is also the recipient of the 2021-2022 Jack Flippo Title Person of the Year Award for the Missouri Land Title Association.
Aaron Davis
CEO
Florida Agency Network
Aaron Davis
CEO
Florida Agency Network
Aaron M. Davis is the CEO of AMD Enterprises, a conglomerate of business ventures comprised primarily of national brands Florida Agency Network (FAN), Premier Data Services (PDS), Network Transaction Solutions (NTS) and Closingsuite.com.
A past board member of the Florida Land Title Association, Aaron has also served in an advisory role for multiple businesses, including banks and start-ups. He was selected to be a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizens Academy and is a member of YPO as well. Additionally, Aaron is a frequent speaker at mortgage and title conferences and a regular contributor to the industry media. He was honored in 2018 as a member of the Gator 100, comprised of the fastest-growing businesses in Florida.
Aaron has long been committed to community service and has served with numerous non-profit, charity-focused organizations, including Bay Area Advisors and his community Rotary Club, among others. He has also been recognized by national media outlets for his charitable service assisting communities after natural disasters and was awarded the 2021 October Research Philanthropy Award, in part, for those efforts.
Aaron earned his BS/BA from the University of Florida and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s three-year Owner/President Management leadership program (OPM 57). He is a native Floridian who currently resides in Texas with his wife and their children.
Samir Dedhia
CEO
One Real Mortgage
Samir Dedhia
CEO
One Real Mortgage
Samir Dedhia is the CEO of One Real Mortgage, the mortgage division of The Real Brokerage. Prior to joining Real, Samir co-founded Lemonbrew Technologies in 2017, a digital real estate ecosystem encompassing Lemonbrew Lending (formerly SD Capital Funding), Lemonbrew Abstract, Lemonbrew Insurance, and Lemonbrew Real Estate. As CEO of Lemonbrew Lending, Samir orchestrated exponential growth, funding over $1 billion in volume annually through organic channels. When Lemonbrew Lending was acquired by The Real Brokerage in 2022, Samir found success as the business’s CEO, leveraging human connection and technological innovation to simplify processes and empower stakeholders.
Samir initially began his career in the mortgage industry in 2004 as a loan officer. In the wake of the mortgage meltdown, he assumed the role of Executive Vice President at SD Capital Funding in 2009 before ascending to the role of Principal in 2012, where he pioneered an assembly-line mortgage operations process that revolutionized efficiency and drove unprecedented year-over-year volume growth.
With more than two decades of experience in the mortgage industry, Samir’s reputation is that of a visionary leader in the industry. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Accounting from Drexel University, and is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Rick Diamond
Vice President – Agency Technology
FNF Family of Companies
Rick Diamond
Vice President – Agency Technology
FNF Family of Companies
Rick Diamond currently serves as Vice President of Information Technology, Agency Operations Fidelity National Financial. Rick is involved in all I.T. initiatives in the company’s agency operations nationwide. Rick maintains dialogue with agents and speaks throughout the country about technology, Digital Closing processes, Data Security, Wire Fraud, I.T. trends and ways to use technology to assist in title processing and compliance. He consults with agents in many aspects of technology with the main focuses being; how to make the relationship easier between Title Agents and FNF through technology, how to streamline back office procedures to save time, money and to be more efficient, data security to protect the agents as well as their businesses, helping agents’ clients close on their terms and how to use technology to grow their business. Rick is a staunch advocate for a great number of agents across the country and has a reputation for putting his clients ahead of all else. Rick has over 34 years of experience in the industry, he was VP, Division IT Director for 24 years and served as VP and State Manager. Rick is a member of the American Land Title Association, ALTA’s Best Practices Executive Committee, ALTA’s Technology Committee, ALTA’s Best Practices Committee, ALTA’s Information Security Executive Committee, MMBA Technology Committee and the New England Land Title Association. He served on the Executive Board of Directors for Massachusetts Title, the oldest Title Insurance Company in the United States. He is a former board member and remains actively involved with the Room to Dream Foundation, a children’s charity which donates renovation and home improvement services to chronically ill children in Massachusetts.
Daniel Fortune
Partner
Bradley
Daniel Fortune
Partner
Bradley
Daniel Fortune represents clients in matters involving cybersecurity, white collar defense, government enforcement actions and regulatory compliance. In addition, Daniel has litigated more than 75 jury trials in federal and state courts involving complex matters and computer forensics. His clients value his proactive approach, as well as his commitment to protecting and defending their best interests and reputations.
Prior to joining Bradley, Daniel served as the lead cybersecurity attorney at a litigation boutique, and as a state prosecutor and federal prosecutor litigating matters involving computer forensics, white collar crime and government investigations. As the Deputy Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division, he supervised major cybercrime, white collar fraud, public corruption, asset forfeiture and national security matters. He also served as the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator with top-secret security clearance, working on matters involving cleared defense contractors. In addition, Daniel supervised national and international investigations related to internet crime, money laundering, and cryptocurrencies.
During his time at the Department of Justice, Daniel was recognized by the FBI Director for his work with the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force for achieving notable success in major crime control efforts and for contributions to complex and sensitive operations.
Daniel serves as an adjunct professor at the Birmingham School of Law and Miles School of Law, where he teaches Torts and Trial Advocacy. He is also a respected mentor and advisor for the Birmingham School of Law Mock Trial Team.
Rich Griffin
Senior Vice President Agency
Doma Title Insurance, Inc.
Rich Griffin
Senior Vice President Agency
Doma Title Insurance, Inc.
For more than 25 years, Rich Griffin has been bringing value to his customers. Blending a unique perspective of Lending, Title Company Ownership, and Underwriting, he jokes that he will not sell something unless he has first been a customer of the product.
As the owner and founder of a national title company for ten years, Rich has an intimate understanding of what it takes to operate successfully during challenging times. Rich sold his Title Company in 2014 and now is the Senior Vice President of Agency for Doma Title Insurance.
Rich is a recognized national speaker and has presented at ALTA, October Research conferences, local Land Title Associations, Lender Expos, and Key Note presentations. He has taught and coached hundreds of Realtors, Loan Officers, and Title Professionals nationwide.
Rich is a graduate of Western Illinois University, holds an MBA from Arizona State University, and is pursuing his Ph.D. in organizational development from the University of Arizona. Rich also has completed coaching programs at Stanford and Duke Universities.
John Hamm
Chief Information Officer
Stewart Title
John Hamm
Chief Information Officer
Stewart Title
John has been immersed in the world of IT since his teenage years when he began supporting his grandmother’s real estate brokerage firm. Since then, he has successfully spearheaded multi-million-dollar transformation initiatives at global Fortune 500 companies, delivering significant benefits to employees and customers. He accomplished this while pursuing his BS in Management Information Systems, followed by earning an MBA, and raising a family of five.
In his current role at Stewart Title, John is dedicated to establishing a world-class IT department, with a strong focus on driving Stewart’s success and its journey to becoming a premiere title company. Among his key responsibilities, he leads a newly established business-led AI Advisory Team, which is at the forefront of driving innovation, ethics, and educational initiatives in computational sciences, including generative AI.
Beyond his professional commitments, John enthusiastically contributes his time and expertise to various educational and professional boards and committees. He derives the most fulfillment from endeavors centered around human education and development. His core belief is that aligning human motivation with organizational values can yield positive outcomes, and technology plays an indispensable role in realizing these unimagined possibilities.
Michael Holden
Vice President Strategic Agency Manager
Doma Title Insurance, Inc.
Michael Holden
Vice President Strategic Agency Manager
Doma Title Insurance, Inc.
Michael Holden, NTP, CLTP, Vice President Strategy, DOMA TITLE INSURANCE, INC. (DOMA). Michael has been serving the title industry since 1989. Michael received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and has previously owned and operated a large title agency. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Ashland University. Prior joining DOMA, he was national agency manager for two different regional underwriters. As an active member of the American Land Title Association®, Michael serves on several committees and has previously served on the agents’ section to the board of governors. In 2021 he was named one of the top 100 people in real estate by Top 100 People in Real Estate Magazine®. In 2021 he was awarded the professional designation as a Certified Land Title Professional™ by the Michigan Land Title Association and in 2022 he was awarded the professional designation as a National Title Professional™ by the American Land Title Association.
Michael has been a speaker for several state land title association conventions and helps provide CE classes to title agents in the Midwest. Michael has a wealth of knowledge about the history of the land title industry in the United States and publishes a monthly article titled: “The Ramblings of a Title Man.” In 2007 he was recognized as “Top 40 under 40” by The Title Report™. In 2020, his second book, titled “The Ramblings of a Title Man – Second Edition” was released. His family has celebrated 100 years of service to the land title industry in 2020 and published an archival web site www.holden100.info to celebrate the century milestone for his family.
Michael and his wife Laura love leisure travel, hiking, and art collecting. Michael donates his time as an Ambassador for First Tee Cleveland and serves on the Board of Taleris Credit Union.
Jonathan Holfinger
CEO
Northwest Title & Northwest Law
Jonathan Holfinger
CEO
Northwest Title & Northwest Law
Jonathan Holfinger, Esq., OLTP, NTP is the CEO of Northwest Title Family of Companies, and principal for Northwest Law, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Jonathan founded a law firm and title insurance agency in 2005, and since then has grown operations and offices across the southern half of Ohio as well as northern and central Kentucky. He is a practicing lawyer and licensed title agent in multiple states.
Jonathan has served as President of the Central Ohio Land Title Association, as President of the Ohio Land Title Association, and as the initial Chair and driving force behind the OLTA Academy, a first of its kind training and credentialing system for closing and settlement services in Ohio.
In addition to multiple legal, title, and real estate industry association involvements, Jonathan has featured as a teacher of continuing education courses and as a panelist at numerous conferences regarding title insurance, real estate transactions, and title agency operations.
Don Kennedy
Senior Vice President, National Agency Division
First American Title Insurance Co.
Don Kennedy
Senior Vice President, National Agency Division
First American Title Insurance Co.
Don Kennedy is senior vice president of the national agency division for First American Title Insurance Company. Most recently, Don served as Vice President, Area Manager for Direct Title Operations in Southern California and Arizona. Previously, he acted as Division Counsel for the company’s Database Solutions & Home Warranty divisions. Prior to joining First American in 2011, Don served as an attorney in the litigation department of SNR Denton, a global law firm. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Stanford University, Don went on to receive his juris doctorate from McGeorge School of Law at University of the Pacific. A California resident, He is a member of the California Land Title Association Board of Governors. Don also serves on the Board of Governors for the American Land Title Association. He serves as chair of ALTA’s Underwriter Section Executive Committee. Don resides in Southern California with his wife and their two children.
Brent Laliberte
President and CEO
Bayou Title
Brent Laliberte
President and CEO
Florida Agency Network
Brent J. Laliberte graduated from UNO in 1987 with B.S. in Finance. He graduated from Loyola University School of Law is 1993 with a J.D. in Civil Law. He was admitted to the bar in October 1993.
In the 29 years that he has been practicing law he has handled over 25,000 closings and has examined in excess of 75,000 titles.
He and his wife Kathy opened Bayou Title in November 1999, and it has since grown to become the largest title agency in the state, with 20 locations. We also have 1 location in Mississippi.
He is a Past President and Board Member of the Louisiana Land Title Association (LLTA), and is cycling back around as President-Elect, and will be sworn in at the 2023 LLTA Annual Convention in December 2023. He is the Founder, President and Board member of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Title Attorneys (NOMATA). Brent also serves as Secretary on the American Land Title Association (ALTA) Agents Section Executive Committee.
In addition to his law degree, Brent has a title insurance license in both Louisiana and Mississippi, a real estate broker’s license and is certified by LREC to teach CE classes. He teaches hundreds of hours of live CE instruction each year, both on behalf of Bayou Title, Inc. and as a frequent guest instructor for many of the real estate boards around the state.
Brent was the recipient of the 2014 LLTA “Title Person of the Year” award, and he is one of only two people in the State of Louisiana to hold the prestigious ALTA National Title Professional (NTP) designation.
In the last 5 years Bayou Title has closed in excess of 40,000 transactions.
Mike LaRosa
Chief Operating Officer
Florida Agency Network
Mike LaRosa
Chief Operating Officer
Florida Agency Network
After coming to FAN in 2015, Mike quickly became an integral part of the leadership team that has grown the company into one of the leading title and settlement services providers in the nation. Throughout his tenure, he has maintained his focus on the effectiveness of centralized operations as well as the use of organizational efficiencies to build a culture of elite customer service.
Mike has held management and leadership roles in the settlement services industry since entering in 1999, only a year after completing his law degree at the University of Florida. Over the course of his career, he has proven to be an effective leader of title operations, compliance, business development and market strategy. His 16-plus year tenure with one of the nation’s largest title insurance underwriters culminated with him serving as the Florida State Agency Manager for several years before joining FAN.
Mike is an active and longtime member of the Florida Land Title Association, including three years of leadership on the Board of Directors. He has also been a licensed REALTOR since 2007. Mike is frequently invited to present at industry conferences, conventions and seminars on topics such as affiliated business arrangements and M&A strategy.
Mike has been a Floridian for almost 40 years and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is also involved in the Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald House organizations, as well as actively volunteering his time to support his community’s youth sports football and baseball leagues.
Kosta Ligris
CEO
Stavvy
Kosta Ligris
CEO
Stavvy
Kosta Ligris is an experienced entrepreneur, lawyer, and investor and was the founder of the Ligris family of companies. Under his leadership, Ligris and its affiliates became one of the largest title agents in New England, with operations in New York and Florida. Kosta has deep expertise in consumer lending, title/settlement operations, and mortgage workflows.
He is the CEO and Founder of Stavvy, one of Boston’s fastest-growing fintech startups, providing tools and solutions to digitize mortgage lending and servicing transactions, including leveraging technology to manage assets and streamline capital market liquidity in the secondary mortgage-backed markets. Kosta is an Entrepreneur in Residence at MIT’s Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship and a Lecturer in Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
Kosta has served and continues to serve on academic, insurance, and philanthropic boards and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by peers for twelve consecutive years.
Andrew Liput
CEO and Founder
Secure Insight
Andrew Liput
CEO and Founder
Secure Insight
Andrew Liput has been the CEO and Founder of Secure Insight since it was formed in 2012. His company was the first to develop automated risk management solutions to address vendor management and wire fraud in the mortgage and real estate settlement industry. Recently Secure Insight launched TruePay, a disbursement fraud prevention tool for settlement professionals. Andrew is a graduate of Drew University, Fordham Law School, and Harvard Business School, where he studied FinTech, cybersecurity, data privacy and technology, and data science. He recently graduated from the FBI Citizens Academy where he participated in training sessions regarding law enforcement practices addressing cyber fraud. He has spoken at mortgage industry legal industry and real estate industry conferences nationwide on many occasions, and has written dozens of articles relevant to settlement industry issues for numerous industry publications. In his spare time Andrew serves as the Wing Commander of the USAF Auxiliary’s search and rescue and disaster response program in New Jersey. He is married with four daughters and lives in rural New Jersey.
Jerome Magana
President
Select Specialty Insurance Services
Jerome Magana
President
Select Specialty Insurance Services
Jerome Magana is a 30-year insurance veteran. Since 2004, when he was the Founder and Former President of Stewart Title’s National Insurance Division, Jerome has been focused on the insurance needs of the Independent Title Agency. In 2009, Select Specialty Insurance Services was started, and Jerome held this company having national relationships with 7 different Title Underwriters as the preferred provider of E&O, Cyber Liability, and Fidelity Bonds to Title Agents. After 11 years as the Owner and President of Select, Jerome partnered with Securance Corporation. This is a 50-year-old insurance brokerage licensed in all 50 states. As the President/Partner of the new division, Securance Specialty Insurance Services (SSIS), Jerome now has a large and experienced team of insurance professionals and a long vertical line of related insurance services.
Specialties: ALTA Ten Pillars of Best Practices including Title Agent E&O, Social Engineering, Invoice Manipulation, Cyber Theft, Cyber & Privacy Liability, Fidelity and Surety Bonds including the Escrow Security Bond.
In his off time, Jerome enjoys practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mountain Biking, drumming, time with his family and being a foodie in different cities.
Jennifer Mason
CEO and Founder
TitleWise Technologies
Jennifer Mason
CEO and Founder
TitleWise Technologies
Jennifer Mason, CEO and founder of TitleWise Technologies, helps title companies address challenges and improve workflow processes for title research and examination. With more than fifteen years of title industry experience, her work prioritizes human-centric approaches to promote improved access to technology for firms and individuals alike.
She is also the owner of Southern Indiana Abstract Company, a third-generation firm founded in 1948. Today, the company specializes in expert title research and analysis for title settlement companies, real estate attorneys, and commissioned special projects.
Jennifer is an accomplished public speaker and recent recipient of several honors, including Community Foundation of Louisville’s Vogt Award, Elevate Ventures’ Nexus and Community Ideation awards, Render Capital Competition, Awesome Inc. 5 Across, and Louisville Business First’s 2023 Startups to Watch. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Indiana University Southeast, where she earned her master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentration in post-secondary education.
Beyond title work, Jennifer enjoys yoga, novels, and adventures with her husband Chris, chihuahua Hermie, and horse Charles.
Francis “Trip” Riley
Partner
Saul Ewing LLP
Francis 'Trip' Riley
Partner
Saul Ewing LLP
Francis “Trip” Riley, a partner at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LP, counsels and defends clients who are facing complex civil litigation filed by a single plaintiff, as well as class actions, relating to commercial and consumer financing, consumer facing services and product sales, and business to business transactions. He prides himself on understanding his clients’ unique businesses and partners with them to help achieve results in line with their goals in the often highly-charged setting of commercial, consumer and corporate litigation.
As co-chair of the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Litiation & Gov’t Enforcement Group, he and the group’s lawyers represent and counsel companies who provide consumer financial products and services, such as those in the real estate settlement services industry, including title insurance underwriters, their insureds and agents, mortgage lenders, brokers and investors, and real estate brokerages and their agents, in all types of civil litigation and government investigations and enforcement actions.
Tori Shinohara
Partner
Mayer Brown
Tori Shinohara
Partner
Mayer Brown
Tori Shinohara is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington DC office and a member of the Financial Services group. Tori is also part of the firm’s AI Steering Committee. She practices in the areas of mortgage banking and consumer finance, and concentrates on representing clients in connection with federal and state government enforcement matters and counseling clients on compliance with federal and state consumer financial protection laws and regulations, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the Truth in Lending Act and federal and state prohibitions against unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices. Tori also assists clients with performing regulatory compliance due diligence in connection with investments or acquisitions related to consumer financial products, such as mortgage loans, auto loans, student loans, consumer loans and retail installment contracts. Tori represents a broad range of clients, including financial institutions, mortgage lenders and servicers, consumer finance companies and secondary market participants.
Lisa Steele
Chief Operating Officer
Mother Lode Holding Co.
Lisa Steele
Chief Operating Officer
Mother Lode Holding Co.
Lisa Steele serves as Chief Operations Manager at Mother Lode Holding Company. Mother Lode has operations in 8 Western states. Lisa is a 35-year industry veteran with a background in sales, marketing, escrow, operations and leadership. Ms. Steele currently oversees the daily operations Mother Lode Holding Company with her 2 business partners.
Lisa’s passion is people. Over the course of her time in the industry; she has learned the importance of building a workplace that people enjoy, where culture matters and where feel people feel safe and appreciated. A place where they care for one another and their customers. Leo French started with this simple premise when founding MLHC and Lisa is proud to carry on that tradition.
Ms. Steele serves on the American Land Title Associations Board of Governors as well as the California Land Title Association Board of Governors. She is an advocate for the Land Title Industry and proud of the services offered by the industry to give homeowners peace of mind.
When not traveling to one of the branch operations, Lisa can be found in her vineyard, at a horse show or with her Grandchildren. Ms. Steele also serves as the CEO of Taylor Steele Cancer Foundation. Where she is proud to honor her late daughter, Taylor, by providing financial support to cancer patients and organizations.
Kate Steineman
Senior Vice President, Business Execution Senior Manager
Wells Fargo Home Lending
Kate Steineman
Senior Vice President, Business Execution Senior Manager
Wells Fargo Home Lending
Kate Steineman is Senior Vice President, Business Execution Senior Manager within the Business Initiatives and Global Support team at Wells Fargo Home Lending. Her current teams have responsibilities within the title and settlement strategy, government relations, and title and settlement legislation. She is also accountable for the team that supports strategic initiatives, procedure and process updates for Home Lending Operations as well as Industry Outreach. She has been with Wells Fargo for 24 years and has held positions in Sales, Sales Management, Vendor Management, Implementation, Risk, Customer Excellence, Title and Settlement Strategy, and her current role.
Katie Stewart
VP of Customer Success
CertifID
Katie Stewart
VP of Customer Success
CertifID
Katie Stewart is the VP of Customer Success at CertifID. After starting out in IT at Abbot Labs, Katie then took a career turn into education. She joined Teach for America and worked as a math teacher and assistant principal at inner-city schools in Indianapolis. Today, she combines those skills in IT and education to lead an organization of customer success, software support, verification support, and program managers whose sole mission is to protect customers against wire fraud. Katie holds a BBA in Management Information Systems from St. Mary’s College and a Master’s degree from Marian University.
Patrick Stone
Chairman & Founder
Williston Financial Group
Patrick Stone
Chairman & Founder
Williston Financial Group
Pat has enjoyed a lengthy career in real estate and real estate related services. He has held “C” officer positions with three public companies and served as director on two Fortune 500 Boards. The senior executive management positions included nine years as President and COO of the nation’s largest title insurance company, Chairman and Co-CEO of a software company and CEO of a real estate data and information company.
Pat currently serves as Chairman and Founder of Williston Financial Group, as well as on the boards of: Nassau Reinsurance, Transmodus and Trysting Tree Golf Club. Other accolades include: Housing Wire’s coveted Vanguard Award in 2019 and 2021, Progress in Lending’s “Lending Luminary Award” in 2019 and 2020, October Research’s annual “Leadership Award” in 2020 and Inman News “100 Most Influential People in Real Estate” in 2013, and in 2015 and 2021 as one of the “Top 101 Real Estate Industry Doers.”
Pat has also served as Vice-Chairman of Metrocities Mortgage, a 2005 top twenty mortgage lender, and as Chairman of The Stone Group, an Austin, Texas based tenant-rep brokerage company. As well as on the boards of Fidelity National Financial, First American Corporation, FNIS, MicroGeneral, SKLD, World Minerals, Green Street Advisors, DigitalMap, Homegain, RedVision, Wystein Capital and Inman News.
His philanthropic involvement has included service as Chairman of the Santa Barbara Art Museum and as a Director of the Portland Art Museum. He is a past chairman of the Oregon State University Foundation, and Co-Chair of its Billion Dollar Capital Campaign.
Patrick has three daughters, five grandchildren and resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife Vicki.
Bill Svoboda
Co-founder
CloseSimple
Bill Svoboda
Co-founder
CloseSimple
Bill Svoboda, has been an entrepreneur since his college dorm days in 2003. He’s partnered with tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, captivating audiences with a TEDx talk before 1,800 attendees.
Bill’s mastery of customer experience, engagement, and growth strategies is the cornerstone of his role as Co-Founder & Brand Evangelist of CloseSimple, a software with a singular mission: to make the closing simple.
True to the ethos of his company, Bill is driven by a passion for simplifying complexities, whether it’s through innovative software solutions or inspiring motivational talks.
Marx Sterbcow
Managing Attorney
Sterbcow Law Group LLC
Marx Sterbcow
Managing Attorney
Sterbcow Law Group LLC
Marx Sterbcow is nationally recognized as one of the leading legal authorities in the financial settlement services industry. Sterbcow’s practice focuses on RESPA, UDAAP, TILA, ECOA, Fair Housing Act, and other administrative and regulatory compliance laws. He advises banks, mortgage lenders, title insurance agencies and underwriters, law firms, property & casualty insurance agencies, and real estate brokerage companies across the United States on matters involving affiliated business arrangements, third-party vendor management auditing, CFPB & state regulatory enforcement, social media oversight, mergers and acquisitions, marketing and advertising agreement compliance, lead generation programs, and promotional advertising program guidance.
Sterbcow graduated from Tulane University with a B.A., Gonzaga University School of Law with a J.D., and the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Real Estate Law with an LLM. Among his many accolades, he was recognized as a Trendsetter by The Title Report.
Nicole Timpanaro
CEO
Fortune Title Agency, Inc.
Nicole Timpanaro
CEO
Fortune Title Agency, Inc.
Nicole Timpanaro is a graduate of Villanova University where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a minor in Information Systems. She also has her Master’s Degree in the Management of Information Systems from Stevens Institute of Technology.
Nicole began her career at Fortune Title Agency, Inc. in 2008. She is currently the CEO and is responsible for long-term and short-term strategies, contract negotiation, financial management, and business development.
Nicole speaks for various associations, including the American Land Title Association and New Jersey State Bar Association, on a variety of real estate topics.
She is a member of the New Jersey Land Title Association (NJLTA), Pennsylvania Land Title Agency (PLTA), and the American Land Title Association (ALTA). Within ALTA she serves on the Agents & Abstractors Executive Committee, the Best Practices Executive Committee, the Government Affairs Committee, and the Remote Online Notarization Committee. She also serves on the Executive Board for the Fighting Children’s Cancer Foundation, a charity dedicated to assisting families in NJ that have children facing cancer; and is on the Board of Trustees for 180 Turning Lives Around, a non-profit dedicated to helping survivors and families that have been affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.
When Nicole is not at the helm of Fortune Title she enjoys spending time with her three children, playing piano, and going for long walks (when it’s warm outside!). She is a foodie and enjoys expanding her pallet at new restaurants with good friends. She also enjoys traveling and hopes to visit all 50 states.
David Townsend
SVP Agency Division Manager
Fidelity National Financial
David Townsend
SVP Agency Division Manager
Fidelity National Financial
David Townsend oversees agency sales and operations for 18 states. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law and Drury University and has many years of experience in the areas of real estate and title law. He has taught Title Insurance Practice at the University of Missouri School of Law and is a speaker for October Research, LLC, American Land Title Association (ALTA), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and other continuing education seminars. He is a current member of the American Land Title Association’s Board of Governors.
Townsend authored the Missouri Bar Insurance Practice Series: “Title Insurance” and the Missouri Bar Journal article “Mechanics Lien Law: Section 429.016 establishes New Notice Requirements.” He’s been recognized as the Missouri Land Title Your Title Professional for 2009 and received the National Title Professional designation in 2013 by the American Land Title Association.
He is married to Kerry Townsend, has one daughter, Blair and one son, Charlie, and lives in Columbia, Missouri.
Ray Wenger
Chief, Bureau of Investigation
Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services
Florida Department of Financial Services
Ray Wenger, FLMI, CPM
Chief, Bureau of Investigation
Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services
Florida Department of Financial Services
I have been with the Florida Department of Financial Services since 1995. Since that time I worked as an investigator at the Ocala Fire College, covering 8 counties in North Central Florida and completing more than 700 investigations. In 2005 I transferred to Tallahassee to work in management. In 2008 I started working with the title insurance industry and I obtained my title insurance agent license. That led to my work with the Title Insurance Study Advisory Council in 2009. On April 16, 2016, I was promoted to the Chief of the Bureau of Investigation, and I oversee ten investigative offices around the state.
We cover all types of investigations of insurance agents, agencies, adjusters, and bail bond agents and agencies. We are also second responders after a disaster strikes. We go to the area affected by the disaster and we work with the consumers in getting their property damage reported to the insurance companies, and verifying the adjusters working the claim are properly licensed and appointed.
Recently we were asked to assist our sister agency in matching bodies and cremated remains with the funeral home files so they could be returned to the proper family. It seems we had a funeral director who decided to take some shortcuts, such as not processing the remains.
My other responsibilities include analyzing proposed changes to the insurance code, assisting with revisions to the Florida Statutes and Administrative Code, reviewing and updating the questions on our pre-licensing examinations for the various lines of insurance, reviewing continuing education manuals and courses, mapping key processes, writing internal policies and procedures, answering questions or complaints involving our licensees, and working with the CFO’s Office on various projects as they come up.
Paula Zwiren
President
Zwiren Title Agency, Inc.
Paula Zwiren
President
Zwiren Title Agency, Inc.
Paula M. Zwiren, JD, MBA, is a licensed attorney and title agent, designated as a Certified Title Professional. Paula received both her law degree and MBA from Rutgers University. Her expertise in the title industry comes from her thorough understanding of the law and over 25 years of experience in the title industry. Paula understands the value and importance of furthering an education and has taught several continued education courses for attorneys, real estate agents and title professionals, in the form of CLE, CE and pre-licensing for title insurance.
Paula is also involved in the NJSBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee, the Solo and Small Firm Section and the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section. Paula’s true passion is helping homeowners and investors secure their properties through title insurance. She enjoys working with attorneys and other real estate professionals on getting to a smooth closing.