Speakers

Dr. Cindy McGovern
First Lady of Sales
Orange Leaf Consulting

Known across the globe as the First Lady of Sales, Dr. Cindy McGovern is an expert in sales, leadership, and communication. Author of the Wall Street Journal Best Seller Every Job is a Sales Job: How to Use the Art of Selling to Win at Work, Sell Yourself: How to Create, Live, and Sell a Powerful Personal Brand and CEO of Orange Leaf Consulting, she’s earned her reputation by leading hundreds of companies to business growth and industry dominance. She helps take the ‘ick’ out of sales and empowers people to embrace their inner 5-year-old to use the art of selling to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Learn more about Dr. Cindy here.

Zach Ipour
Co-Founder
Megatel Homes and MegPrime

Zach Ipour is a Co-Founder of Megatel Homes, a full-service residential developer and builder operating in Texas and Oklahoma. Founded in 2006 with his brother, the company has grown from single-family renovations into one of the largest privately held homebuilders in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Mr. Ipour is also the Co-Founder of MegPrime, a fintech platform powered by its digital currency, the MPP Token, designed for everyday use. The MPP Token is positioned as a universal payments and rewards token, allowing users to earn rewards through routine purchases such as groceries, coffee, rent, and mortgage payments. MegPrime’s ecosystem is designed to serve households nationwide by integrating digital rewards into everyday spending, supporting routine consumer use and offering flexible incentives to solve the affordability crisis.

Learn more about Zach here.

Jim Payne
Deputy Commissioner
Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner

Jim Payne has a background in commercial banking at a state-chartered bank in Topeka, Kansas and has served with the Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC) since 2004. He began his regulatory career as a financial examiner in the nonbank space, primarily mortgage and consumer credit examinations and investigations. Later serving as Review Examiner and then Regional Manager, he specialized in a range of industries including mortgage, auto finance, small loan lending, debt management, and money transmission, demonstrating a desire to learn and grow with each opportunity presented. Jim broadened his skillset in a six-year stint as Director of Licensing spurring developments in streamlined processes and records management, namely by digitizing license applications, expanding use of the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), introducing online payments, and more. He then returned to leading examinations, serving six years as Director of Examinations before being promoted to Deputy Commissioner in 2025.

Jim has been active in committee work and leadership in national organizations for many years. He served as Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) District IV representative on the NMLS Policy Committee beginning in 2014, as Vice President (2019) and later President (2021) of the American Conference of Uniform Consumer Credit Code States (ACUCCCS), and beginning in July 2020, as the fifth NMLS Ombudsman with CSBS for three terms ending June 2026. Jim recently joined the board of the National Association of Consumer Credit Administrators (NACCA).

Jim has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance/Marketing from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas and a Master of Business Administration degree from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. He serves as treasurer of the high school band booster club, and volunteers on the tech team and in financial administration at his local church. Jim was raised in Meriden, Kansas and presently enjoys spending time with his wife, their two children, and their dogs.

Keith Dutton
SVP, Fulfillment Operations
Flagstar Bank

Dutton has over 35 years in the mortgage and title insurance industry. His extensive management experience spans all aspects of mortgage fulfillment and includes a strong background in closing, funding, and settlement services.

Dutton joined Flagstar in 2020 after 17 years at CitiMortgage and ABN AMRO as an SVP of Mortgage Operations, leading fulfillment in multiple channels; he had managed direct and agency operations for 13 years at LandAmerica.

In his current role at Flagstar, he leads the closing, funding, post-closing, and construction administration teams. Dutton has worked on numerous process improvement initiatives with the goal of improving the customer experience; he and his team are currently focused on maximizing efficiency by transitioning services from a paper-centric to an electronic process. Dutton utilizes six sigma and lean methodologies as a foundation in his efforts, which reduces expense and maximizes productivity.

Dutton has a master’s degree from Central Michigan University. A father of four, with the youngest currently attending the University of Michigan, he resides with his wife in Ann Arbor.

James Burling
Senior Legal Counsel
Pacific Legal Foundation

Before becoming an attorney, James had been a productive member of society working as an exploration geologist in the late 1970s throughout the southwestern United States. However, after several years of dealing with irrational government bureaucrats and environmental policies untethered from reality, James decided that what the world needs is more lawyers — if they are willing to fight for rationality in regulatory regimes, property rights, and liberty.

James attended the University of Arizona College of Law in Tucson, where he served as an editor for the Law Review and received a J.D. degree in 1983. He had previously received a Masters degree in geological sciences from Brown University and an undergraduate degree from Hamilton College in New York. James received the Professional Achievement Award from the University of Arizona Alumni Association in 2018.

James has worked with Pacific Legal Foundation since 1983, litigating cases from Alaska to Florida. He is a member of the Federalist Society’s Environmental Law and Property Rights Practice Group’s Executive Committee, a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, and an honorary member of Owners Counsel of America, an organization comprised of eminent domain attorneys who represent property owners. The Owners Counsel awarded James its Crystal Eagle award in 2013. In 2022, James was awarded the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize at the William & Mary College of Law. The prize is awarded annually to an individual whose work has advanced the cause of property rights and has contributed to the overall awareness of the important role property rights occupy in the broader scheme of individual liberty.

In 2001, James successfully argued a major property rights case, Palazzolo v. Rhode Island, before the United States Supreme Court, a case which affirmed that rights in regulated property do not disappear when land is bought and sold. He has written extensively on all aspects of property rights and environmental law and frequently speaks on these subjects throughout the nation.

When James is not suing the government he enjoys skiing faster than he should, bicycling, hiking, swimming, and spending quality time with his wife, family, and grandchild.

Mr. Burling’s book Nowhere to Live: The Hidden Story of America’s Housing Crisis is available now on Amazon.

James is a member of the bar only in the states of Alaska and California.

Steve Black
President and COO
Westcor Land Title Insurance Co.

Steven D. Black serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Westcor^®, where he leads the company’s nationwide operations with a focus on strategic growth, operational excellence, and continued innovation in support of its independent agent network.

Since joining Westcor in 2015 as Vice President and Texas Regional Manager, Steve has steadily expanded his leadership scope, ultimately overseeing the Western Area across 17 states. Under his direction, the company achieved sustained growth, record-setting revenue, and strengthened partnerships with title agents and industry stakeholders. His leadership has played a key role in building high-performing teams and reinforcing Westcor’s reputation for a culture, products, and service model designed to help agents grow and succeed.

With more than 35 years of experience in the title insurance industry, Steve brings deep expertise in both underwriting and agency operations. Early in his career, he worked with a national underwriter, where he cultivated key agent relationships and developed a centralized title production platform for national lending institutions. He later founded and successfully operated three title agencies, giving him a well-rounded perspective from both the underwriting and agency sides of the business.

As President, Steve continues to build on Westcor’s position as the nation’s largest privately held title underwriter, driving innovation and strengthening partnerships that empower independent title agents across the country.

Khurram Iftikhar
VP, Product Management and Design
Rocket

Khurram Iftkhar has worked for rocket companies for 14 years. He is our Digital Product Management Vice President under Rocket Close and leads the Product Management & Design team.

Gina Sultan
Director of Compliance & Counsel
Compass International Holdings

Gina Sultan is Director of Compliance & Counsel at Compass International Holdings, advising leadership and business stakeholders on legal risk and developing compliance frameworks that are practical, sustainable, and built to withstand regulatory scrutiny. She specializes in spotting operational and regulatory risks early and crafting solutions that integrate seamlessly into day‑to‑day operations.

Gina’s decade in private practice gave her deep operational insight into real estate settlements and title workflows, enabling her to serve as a practical, solutions‑oriented legal business partner. Her expertise has been recognized in Virginia circuit courts, where she has qualified and testified as an expert witness in real estate title and settlements.

Her approach blends corporate strategy with real‑world operational understanding, driving clarity, consistency, and accountability across compliance efforts.

Angela Crooker
Manager RESA Investigations Section, Agency Regulation Division
Virginia Bureau of Insurance

Angela Crooker brings over 15 years of investigative experience with the Virginia State Corporation Commission where she manages the Real Estate Settlement Agents Investigations Section within the Bureau of Insurance. She leads enforcement efforts and provides practical guidance on regulatory compliance, helping industry professionals navigate complex requirements. Angela holds a BA from Longwood University and is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Jenny Martin
Regional Vice President, National Agency
First American Title Insurance Company

Jenny Martin is RVP for First American Title Insurance Co’s National Agency Operations. Jenny also serves the American Land Title Association (ALTA) as a board member of the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation, secretary of the Abstracters and Title Insurance Agents Section Executive Committee, co-chair of the ALTA Registry Committee, co-chair of the ALTA Membership Retention Sub-Committee, and member of the ALTA Membership Committee.

Prior to joining First American in 2026, Jenny served as chief business development officer and national division manager for Futura Title & Escrow in Boise, Idaho. With a career spanning more than 30 years in the title industry, Jenny has held key operational, business development and management roles, demonstrating a commitment to the industry with a passion for growth.

Jenny graduated from Boise State University with a degree in Business Administration. In addition to her leadership within the title industry, Jenny serves on the Board of Directors and Downtown Development Taskforce for the Treasure Valley YMCA in Boise.

Jenny enjoys spending time with family and friends and participating in many of the outdoor activities that the Northwest has to offer.

Marx Sterbcow
Managing Attorney
Sterbcow Law Group

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.  His commitment to excellence in the field has earned him recognition as a Trendsetter by The Title Report.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Sterbcow continues to shape the industry’s response to emerging regulatory challenges, pioneering innovative legal strategies in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Susan Green
Head of Marketing, Branding & Communication
Ardán

Susan A Green – Head of MARCOMM at Ardán, Inc. parent company of Westcor Land Title Insurance Company, Westcor International, Grid151, X1Analytics and AgentHome.

Ms. Green has been leading the marketing, branding, and communications strategy for Ardán family of companies since 2013. She creates and manages compelling content and campaigns across every brand in the Ardán family, from digital and social media to print and events, to drive broader brand awareness and brand loyalty to the Ardán family of companies.

With over 27 years of hands-on experience in B2B and retail marketing, she has developed a strong expertise in brand development, social networking, and event management. Ms. Green has also been recognized for strategic partnerships, and creative talent.

She was recognized in 2025 – HousingWire’s Marketing Leader of the Year.

Ms. Green resides in Colorado and spends time volunteering with various ALS charities to raise awareness and monies for research. Her current passion project is the creation and illustration of a children’s book inspired by her daughter, Madison.

Stephen Davis
Senior Legal Fellow
Pacific Legal Foundation

Steve Davis is a senior legal fellow in Pacific Legal Foundation’s Constitutional Scholarship group. Steve’s work focuses on the study of the U.S. Constitution’s protection of property rights, and he has published about sovereign immunity and the self-executing nature of the Takings Clause, federal eminent domain, and the history of public lands. He also plans and conducts Pacific Legal Foundation-sponsored conferences, symposia, and academic workshops on property rights issues and the Constitution. He enjoys pursuing constitutional scholarship research, writing, and speaking and is a frequent speaker at law and history seminars.

Prior to joining PLF, Steve litigated all stages of property rights cases in federal trial and appellate courts in private practice at large and small law firms. He filed property rights claims on behalf of hundreds of private property owners who own land in over a dozen states against the federal government, prosecuting those claims through trial and appeal. He also maintained a robust amicus-party practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, filing briefs on behalf of many legal scholars and public-interest groups.

Beginning in 2006, Steve served as an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, litigating civil rights, constitutional tort, tort, and employment discrimination claims in federal district court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Following law school, Steve began his legal career pursing his passion for public policy and the legislative process in the Missouri legislature, where he served first as chief of staff to the minority leader of the Missouri House of Representatives and then was twice elected by the members of the House as the House’s 62nd chief clerk and administrator.

Steve is a member of the bar only in the State of Missouri and the District of Columbia.

Celia Flowers
Senior Partner
Flowers and Davis PLLC

Celia C. Flowers is a Senior Partner at Flowers Davis PLLC, where she leads or co-leads the Oil, Gas & Energy, Real Estate, and Civil Litigation Sections.
Celia holds an unparalleled distinction as a quadruple Board-Certified attorney by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in:

• Oil & Gas Law
• Residential Real Estate Law
• Property Owners Association Law
• Civil Trial Law

Board Certification is the highest mark of excellence in Texas law, and only 0.01% of active Texas attorneys hold certification in four distinct areas—making this a remarkable achievement.

Celia’s multi-faceted legal expertise spans:

• Oil & gas matters – Title opinions, surface damage disputes, receivership proceedings, and pipeline condemnation.
• Business & commercial litigation – Contract disputes, property claims, and real estate litigation.
• Real estate law – Title examination, transactional work, and advocacy for property owners.

Beyond her legal practice, Celia is the owner of East Texas Title Companies, which operates in over 80 Texas counties. Before becoming an attorney, she spent a decade as a petroleum landman, gaining firsthand industry insight that enhances her legal practice.

Bud Moscony
President
Title & Escrow Services, Taylor Morrison Financial Services

Bud Moscony is President of Inspired Title Services and Inspired California Escrow Services within Taylor Morrison Home Corporation’s Financial Services Division. Bud brings more than 30 years of experience across real estate, title, and financial services and is a licensed real estate attorney in Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Having worked in nearly every function of a title operation—from search and closings to underwriting, claims, and executive leadership; together within the legal department of a Fortune 500 homebuilder for 10 years —he offers a uniquely practical and well-rounded perspective on the issues facing our industry.

Matt Lee
Founder/CEO
CyberMattLee, LLC

Matt Lee has dedicated the last 13 years to raising the cyber security tide in the SMB, and MSP markets. His efforts have served in every capacity in a growing MSP that grew to support 20,000 endpoints. His leadership around technology direction, and security/compliance, protected and elevated over 17,000 people in Small to midsize businesses in five states. He has since taken on a deep role as a force multiplier as the Security and Compliance Senior Director at Pax8. He is driving the external thought leadership to empower MSPs to continue to grow in their security knowledge, operability, and capabilities. He is a known speaker, and subject matter focused contributor to Zero Trust, Framework Centric Security Program approaches, and one of the chief editors on a new project classifying ISV, SaaS, and Service Providers along the CIS Framework taxonomy.  He lives to ensure his children maintain the same quality of life we do around technology, which is imperiled daily by threat actors.

Charlotte Brown
VP of Product
Qualia

Charlotte Brown is Vice President of Product & Design at Qualia. In her 9-year tenure, she has guided the nationwide expansion of its title & escrow software and been instrumental to growing Qualia’s research and development organization. In 2020, Charlotte was recognized as a HousingWire Tech Trendsetter for her work to push forward digital innovation in the mortgage industry. She was also recognized as a HousingWire Woman of Influence in 2018. Before working in real estate technology, she worked in public health internationally. Charlotte graduated from Stanford University cum laude with a BA in Neuroscience.

Rick Diamond
VP of Information Technology, Agency Operations
Fidelity National Financial

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, A.I., RTP, 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 36 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.

Jim Manley
State Policy Director
Pacific Legal Foundation

Jim Manley is State Policy Director at Pacific Legal Foundation, where he leads PLF’s State Policy team in the fight for liberty in state capitals across the nation. He previously served as an attorney manager and litigator at PLF, suing the government in defense of free speech, property rights, and economic opportunity. Freedom and happiness are inseparable—Jim has dedicated his career to protecting and expanding both through strategic litigation and policymaking.

The State Policy team has helped enact more than 70 bills in 39 states. These include laws ensuring fairness in the property tax collection process, requiring legislative oversight of administrative regulations, enhancing protections against squatters, and expanding birth freedom. As a litigator, Jim successfully challenged many unconstitutional laws—including striking down part of the Kentucky Constitution, saving a man from jail for the “crime” of repairing windshields, preventing a foster child from being ripped away from her pre-adoptive parents because of her race, and defending the right of a midwife to use the title she spent a lifetime earning. In his first case after graduating from law school, he sued his alma mater and won at the Colorado Supreme Court, guaranteeing the right of self-defense on college campuses.

Jim joined PLF in 2018 to advance the fight for liberty with the most impactful public interest law firm operating today. Before joining PLF, he litigated at the Goldwater Institute and Mountain States Legal Foundation.

A native of Michigan, he followed his future wife to Arizona State University, where he graduated with a double major in political science and journalism. He earned his JD from the University of Colorado Law School, where he was an associate editor of the Law Review and president of The Federalist Society. Before attending law school, he was a professional ski instructor in Telluride, Colorado.

He lives in Phoenix with his wife and their two children. They have a cat named Martha Washington.

Jim is a member of the bar only in the states of Arizona and Colorado.

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.

Patrick Curry
President
Allegiance Title

Patrick Curry is a title industry operator focused on transforming how real estate data is organized, structured, and used at scale. As President and Founder of Allegiance Title of Arkansas, he leads one of the fastest-growing title agencies in Arkansas while building technology systems that modernize document workflows across the industry.

Patrick built his career at the intersection of finance, operations, and real estate infrastructure, beginning at Deloitte Tax in Denver, Colorado. After Deloitte, he spent 15 years at WACO Title Company, where he served as Controller, COO, and later President and CEO. During that time, he developed large-scale operational systems and built a reputation for process efficiency and customer service execution.

In 2021, he founded Allegiance Title with a focus on combining high-touch customer service with data-driven operations. His current work centers on real estate document digitization, structured data extraction, and AI-enabled workflow automation. He has been an early advocate and industry contributor to PropertySync, a platform helping standardize how title plants and real estate records are stored and accessed digitally.

Patrick serves on the advisory board for First National Bank of Northwest Arkansas and was appointed by former Governor Asa Hutchinson to Arkansas’ Electronic Recording Commission, where he supports statewide modernization of recording infrastructure. He was also recognized as one of the Arkansas 250 Most Influential Business Leaders, highlighting his role in advancing innovation within the state’s real estate and business communities.

Outside of work, he spends time with his wife Sarah and their four children, enjoys running, baking bread, and coaching youth sports.

Robert Zwink
CTO & Co-founder
Razi

Robert Zwink, a seasoned technology executive with over 20 years of experience, is the CTO and Co-founder of Razi Title, Inc. His career spans roles at JPMorgan Chase, ClickSWITCH, and SafeChain Financial, where he led the development of innovative solutions, including wire fraud prevention software and blockchain applications. With a strong background in software engineering and enterprise architecture, Robert has driven technological change in fintech and real estate, managing large-scale systems and regulatory compliance. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Science from Franklin University and is passionate about mentoring entrepreneurs.

Brian Webster
President/CEO
NotaryCam

As President/CEO, Brian Webster leads NotaryCam’s strategic growth and focus on expanding the company’s remote online notarization (RON) products and services, with an emphasis on increasing mortgage and real estate adoption. Prior to joining NotaryCam, Brian held senior leadership positions at both Freedom Mortgage and Wells Fargo, where he led digital transformation initiatives focusing on eMortgage program implementations. In January 2013, Brian joined the CFPB as the Originations Program Manager within the Mortgage Markets team and served as CFPB’s expert in residential mortgage originations and technology. Brian began his mortgage banking career as a mortgage originator and has also held positions at Freddie Mac, PCLender and Overture Financial Solutions.

Leslie Wyatt
Director of Compliance
SoftPro

Leslie Wyatt is the Director of Compliance at SoftPro.  She began her career in the real estate industry over 20 years ago and joined SoftPro in 2002.  She currently oversees the Compliance Department with her primary focus being on regulatory issues at the Federal, state and county levels.

Leslie is a member of the ALTA Implementation Task Force, the Title Action Network Steering Committee, the ALTA Government Affairs Committee, the ALTA Membership Committee (Mentorship Subcommittee), the ALTA Education Committee, the ALTA Our Values Committee, the HOP Committee, the TLTA Federal Issues Committee.  She has represented ALTA at a congressional briefing regarding the CFPB and the TRID changes.  Leslie travels though out country speaking on our industry’s hot topics with a focus on market trends, mentorship and leadership, AI in the Title Industry, the next generation of title experts and regulatory and compliance.  Leslie continues to work with the CFPB on various projects regarding TRID, MISMO and other industry topics.

Kate Steineman
VP, Procurement
Mortgage Connect

Kate Steineman is Vice President, Procurement at Mortgage Connect. She has been in the mortgage ecosystem for the last 28 years, previously on the lending side with Wells Fargo Home Lending.  She has held positions in Strategic Change, Change Management, Strategic Implementation, Assumptions, Sales and Sales Management, Vendor Management, Implementation, Risk, Customer Excellence, Relationship Management, and Title and Settlement Strategy.  She has also participated in industry outreach for the last 20 years, attending and speaking at many state land title association meetings, ALTA, MBA, MISMO, and NS3 conferences.

Martha Washington-Lynch
Lead Insurance Investigator
Virginia Bureau of Insurance

Lead Investigator with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance in the Real Estate Settlement Agents Investigations Section.   With over 12 years of experience, she investigates audit discrepancies and offers guidance on regulatory compliance and best practices.

Eric Lapin
Managing Partner
Finfusion

Eric Lapin is a senior financial services executive and advisor with more than 25 years of experience across lending, housing finance, fintech, and risk and compliance. He works closely with regulated institutions, GSEs, and fintech platforms on strategy, regulatory readiness, and technology modernization, including AI governance, open banking frameworks, and blockchain-enabled workflows.

Eric is the Managing Partner of FinFusionConsulting.com, where he advises lenders, title insurers, fintech companies, private equity firms, and industry organizations. His work focuses on growth strategy, vendor management, buy-versus-build technology decisions, and M&A diligence across mortgage and housing-related platforms. He serves as a Business Advisor to the American Bankers Association on regulator-ready AI and financial services modernization and is also a Senior Advisor to SCETA (South Carolina Emerging Tech Association).

Previously, Eric served as President of FormFree, where he led open banking and alternative credit initiatives and executed a successful carve-out transaction to Informative Research (a Stewart Title company). His earlier leadership roles include positions at Black Knight, Credit Suisse, and Old Republic Title, spanning corporate development, product strategy, and client relationship management and partnerships.

Francis “Trip” Riley
Partner
Saul Ewing

Francis “Trip” Riley represents clients who are facing complex civil litigation filed by a single plaintiff, as well as class actions, arising from commercial and consumer financing, consumer-facing services and product sales, and business-to-business transactions and competition. 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 civil litigation. However, when a difficult dispute cannot otherwise be resolved, Trip and his team are prepared to go to trial.

Jaime Kosofsky
Founding Partner
Brady & Kosofsky, PA

Jaime A. Kosofsky is the founding partner of Brady & Kosofsky, PA, a Charlotte, North Carolina real estate law firm widely recognized as a disruptor in the national Title and Settlement Industry. With more than 25 years of experience, Jaime has built a reputation as a thought leader, innovator, and trusted voice on the intersection of law, technology, and compliance in the real estate and mortgage sectors. He is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia, and Connecticut.

Jaime is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and educator on topics including compliance, cybersecurity, wire fraud prevention, eNotarization, digital and remote online closings, financial technology (FinTech), and best practices for real estate professionals. He has spoken at major national industry events hosted by the American Land Title Association (ALTA), the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the Georgia State Bar, the South Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Department of Secretary of State, and numerous other organizations across the country. His speaking engagements span mortgage fraud detection, TRID compliance, disaster recovery, digital closing innovation, and the evolving landscape of eClosing legislation.

A recognized policy contributor, Jaime served on the drafting team for North Carolina’s Remote Electronic Notarization Act and Emergency Video Notarization Act, and sits on the NC Department of Secretary of State’s eClosing Advisory Committee. He is a founding member of the 12th Floor Group, a national consortium of settlement providers focused on compliance, security, and best practices, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of the Carolinas. He has also participated in advisory committees and workgroups for ALTA and the Mortgage Industry Standards and Measures Organization (MISMO).

Jaime is equally known for his resilience and entrepreneurial agility. In 2019, his firm was struck by lightning and the office burned down, destroying most of its equipment. Within days, Jaime relocated his team to a temporary space and continued operations with minimal disruption to clients. Weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic demanded another dramatic shift — and Jaime led the charge, pioneering the use of remote online notarization (RON), e-recording, and digital closing workflows that enabled his firm to serve clients safely and effectively throughout the crisis.

In 2023, Jaime was honored with the American Land Title Association’s prestigious “We Lead” Award in recognition of his industry leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Indiana University and earned his Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Outside the office, Jaime is a freelance professional photographer whose work has been published in connection with the IndyCar, IMSA, and NASCAR racing series — a passion he has pursued since 1993. He also enjoys wildlife photography, cycling, and fishing.

Scott Gillen
Senior Vice President, National Agents
Stewart

Scott Gillen is Sr. Vice President and District Manager of Stewart’s National Agent division.   In his current role, Scott manages Stewart’s National Agency relationships and is responsible for managing existing partnerships as well as expanding Stewart’s National Agent partnerships.   During his twenty year tenure with Stewart, Scott has managed key national lender relationships and has been critical to development of Stewart’s overall lender strategy through various market cycles, overseeing client relationships including Stewart’s GSE relationships.   Additionally, Scott spearheaded Stewart’s digital strategies to enhance the overall closing experience with consumers and transactional partners.   His efforts to drive awareness of digital transformation in the real estate transaction space have positioned Stewart to lead the industry in innovative changes to the settlement process.  Prior to joining Stewart, he also served as an executive at several due diligence and outsourcing firms, owned a private consulting firm, and served as Executive Vice President at Harbor Financial Mortgage Corporation prior to its sale.  Scott is active on local, state, and national mortgage and title trade associations and currently participates on several committees with both the MBA and ALTA.  Scott currently serves on MBA’s Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG) and is also the Executive Member of the Housing Policy Council for Stewart Title.    Scott received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas, is a graduate of the Mortgage Bankers Associations School of Mortgage Banking and Future Leaders programs. He received the Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) designation from the Mortgage Bankers Association in 1997 as well as the Larry Temple Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association.

Jim Czapiga
President and CEO
CATIC

Jim received his B.S. in Finance, cum laude, from the University of Connecticut. While attending law school, he worked for a high-volume residential law firm in East Hartford, CT where he was a title searcher for three years. He graduated from Western New England College School of Law and started work for a national title insurance underwriter in 1995. In October 2015 he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of CATIC.

A 20-year veteran of the title industry, Jim has held many positions and has experience in claims administration, underwriting, sales, and operations management. A Past President of the Connecticut Title Association, he is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Real Property Section, the New England Land Title Association, the American Land Title Association, and the Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut.

Brandi Snowden
Director of Member and Consumer Survey Research
National Association of REALTORS®

Brandi Snowden, Director of Member and Consumer Survey Research, is part of the Survey Research and Communications group. She directs the production and dissemination of survey research reports, as well as focusing on digital/social media maintenance and content creation. She also serves as a liaison between internal Research Department staff and non-members/consumers. Brandi has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Tara Asquith
Chief Product Officer
SoftPro

Tara Asquith serves as the Chief Product Officer (CPO) at SoftPro, where she oversees product planning and execution across all SoftPro product lines, including Select, Standard/Enterprise, ClosingsLIVE, and SoftPro 360. She joined SoftPro in 2020, bringing with her two decades of experience as Senior Vice President of Product for agency technology applications at Fidelity National Financial. Prior to her tenure at Fidelity, Tara held various positions in a full-service agency operation in the Northeast, gaining comprehensive experience in all aspects of title insurance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Management Information Systems from the University of Delaware and is a Certified Project Management Professional.

Erica Meyer
CEO and Publisher
October Research, LLC

Erica Meyer is Owner and Publisher of October Research, LLC. October Research is dedicated to educating and empowering professionals in the real estate transaction to strengthen their business and enhance their position in the marketplace, ensuring the integrity of home ownership. The company provides education through their five B2B publications, annual conferences, webinars, websites, email newsletters, marketing and advertising services, social media and custom publishing.

Prior to purchasing October Research in 2011, Ms. Meyer worked in the online business unit at Sears Holdings Corporation and spent 10+ years with UPS in sales management, technology, revenue management and marketing.

Ms. Meyer earned her BA from the University of Dayton and MBA from National-Louis University. She has been a member of Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), serves on the Talent and PR Committees for the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and works closely with numerous industry associations. She has completed the Aileron Course for Presidents, spoken at the Kent State 2019 Spirit of Women in Business conference and other industry conferences.

In 2019, Ms. Meyer was recognized by Crain’s as a Notable Woman in Entrepreneurship and in 2014 a Women of Influence in Housing by HousingWire Magazine.  In her free time, she has tutored high school students for the ACT, fundraised and coordinated numerous community service events, ran half marathons but her favorite pastime is spending time with her husband and kids.

Eric Cruz
CRO
Propy

Eric L. Cruz is the CRO at Propy, a leader in Blockchain, AI, RWA, and PropTech. With over 15 years of experience in sales operations, project management and real estate, Eric excels at crafting innovative strategies to drive revenue, build client relationships, and exceed business goals. A dynamic and results-focused leader, Eric is passionate about connecting with others and sharing insights on sales, technology, and innovation. Outside of work, Eric enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and exploring the outdoors with his dog.

John Levonick
General Counsel
MAXEX LLC

John V. Levonick is a consumer finance attorney and capital markets strategist at the intersection of mortgage liquidity, structured finance, and fintech. He currently serves as General Counsel at MAXEX, LLC, a digital mortgage exchange transforming how residential whole loans are priced, traded, and distributed to institutional investors.

With experience as CEO, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer, John brings a combined legal and operational perspective to mortgage market modernization, spanning loan origination, due diligence and loan acquisition platforms, forward flow and securitization arrangements, and the digitalization of mortgages and electronification of whole loan trading. A seasoned fintech strategist, he has advised on the design and deployment of technology-enabled execution infrastructure, AI-driven loan data validation, automated due diligence systems, and the development of tokenization and digital asset rails for real-time mortgage finance. His work focuses on how standardized data frameworks and digital infrastructure can increase market transparency, execution speed, and investor confidence across residential credit markets.

A nationally recognized speaker, John regularly addresses mortgage capital markets, securitization, emerging technology, cybersecurity, and regulatory risk.

David Friend
Owner
Friend Mortgage Consulting

David Friend provides consulting services related to federally-related mortgages as Friend Mortgage Consulting. He has experience with Federal regulation of mortgages from his time at HUD and the CFPB from 2008 to 2022, where he was involved in investigations, enforcement, and drafting concerning regulations promulgated TILA, RESPA, and various other associated Federal statutory requirements. Before that, he worked as a Title Claims Counsel for Stewart Title Guaranty Company and conducted hundreds of residential and commercial real estate closings in Maryland and the District of Columbia for a regional title company. He currently lives in Washington state.

Chuck Myers
Deputy Commissioner
Louisiana Department of Insurance – Office of Property and Casualty

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 40+ years of insurance industry experience, 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 and Certified Fraud Examiner.

David Townsend
SVP
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.

Brent Scheer
CEO & President
Knox-Title

Brent Scheer, CPA, is the CEO & President of Knox Title based in Little Rock, AR. Scheer is a graduate of Missouri State University and began his career holding various audit and public accounting positions. He then spent 20 years in the Title Insurance Industry serving in senior roles in operations and finance.

Scheer is a licensed CPA and has been active in the title industry speaking on various topics at American Land Title Association (“ALTA”) events and state land title association conferences. Scheer served as the chair of the ALTA’s Accounting Committee from 2010 to 2016 and is currently a board member of the Title Reinsurance Corporation. He also volunteers as treasurer for the Missouri Wrestling Foundation and Tigers With Style.

Brent and his wife Angela enjoy time with their six children and son-in-law. Scheer is passionate about supporting the family in education, arts and athletics. Family time is spent traveling and enjoying the outdoors.

Marjorie Thompson
Chief of Investigations
Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance

Marjorie Thompson, Chief of Investigations for the Consumer Affairs Division of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance.

Since April of 2019, Marj provides leadership and guidance to eight investigators handling investigations related to consumer complaints, internal referrals, other states administrative actions, insurance producer license applications for all lines of insurance, bail bond agents, motor vehicle extended contractors and other licenses regulated by the Department.

In October 2013, Marj was employed by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance to investigate applications, inquiries and complaints from consumers against title insurance companies, agencies and agents.

Beginning in 1983 through 2013, Marj owned title agencies located in southern Missouri.  Marj was involved in the day to day tasks of a real estate transaction by searching the title, handling the escrow closing, disbursement, recording to issuing the title insurance policy to the insured.

Marj served as President of the Missouri Land Title Association in 2012-13.  Marj served as a board member of the Missouri Land Title Association and as a member of the American Land Title Association.

Marj received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, Missouri.   Thereafter, receiving her master degree in Business Administration from William Woods University, Fulton, Missouri.

Ryan Ozonian
Senior Director of Innovation and AI
MyHome, a Williston Financial Group company

Ryan Ozonian is Senior Director of Innovation and AI at MyHome, a Williston Financial Group company (WFG), where he leads enterprise-wide artificial intelligence and automation initiatives focused on reducing friction, eliminating manual work, and delivering measurable value across the real estate transaction lifecycle.

In this role, Ryan is responsible for advancing WFG’s AI strategy and innovation roadmap, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of applying emerging technologies in practical, real-world environments. He heads WFG’s ATS Team (AI – Automations & Technology Solutions), working cross-functionally across business units to identify, design, and deploy practical, scalable automation solutions that enhance operational efficiency, improve user experiences, and support WFG’s national agent network and customers. Under his leadership, the ATS Team serves as a centralized engine for innovation, focused on embedding AI and automation directly into day-to-day workflows across the organization. His work is closely aligned with WFG’s long-term technology strategy and informed by direct feedback from leadership and the agent community.

A serial entrepreneur, technologist, and creative storyteller, Ryan has founded and scaled multiple consumer and enterprise technology companies, including privacy-first communication platforms and AI-driven real estate and data-protection products. A Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus, he previously partnered with entrepreneur Mark Cuban to launch Dust (formerly Cyber Dust), a secure messaging platform built to protect user privacy, and brings experience spanning AI, automation, blockchain, and emerging technologies.

Outside of technology, Ryan is an internationally exhibited photographer and filmmaker whose work explores culture, identity, and shared humanity across more than 70 countries—an artistic perspective that continues to shape his human-centered approach to innovation and problem-solving.