State Advocacy Network

The purpose and scope of work of this committee is to:

  1. Obtain information on a timely basis on state legislative and regulatory proposals affecting the land title industry.
  2. Develop a program regarding the efforts the Association should undertake in connection with a particular state proposal.
    • Summarize the proposal.
    • Summarize the views of title companies operating in the state and state/regional land title association.
    • Include a report on Association staff consultation with the state/regional land title affiliated association.
    • Propose a plan of action to the Government Affairs Committee (GAC).
  3. Implement the plan of action.
    • Each plan of action should be considered and developed by GAC and approved by the Board of Governors.
    • The GAC Chairman shall be kept advised of significant developments and activities.
  4. Describe the Association's efforts in connection with particular matters at the state level by memoranda to GAC and the Board of Governors.


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Co-Chairs

Sylvia A. Smith-Turk

Chief Operating Officer
Core Title Group, LLC
Reno, NV

Elizabeth J Wysong Berg ITP, NTP

VP for Education and Training
FNF Family of Companies
Jacksonville, FL

Vice Chair

Travis Martin NTP

Title Operations Manager
Black Hills Title, Inc.
Belle Fourche, SD

Member

Brandi Abercrombie CESP, CTIP, NTP

Senior Vice President - Texas Operations and Education
National Investors Title Insurance Company
Austin, TX

Vanessa Abreu

National Commercial Underwriter
First American Title Insurance Co
Miami, FL

Ellen C Albrecht NTP

Senior Underwriter
Security 1st Title LLC
Wichita, KS

AnnMarie Arens MTP, NTP

Midwest Regional Manager
Westcor Land Title Insurance Co.
Overland Park, KS

Zachary Atwood NTP

Senior Underwriting Counsel - AL/AR/MS
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Birmingham, AL

Paula J. Bachmeier NTP

SVP
The Title Team
Minot, ND

Deborah S. Bailey Esq.

Managing Member
Bailey Helms Legal LLC.
Roswell, GA

Mark Bauwin

Stewart Ancillary Services Operations Director
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Moon Township, PA

Mark Bennett CAE, IOM

Executive Director
Ohio Land Title Association
Columbus, OH

Ron Blitenthal

SVP, Chief Regulatory Counsel
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
Tampa, FL

Richard Bramhall

Chief Underwriting Counsel
Westcor Land Title Insurance Company
Lititz, PA

Dan Buchanan

SVP, Chief Title Counsel
First American Title Insurance Co
Santa Ana, CA

Lori Bullard NTP, WTP

Underwriter
First American Title Insurance Co
Seattle, WA

Ryan Byrne

Attorney/Owner
Byrne Westmoreland, PLLC
Cordova, TN

Charles C Cain

SVP-National Agency Division
FNF Family of Companies
Jacksonville, FL

Catherine T. Canino

Vice President and Chief New York State Agency Counsel
The Security Title Guarantee Corp. of Baltimore
Floral Park, NY

Eric M. Case Esq.

Kentucky Underwriting Counsel
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
Lexington, KY

Trudy J. Castle

Vice President / County Manager
Flying S Title and Escrow of Wyoming, Inc.
Gillette, WY

Grace Chaney

Agency Support Representative
CATIC
Hodges, SC

Ashley Coco

State Underwriting Counsel
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Houston, TX

Lynn Cole

Western Regional VP
The Title Team
Sidney, MT

Brian Connors

Vice President, Advocacy Officer
FNF Family of Companies
Jacksonville, FL

Margaret Cook

General Counsel
Alliant National Title Insurance Company, Inc.
Longmont, CO

Katherine C Crawford

Virginia State Counsel
First American Title Insurance Company
Midlothian, VA

John P. Crowley

Senior Regulatory & Compliance Counsel
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Parsippany, NJ

Andrea Davis

Attorney
Chicago Title
Charlotte, NC

Aaron Day

VP of Gov Affairs & Counsel
Texas Land Title Association
Austin, TX

Barry M. Deets Esq.

Attorney
Law Office of Barry M. Deets, P.A.
Port St Lucie, FL

Rick Diamond

VP of Information Technology, Agency Operations
Fidelity National Financial
Boston, MA

Laura Dishman

Vice-President
Grand River Abstract & Title Company
Jay, OK

Lindsy Doucette

Underwriting Counsel
FNF Family of Companies
Jacksonville, FL

Robyn Dvoracek TPN

Title Agent
Dvoracek Title & Business Services, LLC
Saint Paul, NE

Will Ellis

Underwriting Counsel
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Houston, TX

Andrea S. Ewan

President
Dearborn Title Insurance, Inc.
Lawrenceburg, IN

Hilary H Fentress

VP & Regional Counsel
Chicago Title
Brookhaven, GA

Nancy Short Ferguson

Retired
Ferguson Land TIPS
Greensboro, NC

Kimberly Fields

VP, Midwest Agency Counsel, Midwest Region
FNF Family of Companies
Oak Park, IL

Mark Fleming

SVP, Decision Sciences & Chief Economist
First American Title Insurance Company
Falls Church, VA

Ken Flint

Upward Title Company
Whittier, CA

Julie Frye CLTP

Compliance Director
Iowa Title Guaranty, A Division of Iowa Finance Authority
Des Moines, IA

Jennifer Gaytan

MidSouth Commercial Services Manager
Fidelity National Title Insurance Co.
Franklin, TN

Wendy S. Gibbons Esq.

SVP - Deputy Chief Title Counsel-Underwriting Policy and Industry Engagement
First American Title Insurance Company
Santa Ana, CA

Brandi Gill

Vice President, Fiduciary Banking
Capital Bank, NA
Paradise Valley, AZ

Valerie Grandin

SVP & Chief Underwriting Counsel
Alliant National Title Insurance Company, Inc.
Longmont, CO

Charles Gray

President
Surety Land Title, Inc.
Mobile, AL

Elle Guerrini

VP, National Title Solutions
BankUnited, N.A.
Rye Brook, NY

Nick Hacker

President/CEO
The Title Team
Bismarck, ND

Lindsay Hall Harrison

VP, Regulatory Counsel
FNF Family of Companies
Portland, OR

Elizabeth Hanna

Counsel I
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Houston, TX

Patrick Harris

Agency Representative | Western Title Division
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
Lehi, UT

Warren Hill

Vice President
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
Albuquerque, NM

Sean Holland

Executive Director
Washington Land Title Association
Seattle, WA

John Holt ITP, NTP

Executive Director
Idaho Land Title Association
Eagle, ID

Jane Ikegami

FVP, Regulatory Counsel
Old Republic Title Company
San Francisco, CA

Tom Imperiale NTP

Western Region Manager/Underwriter
Essent Title Insurance, Inc.
Radnor, PA

Philip S. Janny CLTP, NTP

Executive Title Operations Officer
Plunkett & Graver, PC
Allentown, PA

Danielle L. Kaiser ITP, NTP

Senior Underwriting Counsel
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Carmel, IN

Deb Karlson

Commercial Title Officer
First American Title Insurance Company National Commercial Services
Minneapolis, MN

Robin Kelsh

Executive Director
Pennsylvania Land Title Association
King of Prussia, PA

Timothy V Kemp

Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Washington, DC

Don Kennedy

Chief Public Affairs Officer, First American Financial
First American Title Insurance Company
Santa Ana, CA

Melanie Kido

Vice President, Northeast Underwriting Counsel
Fidelity National Title
Boston, MA

John T. LaJoie

VP - Senior Operations Counsel
First American Title Insurance Co
Tallahassee, FL

Brent J. Laliberte NTP

President
Bayou Title, Inc.
Terrytown, LA

James C. Lamphere

Head of Operations
Acrisure
Grand Rapids, MI

Tyler K. Lee

Principal, Strategic Engagements
Qualia
Long Beach, CA

Carrie A Lewis

State Manager/State Counsel
First American Title Insurance Company
North Charleston, SC

Dillon D. Malone CLTP

Director
Iowa Title Guaranty, A Division of Iowa Finance Authority
Des Moines, IA

Sarah Maroon

Senior Counsel
FNF Family of Companies
Jacksonville, FL

Laura Louise Martin Esq.

Owner and Counsel
Magnolia Title Company, LLC
Raleigh, NC

Jenny Martin

RVP, National Agency
First American Title Insurance Company
Santa Ana, CA

David H. Martyn

VP | Government Affairs Manager, Corporate Underwriting Department
First American Title Insurance Co
Santa Ana, CA

John Masen

Vice President, Managing Attorney-Title & Appraisal
Rocket Close, LLC
Detroit, MI

Scott Merritt

Executive Director
Florida Land Title Association
Longwood, FL

Donald M. Mewhort III

President
Midland Title and Escrow, Ltd.
Toledo, OH

Leslie A. Midgley CAE

Executive Vice President & CEO
Texas Land Title Association
Austin, TX

Melissa Murphy

Melissa Murphy Emeritus
Gainesville, FL

S. Madeleine Nagy

Executive Director
Title Insurance Rate Service Association
East Aurora, NY

Todd Niemczyk

Privacy Counsel
Fidelity National Financial, Inc.
Jacksonville, FL

Becky Nilsen

Vice President, Rocket Close Operations
Rocket Close, LLC
Detroit, MI

Michael O'Neal

Deputy Chief Title Counsel - Public Policy & Government Affairs
First American Title Insurance Co
Washington, DC

Dale Orr

President
VyStar Title Agency, LLC
Jacksonville, FL

Brian Phillips

Regional Manager
BankUnited, N.A.
Rye Brook, NY

Penny Pollard-McKelroy

AVP, Closing Manager, Arvada/Westminster/Brighton
Land Title Guarantee Co.
Arvada, CO

Paul D Pruitt

Texas State Counsel
FNF
Hewitt, TX

Patrick Quist

VP/Director-IL Gov't Relations
Chicago Title
Rolling Meadows, IL

Laura Raposo

Legislative Monitoring Counsel
Fidelity National Financial, Inc.
Boerne, TX

Elizabeth Reilly

Deputy General Counsel, Fidelity National Title Group
Fidelity National Financial, Inc.
Jacksonville, FL

Rebecca Rhoda

VP, Managing Counsel
FNF Family of Companies
Jacksonville, FL

Sam Rider

Divisional Vice President, Rocket Close Client Experience
Rocket Close, LLC
Detroit, MI

Shelly Rogers-Wiley

SVP, Texas Agency Manager
Amtrust Title

Jody K. Rogow

President and Chief Executive Officer
Rocket Title Insurance Company
Detroit, MI

Angela Saiz CLTP, MBA

Market Executive, SVP
Capital Bank, NA
Rockville, MD

Shari Schneider

Legal Counsel
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Laguna Niguel, CA

Mary Schuster

Chief Knowledge Officer
October Research, LLC
Galena, IL

Elyce Schweitzer

Regulatory Compliance Officer/VP
Alliant National Title Insurance Company, Inc.
Longmont, CO

Elizabeth A Shields

Underwriter
Essent Title Insurance, Inc.
Radnor, PA

Michael Shope

Attorney
Title Group of Tennessee, LLC
Knoxville, TN

Mike Smith J.D., NTP

Senior Vice President/General Counsel
Truly Title, Inc.
Midvale, UT

Steven Sorge

Essent Title Insurance, Inc.
Radnor, PA

Christine Sparks J.D., IEP, ITP

Group Vice President
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Naperville, IL

Kelly A Spengler NTP, OLTP

Senior Underwriting Counsel, Ohio State Underwriting Counsel
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Westerville, OH

Chris H St. John KTP, NTP

President
Lawyers Title of Kansas, Inc.
Topeka, KS

Kara Stachel

Advocacy Counsel
Fidelity National Title Group
Mars, PA

Ruthann E. M. Stenger Esq.

COO/Attorney
Dearborn Title Insurance, Inc.
Lawrenceburg, IN

Chris Stephan

President
eRecording Partners Network
Minnetonka, MN

Eric Swarthout NTP

President
Thoroughbred Title Services
Rye Brook, NY

Shadi Ashtari Taher

Operations Counsel
First American Title Company
Santa Ana, CA

Tricia E Taylor MTP, NTP

Vice President, Division Area Manager
First American Title Insurance Company
Excelsior, MN

Mary Thomas

Sr. VP/Chief Compliance & Regulatory Officer
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Houston, TX

Marcy Tiberio

President
Professional Notary Services
Rochester, NY

Suzette Torres

Western Region Underwriting Counsel
AmTrust Title Insurance Company
New York, NY

Mickey Vandenberg

VP Escrow Operations
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Grand Rapids, MI

Dawn Watkins

VP/Underwriting Counsel
Fidelity National Title Insurance Company
Columbia, SC

Robin D. Watts

Maine State Counsel, First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Co
South Portland, ME

Brian Watts

counsel
First American Title Insurance Company
Irving, TX

Richard H. Welshons MTP, NTP

Twin Cities Manager
The Title Team and DCA Title
Hastings, MN

Shannon L. Widman

Legislative Counsel
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company
Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Nakea Wilkins

Divisional Vice President, Rocket Close Title Operations
Rocket Close, LLC
Detroit, MI

Gavin T Winter MTP, NTP

President
Winter Title & Abstract Co.
Pipestone, MN

Bill Wooten

Vice Pres
Fidelity National Title
Albuquerque, NM

Staff

Caroline Cone

Director of State Government Affairs
American Land Title Association
Washington, DC