Robert E. “Bob” Rice joined Westcor Land Title Insurance Company in February 2009 as
Regional Counsel for the Mountain States and Southwest Regions covering Arizona, California,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Prior to his employment
with Westcor he was Vice President and State Counsel for Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation
and Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company. Before entering the title insurance industry
he worked as a law clerk for a District Judge and then in private practice for 7 years, first in
insurance defense, then in a small real estate litigation firm. Mr. Rice received a B.A. from the
College of Idaho and a J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law. Mr. Rice is a frequent
lecturer for the Idaho Land Title Association, Montana Land Title Association and the Utah Land
Title Association.
Jeff Wiener is the Senior Vice President and Agency Manager for the Rocky Mountain Region
Agency Division of Old Republic National Title Insurance Company which oversees all agency
operations in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.
Jeff’s background in the real estate industry began in high school as a runner for an escrow
company and has since included positions with national real estate and lending institutions, default
servicing management, a USFN and AFN recognized law firm, and various national title insurers.
Jeff is licensed to practice law in the state of Utah and is currently a member of the real property
and bankruptcy section of the Utah State Bar.
Ashley Burleson is a partner in the Billings, Montana office of Crowley Fleck PLLP, a regional
law firm with offices throughout Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota . Her practice focuses
primarily on estate planning, estate and gift tax, and estate and trust administration, but also involves
formation and governance of family businesses, planning for people with special needs, and charitable
and elder planning. Ms. Burleson represents individuals, farm and ranch owners and small businesses.
Ms. Burleson was born and raised in Texas. She attended the University of Texas, where she
graduated with honors with a degree in accounting. In 1994, she moved to Montana and later
attended the University of Montana School of Law, where she served on the editorial board of the
Montana Law Review and graduated with high honors.
Ms. Burleson currently serves on the governing board of the Montana Justice Foundation and
RiverStone Health Foundation. She is a graduate of the Leadership Montana and the Leadership
Billings programs. In 2012, she was honored to be selected as one of the Billings Gazette’s ‘40
under Forty’.
Anita McMurtrey is the Corporate Escrow Compliance Director for Title Financial Corporation
(TFC) serving the subsidiary offices, First American Title Company, Insured Titles and Title
Financial Corporation of Wyoming. TFC has offices located in Montana, Idaho, Washington and
Wyoming. McMurtrey has over 25 years of experience in the title industry, including extensive
field experience in all types of real estate closings. Her primary role is to establish the foundation
for solid escrow practices and procedures for the corporation. She is responsible for the continuing
education of escrow employees and has conducted numerous training seminars regarding
corporate policy, escrow processes and underwriting guidelines. Prior to working in the title
industry, McMurtrey worked in commercial and mortgage banking and served as a loan officer,
underwriter, and FHA appraisal underwriter.
Phil DeAngeli joined Title Financial Corporation, Inc. as General Counsel in 2011. TFC is a
100+ year-old, family-owned regional title company based in Blackfoot, Idaho. TFC serves ~ 60
counties in 4 states (ID, WA, MT, and WYO).
Prior to joining TFC, Phil served as Regional Counsel for First American Title Insurance
Company, overseeing all claims and various legal issues for FATICO in Idaho and Montana. He is
active in the Idaho and Montana Land Title Associations.
Phil graduated from Boise State in 1990 and University of Oregon School of Law in 1993, after
which he pursued a civil litigation practice for 12 years. He is currently licensed to practice law in
Idaho, and Wyoming.
Phil lives in Boise with his wife Kristen and two german shorthaired pointers.
Purchase your Privacy Protected Notary Journal
at the Registration Desk before you leave.
Available in Bobcat or Grizzly Colors.
MLTA Executive
Committee
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Gene R. Kenney
Past-President: Carol Kirby
Pres-Elect: Bill Gowen, Jr.
Sec./Treasurer: Melissa Herring
Member at Large: Brent Zanto
Executive Director: Stuart Doggett
DISTRICT CHAIRS
Northern District: Pam Taylor
Eastern District: AnneMarie Wallette
Southern District: Jennifer Smith
Western District: Heidi Heitmann
MLTA COMMITTEES
By-Laws: Matt Zarko
Membership: Appointed as Needed
Directory: Bill Gowen, Sr.
Grievance: Gene R. Kenney
Highway Commission Liaison:
Russ Gowen
Title Employee Awards/Eulogy:
Executive Committee
ALTA, TIPAC Trustee: Ted Lovec
Legislative Committee: Bob Sewell,
Chair, Gene Kenney, Carol Kirby,
Mark Josephson, Bill Gowen, Jr.,
Loren Solberg, Ted Lovec, Kelly
Donovan
Education Committee: Cory
Berkram, Chair, Stuart Doggett, Valerie
Grammens, Pam Grover, Nick Johnson,
Mark Josephson, Gene Kenney, Carol
Kirby, Michelle Kroll, Trina Maurer,
Melinda McInnis, Cheri Meyer, Emily
Nelson, Renee Olson, Norine Rice,
Katrina Ryan, Kim Serba, Bob Sewell,
Todd Sherman, Judy Simonson, Valerie
Smelser, Connie Smith, Ria Steffins,
Brad Stratton, Veronica Wing, Shannon
Wolleat
Liason/Unauthorized Practice:
Appointed as Needed
State Auditor Liaison: Ted Lovec,
Chair, Gene Kenney, Bill Gowen, Jr.,
Terry Hilgendorf, Mark Josephson
Clerk & Recorder Liaison: Melissa
Herring, Chair, Gene Kenney, Carol
Kirby, Ted Lovec, Adele Longfellow,
Jennifer Smith
agenda
agenda
2014 FALL EDUCATION SEMINAR
Thursday, Nov. 13th - Friday, Nov. 14th, 2014
Hilton Garden Inn - Billings
2465 Grant Road
Billings, MT 59102
406-655-8800
MONTANA LAND TITLE ASSOCIATION
Stuart Doggett, Executive Director
Norine Rice, Assn. Coordinator
Power Block Building
7 West 6th Avenue, Suite 4I
P.O. Box 6322
Helena, MT 59604
406-443-5694 · 406-442-8018 FX
www.mtlandtitle.com
Sponsored in part by
The Montana Land Title Association Foundation
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Fidelity National Title Group
First American Title Ins. Co.
Old Republic National Title Ins.
GOLD SPONSORS
Meadowlark Search, Stephen Granzow
Westcor Land Title
Presenters
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Gregg Colbo is an underwriter with Fidelity National Title Group,
Inc. and works primarily with title agents in Washington and Montana.
Gregg has an extensive background in the title insurance industry
dating back to 1983 where he began as a document poster/messenger.
He has held the positions of title clerk, title examiner, title plant
supervisor, title officer, title operations manager, national commercial
title officer, senior commercial title officer and senior title officer/
underwriter. Gregg received a BA in Geography and Land Studies from
Central Washington University in 1981.
(All Seminar Classes will be held in the Treasure State Ballroom)
7:30 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast – Buffet in the Ballroom Lobby, seating in
the Roundup Room & Ballroom
8:00 a.m.
Session I: “Bankruptcy Boot Camp,” Gregg Colbo, Fidelity National Title Group
9:00 a.m.
Session II: “ALTA 32-06 and ALTA 33-06 endorsement series,” Cindy Guanell,
First American Title Insurance Co.
10:00 a.m.
Break – Ballroom Lobby
10:15a.m.
Session III: “Claims in Montana” Bob Sewell, Cory Berkram and Ted Lovec
11:15a.m.
Session IV: “CFPB Enforcement Actions,” Michael Holden, North American Title
Ins. Co.
12:15 p.m. Working Lunch - Please go through the Buffet line and eat in the Treasure State
Ballroom.
General Membership Meeting & Service Awards
1:15 p.m. Session V: “New Sheriff in Town - The Rules Just Got Changed!,” Diane Evans,
Land Title Guarantee Co., ALTA President
3:15 p.m. Break – Ballroom Lobby
3:30 p.m.
Session VI: “Title Company-Banker Partnership in a Changing Environment,” Kay
Kennedy & Cindy Reiss, First Interstate Bank
4:30 p.m.
Session VII: “ALTA Best Practices - Explanation and Adoption: An Underwriters’
Panel Discussion,” Kevin Fiet, Cindy Guanell, Bob Rice, Jeff Wiener
5:30-6:30
Mix & Mingle Social Hour in the Pavilion Lounge
Friday, November 14, 2014
7:00 a.m.
Breakfast – Buffet in the Ballroom Lobby, seating in The Roundup Room &
Ballroom
7:00 a.m.
Optional 1 credit hour of 2013 Legal CE, Ted Lovec, American Title & Escrow
8:00 a.m.
Session VIII: “Real Estate Transfers at Death in Montana: Probate and NonProbate,” Ashley Burleson, Crowley Fleck Attorneys 9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
10:15 a.m.
Session IX: “Current Topics in Escrow,” Anita McMurtrey, Phil DeAngeli and
Bob Sewell, Title Financial Corp. Break – Ballroom Lobby
Session X, Ethics: “So you lied to them? ... only verbally,” Jeff Wiener, Old
Republic National Title Company
12:15 p.m. Conclude, Lunch on your own
Cindy Guanell has over 22 years’ experience in the title insurance
industry, including 7 years with First American Title Insurance
Company as Regional Underwriter and assistant to the Idaho and
Montana State legal Counsel from 1998-2005. From 2005 -2011 Cindy
held the position of Corporate Title Compliance Director and in house
underwriter for Title Financial Corporation. Cindy returned to First
American Title Insurance Company as Senior Regional Underwriter in
2011 for the states of Idaho and Montana. Cindy is a frequent speaker
at title industry continuing education seminars and is actively involved
in the Idaho Land Title Association, currently serving on the Liaison
Committee, Legislative Committee and as Vice President South West.
Robert J. Sewell, III, is the President of First American Title
Company of Montana, Inc., located in Missoula, Montana. Bob
oversees title and escrow operations in 29 counties throughout Montana
and Northern Idaho and also acts as intermediary for 1031 Tax Deferred
Exchanges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration
from the University of Montana and is a certified public accountant.
He is a past president of the Montana Land Title Association. Bob has
spoken to various groups on matters affecting Title Insurance and 1031
Tax Deferred Exchanges.
Cory Berkram is President, part owner of Security Title Company of
Montana in Bozeman. He has been in the title insurance industry for 18
years. Originally trained as a title officer at First Montana Title Company
in Billings and worked in Bozeman for the remainder of his career, less
one year, managing First Montana Title Company in Great Falls.
Ted Lovec is currently the President and Owner of American Title
and Escrow and has been in the title insurance industry for over 25
years. He has grown the company from one county office to seven
county offices over the years and has invested in offices in 2 additional
counties. Ted is the recipient of the MLTA Executive of the Year award
for 2008. He is also a past President and active member of the Montana
Land Title Association, current President of the Montana Land Title
Association Foundation, Montana Chairman of the TIPAC Committee
for the American Land and Title Association and a member of the
Home Builders Association.
Ted is a graduate of the University of Montana and been married to
his wife, Bess, for over 30 years. They reside in Billings and have one
grown daughter, Rachel. When not at work Ted enjoys spending time
bicycling, running, hiking, golfing and traveling with his wife.
Michael Holden has held several roles in his 23 years of experience
in the title industry. The first 18 years of his career, Michael worked as a
licensed title agent and managed a multimillion dollar title agency with
17 offices and 100 employees. Michael then held various roles with
regional underwriters before joining North American Title Insurance
Company in 2011.
A constant advocate for land title education, Michael has served on
the American Land Title Association’s education committee responsible
for setting educational programs for the association from 2000 to 2008.
His commitment to education caused him to form his own educational
company, Michael Holden Seminars, which provides educational
classes for CE to several states.
Michael was recognized by October Research/The Title Report as
“top 40 under 40” in 2007. Michael is in demand as a speaker around
the country on issues relating to the land title business. He has been
a featured speaker for the American Land Title Association as well
as the Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Wyoming, South Dakota, Virginia,
Maryland, Kansas, Utah and Montana Land Title Associations.
Michael publishes a monthly article titled “The Ramblings of a Title
Man,” which features interesting history and analysis of the land title
industry. In his spare time Michael is a youth golf coach and volunteer
for The First Tee of Cleveland, an organization that uses golf to teach
valuable life skills to at risk youth in the Cleveland area. Michael
has a proud legacy of family leadership in the title insurance industry.
He and/or a member of his family has been active in the business
continuously since 1920.
Diane Evans has served the title insurance industry for more than
three decades. She joined Denver, Colorado-based Land Title Guarantee
Company in 1981 and currently serves as senior vice president.
A member of the American Land Title Association’s (ALTA) Board
of Governors, Diane serves as President. She also is a member of
ALTA’s Government Affairs Committee, State Regulatory Advisory
Committee, NAIC Committee and Agents Executive Section.
Additionally, she has served as chair of ALTA’s Abstracters and Title
Insurance Agents Section Executive Committee.
Diane has been active in the title industry in Colorado as well. She
served as President of the Land Title Association of Colorado in 2001,
served on its Board of Directors from 1992-2002 and continues to serve
on its legislative committee. She has served on the Colorado Secretary
of State E-Recording Panel, a member of the Producers Council of the
Colorado Division of Insurance and the Colorado Division of Insurance
Title Advisory Panel. She has served as chair of the State Board of
Land Commissioners and on the Colorado State University System’s
Board of Governors.
Active in her home town of Castle Rock, Diane has served on
various steering committees. She was named the 2002 Business
Person of the Year by the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, serving
twice as its past President. She continues to serve on the Castle Rock
Economic Development Council, an organization that she helped
found, and on the Town Manager’s Advisory Council. She and her
husband, Roger, live near Kiowa, Colo. They have three children and
two granddaughters.
Cindy Reiss has been with First Interstate Bank for the past two and
a half years as the Regional Mortgage Manager for Billings and the
eastern Montana region. She has been a mortgage lender for over 20
years at various lending institutions. Prior to joining FIB, Cindy took a
little sabbatical from lending and worked at a local title company for a
little over a year as the marketing manager and backup closer and was a
Realtor for five years before becoming a lender, during which time she
was on the Board of Directors for the Billings Association of Realtors
and was the treasurer for one term. Cindy’s real estate career began in the
early ‘80’s when she was office manager for developers for a few years
and has been active in the community and a member of various nonprofit organizations and is past President of Southern Montana Escrow
Association. Currently, she belongs to Rotary, is an affiliate member of
the Billings Assoc. of Realtors, and a member of the Home Builders
Association, serving this year as Co-Chair for the 2014 Parade of Homes.
Kay Kennedy has worked in the real estate industry for 35 years in
several capacities and was a Realtor for three years before she began
her career in the title industry which spanned 17 years. She started as
an Escrow Officer and also managed a title company in Alaska where
she was active in the Mortgage Escrow Association and Home Builders
Association. Kay has been with First Interstate Bank for 15 years in a
variety of real estate positions: closer, software system administrator,
and quality control manager and now works in the Corporate
Compliance Department and specialize in real estate transactions.
Kevin Fiet has enjoyed a fulfilling sixteen years in the title insurance
industry. He has been an Agency Rep for the Fidelity National Title
Group for the past four years. Prior to that, Kevin has held several
positions within the Fidelity family of companies including Title
Officer, CPF Manager and County Manager.
2014 F all E ducation S eminar • 2014 F all E ducation S eminar • 2014 F all E ducation S eminar
Schedule