Three leaders in the title industry were honored Tuesday as October Research, LLC, presented its fourth annual awards for leadership, innovation and philanthropy.
CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer presented the awards at the National Settlement Services Summit in Atlanta. Diane Evans, vice president of Land Title Guarantee Co. in Denver, was presented the leadership award. Dick Reass, owner of RynohLive and Reliant Title, was presented the innovation award. Kevin Tacher, CEO of Independence Title, was presented the philanthrophy award.
“The awards recognize the highest standard of professional achievement in the settlement services industries,” Meyer said. “We can think of no better way to call attention to these talented individuals than to honor them through this awards program.”
2015 Leadership Award
Evans began her career in the title insurance industry with Land Title Guarantee Co. in 1981. She has worked her way up from secretary to vice president, serving in just about every capacity in the title industry.
Evans also is active in the American Land Title Association (ALTA). She currently serves as the president of ALTA, along with participating on the Government Affairs Committee, Public Relations Committee and others. Additionally, she has served as chair of ALTA’s Abstracters and Title Insurance Agents Section Executive Committee.
On the state level, Evans served as president of the Land Title Association of Colorado in 2001, and served on its Board of Directors for a decade from 1992 to 2002. She continues to serve on its legislative committee. Evans has served on the Colorado Secretary of State eRecording Panel, as well as advisory panels for the state Division of Insurance.
2015 Innovation Award
Reass founded Reliant Title in 1998 and is responsible for the development of the escrow software RynohLive, which has transformed from a simple monitoring tool into an escrow security and financial management system for title agents.
RynohLive launched in 2006 and is considered the leader in technology that allows agents to manage escrow trust accounts and allow for electronic verification that accounts have been reconciled. Reass himself has led best practices for maintaining licensing, privacy and information security standards, and works to ensure compliance with federal and state consumer financial laws.
As Reass has led best practices at his companies, he also has been instrumental in educating title agents and underwriters on issues of fraud, defalcation, embezzlement and misappropriation.
2015 Philanthropy Award
Tacher has been a licensed title agent since 2003, and built his company from a one-employee shop doing three transactions a month, to nine employees and more than 90 monthly transactions today. He also founded the website TitleRate.com, a leading source for title insurance rates, real estate mobile applications and up-to-date real estate information and education.
Tacher’s charitable contributions extend to causes battling poverty and child abuse, and those supporting local military families. He currently serves as the vice chairman of LifeNet4Families in Broward County, Fla., a group that provides meals and services for homeless families. In 2013, the group hosted a pasta dinner that raised $65,000 for the cause. The 2014 dinner raised $130,000.
Other fundraisers that Tacher has worked with helped build homes for veterans, buy school supplies for needy children and provide meals for needy families on Thanksgiving.
Evans and Reass were on site to accept their awards. Tacher was unavailable, and Westcor Vice President of Compliance and Training Susan Pelham accepted on his behalf.