With the most distinguished group of speakers set to take the stage over three days, the 13th annual National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) makes its first appearance in the great state of Texas this week.
NS3 opens its doors at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Wednesday and runs through Friday. Scheduled to appear over the three days are former government agency leaders, bank presidents and CEOs, a quartet of federal regulator representatives and four state insurance regulator representatives.
Highlighting the 43-speaker field across 20 sessions is the 2017 keynote speaker James Lockhart, the former director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and currently the vice chairman of W.L. Ross & Co. In his long career of federal service he has been in executive roles at the Social Security Administration and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., and served under three presidents – George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
Another former agency leader, former Ginnie Mae president Joseph Murin, will be featured in a lender executive panel, along with Colonial Savings FA President David Motley – who also is the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) chairman-elect. The session will be moderated by Williston Financial Group Chairman and CEO Patrick Stone.
This year’s NS3 kicks off with a session on lenders discussing their experiences with eClosings titled “Lenders: Postcards from the eWorld.” It features two mortgage lending presidents – Mid America Mortgage President and CEO Jeffrey Bode and North State Bank Mortgage President Ken Sykes – along with Wells Fargo Home Lending Vice President Penny Reed.
Bode and Sykes join Motley to bring three lending presidents to the NS3 stage – more than have taken the stage in the first 12 years combined.
Following the lenders discussing eClosing is a session on the secondary market’s embrace of eClosing transactions titled “eClosing: Nothing stopping us now.” Fannie Mae Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist Mark Palim joins Freddie Mac Product Capabilities Manager Rajasekhar Penugonda and Clayton Holdings Director, Legal Regulatory Counsel John Levonick for the session.
After a session on the economic and consumer trends in the market today by Palim, the annual open forum brings together top experts to discuss regulatory and compliance issues in the industry. Julie Vore, the originations program manager at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and Federal Trade Commission Regional Director Dama Brown are joined by MBA Vice President and Regulatory Counsel Ken Markison and American Land Title Association Senior Counsel Steve Gottheim on stage. Richard Horn, former CFPB special advisor and founder of Richard Horn Legal, PLLC, returns to moderate the session.
Wednesday evening features networking events and the annual Make a Child Smile bike building event.
Thursday begins with Lockhart’s keynote address followed by four concurrent sessions of education. Highlighting the day are sessions that address the recent oral arguments in the PHH Corp. v. CFPB case, led by Franzen and Salzano founding partner Loretta Salzano and Markison; a cybersecurity session with Brown and Sun Title owner and CEO Tom Cronkright; noted compliance attorneys Francis “Trip” Riley and Marx Sterbcow discussing enforcement actions and the impact of the recent CFPB announcement that it would begin supervising service providers; and a state regulator panel featuring experts from agencies in Florida, Illinois, Utah and Virginia.
Business-building sessions will discuss how title agents can power up their marketing efforts, drive new business, improve operational efficiency, and utilize tools which will improve their relationships with Realtor partners.
The lender executive panel featuring Motley, Murin – a two-time keynote speaker at NS3 in Cleveland in 2008 and 2009 – and Stone ends the second day of educational sessions.
Underwriters open the final day of sessions, with First American Executive Vice President John Hollenbeck, Old Republic Executive Vice President Jeff Blum and Westcor President and CEO Mary O’Donnell joining Stone to discuss the relationships forged by agents and underwriters and challenges facing the industry.
Two more concurrent sessions follow, including a vendor management discussion with Wells Fargo Home Lending Vice President Kate Steineman and First American Senior Underwriting Counsel Ruth Dillingham; a look at how Blockchain could be used with real estate and title transactions that includes Armour Title President Tali Raphaely – a participant in a Blockchain pilot program in Illinois – and Stewart Title Senior Vice President Marvin Stone; a discussion about the importance of and compliance with policies and procedures featuring Title Source Chief Operating Officer (COO) Brian Hughes, Wells Fargo Home Lending Senior Vice President Brian Webster and Horn; and strategies for successful closing with Ellie Mae Product Manager Kirk House joining Westcor COO Scott Chandler on stage.
NS3 closes with two experienced experts discussing good funds and the legislative moves which are changing the definition of that for settlement and escrow professionals nationwide. Escrow Essentials CSEO/CEO David Shean joins American Escrow Association Executive Director Art Davis on stage to close the show.
On-site registration remains available, opening at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 7 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday.