The American Land Title Association (ALTA) announced the winners of its 2022 ALTA Our Values Awards and 2022 Title Webbies at ALTA ONE, held Oct. 11-14 in San Diego.
The Our Values Awards program showcases the title insurance industry’s Our Values initiative, which highlights core ideals ALTA members embrace.
Northwest Title and Northwest Law President Jonathan Holfinger won the We Lead Award for leading the creation of the Ohio Land Title Association (OLTA) Academy to promote new standards of practice to the industry. The academy consists of three certifications with multiple online courses, corresponding certification guides and tests after every course.
CATIC CEO and President James Czapiga won the We Deliver Award for delivering a strong, positive environment for his team during the COVID-19 pandemic. Czapiga created an intern program, continuing to grow the team during a time of uncertainty and setting the stage for the next generation of title professionals.
First American Title Insurance Co. SVP and Deputy Chief Title Counsel Dan Buchanan won the We Protect Award for his leadership on the ALTA Forms Committee and working to develop the ALTA 47 Series Endorsements and Operative Law Addenda to address the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which raised potential jurisdictional questions regarding choice of law.
Finally, Association Online won the Collaboration Award for developing an environment that supports employee volunteerism and donating 10 percent of their profits to charity.
CertifID was awarded a Title Webbie because its website breaks its services down by roles, helping consumers understand their exposure to real estate wire fraud scams when buying or selling a home or other property and how they can protect themselves from fraudsters. CertifId’s website also includes multiple resources, including webinars, videos and case studies detailing topics such as types of mortgage fraud, how to avoid real estate scams and much more.
D. Bello’s website includes a quick tutorial on the benefits of title insurance, features ALTA videos on real estate wire fraud and the role of title insurance in protecting property rights and provides resources to find a local title agent through ALTA’s consumer-facing website, HomeClosing101.org.
The Title Team, headquartered in Duluth, Minn., was the sole title agent to be awarded a Title Webbie. The Title Team website is filled with a wealth of information for homebuyers and sellers, including ALTA videos as well as the company’s own curated library of content.