Dallys Novarina, CLTP

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

At the start of my Presidency, I look back over my 24 year life as a title agent im an effort to analyze the changes which have taken place and those underway in our industry.  Ten years ago, my good friend Bill Himmelreich told me that the title industry would not change, but that a change would occur in WHO would be signing the checks.  Not only did that happen in spades, but some of us bought the pen and willingly handed it over.  It would seem that our affiliates all want to be in the title business.  One of my goals for the upcoming year will be “World Peace”, which translates for me into peace with Realtors, Lenders, Bankers, and Attorneys. 

Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to have met Mike Wille, who was going through the chairs at ALTA and would have been President this year, but for his involvement in a fatal plane airplane crash last September.  What a horrific loss for the title industry.  At a state level, he initiated a “Council of Presidents”, which was his effort at “World Peace”.  This concept flourished, and I would like to explore a similar meeting of the minds here in Pennsylvania.  Let’s reach out to Presidents of PAR, the Bar, the Mortgage Bankers, the Mortgage Brokers and PRODA to find out what we have in common rather than each of us denigrating the others.

The cover of the March/April Title News published by ALTA shows the “Agent-Underwriter Dynamic” by putting them in a boxing ring with a referee holding them apart.  The caption asks a question we should all be trying to answer: “the relationship between independent title agencies and underwriters is changing at a dramatic pace.  What is the future role for both in a morphing title industry?”

So that independent title agents can keep pace in the future, I am appointing an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate an expanding role for title agents’ memberships in PLTA.  Independent title agents can make a difference for our Association, starting with the additional clout they give us on the political front.

In short, PLTA needs to attract more independent title agent members, and we need to educate ourselves as professionals so that we have a better place at the table.  My slogan for this campaign will be PLTA is for ME. 

PLTA Is for M (membership) E (Education)

In the coming year, it will all be about ME, and all about YOU.  I am eagerly looking forward to working with our members to make this program work, and to build our Association into the strongest state title association in the US. 

In Disney World, which will be the site of the next year’s Convention, this is the “Year of 1,000 Dreams”.  May all our title insurance dreams come true.