People On The Move

August 10, 2009

Stewart Title Guaranty

Douglas Smith accepted a position as vice president, underwriting counsel and associate senior underwriter in Michigan with Stewart Title Guaranty.

Smith is a veteran of the title industry with more than 25 years of experience, most recently with the LandAmerica Group.

Smith began his career in the title business as an assistant state underwriting and claims counsel for an expanding area of Midwest states. Previously, he held the position of VP, senior associate regional counsel. Smith has extensive knowledge and experience in underwriting approvals, claims and audit processing, high liability authorizations and regulatory matters. He is a frequent lecturer for National Business Institute, Real Property Law section of the State Bar and Detroit Bar as well as local Realtor and banking groups.

Smith is a graduate of The College of Wooster and received his Juris Doctorate from Detroit College of Law. Smith has held numerous positions within the Michigan Land Title Association, including President in 2002, and is currently a member of the Legislative Steering Committee.

Smith will work at Stewart’s Southfield, Mich., office.

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James Lanzetta accepted a position as senior vice president, Michigan Agency Services manager with Stewart Title Guaranty. Lanzetta is a veteran of the title industry with more than 25 years of experience, most recently with the LandAmerica Group.

Lanzetta will oversee the continued growth of Stewart's independent agency network within the state, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge in underwriting, claims, title production and agency relations. Serving LandAmerica most recently as senior VP, regional counsel, Lanzetta oversaw legal and related affairs for numerous Midwest States. Lanzetta is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received his Juris Doctorate from the Wayne State University Law School. Lanzetta is a member of the ALTA Forms Committee and the Michigan Land Title Standards Committee.

Lanzetta will work at Stewart's Southfield, Mich., office.

Kasparnet

Alan Bittinger has joined Medina, Ohio-based Kasparnet, Inc., which is a member of the Old Republic Title Insurance Group. He will serve as the business and information systems project manager, and will aid in business development for Kasparnet, along with coordinating and leading project teams. Bittinger holds a bachelor's degree in industrial management from the University of Akron, and comes to Kasparnet with nearly 20 years of industry experience.

For the past 12 years, Bittinger worked for LandAmerica and then Fidelity National as a vendor and project manager. While there, he focused on automation and outsourcing to facilitate internal title production processes.

TitleVest

Robert Buzard has been named managing director of business development for TitleVest, a Manhattan-based provider of title insurance and related real estate services.

In his role, Buzard will leverage his vast real estate experience and contacts to expand TitleVest’s national commercial title business and oversee the closing of those transactions.

Prior to joining TitleVest, Buzard served as counsel in the commercial real estate department at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, successor to Battle Fowler LLP. During his 11-year tenure with Paul Hastings, Buzard represented leading institutional lenders, developers, REIT’s and other real estate investors throughout the United States and Japan in connection with complex real estate transactions totaling in excess of $9.5 billion dollars.

Buzard holds a juris doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bucknell University. He is admitted to the Bar in Pennsylvania (1996) and New York (1999.)

RedVision

Scott Pearson has been hired as Arizona state manager for RedVision, a national provider of innovative real property research solutions.

Prior to joining RedVision, Pearson worked as senior commercial escrow officer and escrow operation support at First American Title’s National Default Title Services. At First American Title, Pearson managed internal requests to begin foreclosure and forfeitures for private lenders with loans or agreements serviced by First American’s Account Servicing Department.

Pearson also managed daily operations for the department’s title division, overseeing examination and servicing of all litigation and foreclosure reports for the western U.S. Pearson began his career with First American Title in 1991 as a chainer, and eventually became an examiner of builder, residential and litigation/foreclosure reports. Pearson is a 2007 graduate of the University of Phoenix and holds a bachelor’s degree in both business management and marketing.

Resource Title

Linda Short and David Kozicki have been appointed as senior vice presidents and will manage Resource Title Agency’s new commercial hub in Chicago. The move comes on the heels of the Cleveland-based firm adding three other commercial executives in the past seven months.

As Senior Vice President for Resource Title’s National Commercial Division, Short will lead the sales and marketing operations for the office. She comes to Resource Title from a major national title underwriter where she oversaw commercial business development and managed national accounts. Prior to that, she spent seven years with nationally-known Duke Realty Corporation in a senior capacity handling leasing and development transactions for Duke’s office portfolio.

Kozicki will serve as Senior Vice President & National Underwriting Counsel for Resource Title’s National Commercial Division. He will direct the office’s underwriting, operational and compliance functions while also participating in sales and account development. Kozicki is an 18-year veteran of the title industry, most recently Resident Vice President & Associate National Counsel for the commercial division of a national title underwriter. While there he specialized in the coordination and closing of large single and multi-site commercial and industrial national real estate transactions, primarily for high-volume corporate and REIT customers.

Alliant National Title

Matt Frasure has been hired as vice president and Florida agency manager for Alliant National Title Insurance Co., a title insurance underwriter that partners with independent agents to improve their competitive position in the marketplace. Frasure is responsible for developing, marketing and managing Alliant National’s Florida agency operations and working with senior management in expanding Florida agent partnership programs.

Frasure is a seasoned real estate and title insurance industry expert, bringing more than 30 years experience to Alliant National. Versatile in independent agency operations, title production services (certified land title searcher), and underwriter agency operations; Frasure also brings expertise in sales and marketing instruction to the Alliant National organization. His wide berth of experience includes developing and managing Florida agency operations for two national underwriters, including one as the Florida/Caribbean agency manager. His division was regularly recognized as a top performer.


Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.