Welcome to the final month of the 50th Anniversary for the Virginia Land Title Association! I am Becky Taylor and the President of the VLTA for the coming year. I would like to thank you all again for attending our Annual Convention this October. It is always a great opportunity to engage with others in our industry.
As you may have seen, the theme for this year was POWER OF THE PAST, FORCE OF THE FUTURE. While we are proud of our past and celebrate it, YOU are the force of the future of the Virginia Land Title Association. We want to treasure our past, learn from our past, and move forward to grow stronger TOGETHER. How can we do that? As Stephanie Armstrong’s theme for the past year – IT STARTS WITH YOU! It truly does! How can that be? Well, there are various committees for you to participate in – these committees cannot function without membership participation. There should be something for everyone – the Legislative, Membership, Education, Events, and The Examiner Magazine committee. These committees meet once a month for an hour. And as the recruiting poster for the US Army once said – Uncle Sam Wants You – except in this case VLTA WANTS YOU! We need your input and participation. We want you to get involved and expand your professional knowledge, and opportunities and develop valuable contacts for now and the future.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step originated from a Chinese proverb. I encourage you to take that single step and get involved and see where the journey takes you.
Let me tell you a little about my journey in the title industry and to VLTA. I have been a licensed title professional since 1995 working at a small title agency named Titleworks that I inherited in 2006 when the owner, a good friend and mentor, Steve Heisley, passed away. I worked away at this little title agency and at some point realized that I had no real contacts in the title industry other than my title rep – Ellen Donohoe and title underwriting counsel – Steve Gregory and Steve Blizzard. I did not know another single soul in the title industry. How could I develop industry relationships and contacts? Enter VLTA. Most people would take one single step or dip a toe in the water to check the temperature before diving in, but not me – I jumped in feet first! I joined the Board of Directors as a Director at Large and held various positions on the Board to get to today. What did that involvement provide to me? It provided a network of industry contacts, relationships with other title professionals, tremendous education as well as professional and personal development. I did not expect that single step to teach me so much, especially on the personal development side.
Now that brings us to the present and the future – let’s talk about Collaboration, Communication, and Connection. All three are very important parts. Through the initiatives of Past VLTA Presidents, VLTA has an ongoing task force with the Bureau of Insurance meeting quarterly to discuss industry trends and issues. VLTA also has a quarterly meeting with the President and President-Elect of the Virginia Court Clerk’s Association. VLTA has a very active Legislative Committee that tracks legislative issues affecting our industry and works with our lobbyist and state legislators on proposed legislation.
In addition, the Board of Directors met in September 2024 for our first Strategic Planning Retreat to capture the vision and mission of VLTA, identify areas of focus, and set goals and metrics for the coming years. Great things are happening and we want you to be a part of that – Dip your toe in the water, it feels great! Connect with your industry association and grow your network by connecting with other like-minded individuals. No one understands our work like those who deal with the same issues as we do day in and day out. Although I think after 30 years of listening to me talk about work, my husband should at least be able to explain the importance of owner’s title insurance! So that’s what we have been doing and will continue to do – Collaborate with other industry-related professionals – regulators, legislators, vendors, and together find ways to make our future the best it can be. Let’s Communicate with our industry peers through involvement in the VLTA committees and education.
Lastly, let’s Connect with each other – develop relationships not just for professional reasons but for the value of connection with other human beings. I have learned so much in connecting with members of this Association. I am honored to know the leaders in our industry – those that lead us and educate us. I think we all know who they are. I am privileged that I have a connection with them through VLTA and I look forward to having that connection with you in the future.
Becky Taylor began her employment with Titleworks Inc. on May 29, 1995 as a settlement processor and post closer. She quickly moved to take on more administrative responsibilities to become Vice President as well as keep an active role in the settlement process. She assumed the role of owner, CEO and President of Titleworks Inc. in 2006. She is a graduate of Clemson University, mother of a Washington & Lee University graduate, Virginia Notary Public, and as of February 2024 is now a grandmother and currently serves as President on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Land Title Association. In January 2024, Ms. Taylor and Titleworks Inc. merged with Cobalt Settlements, LLC and Attorney Jeff Nowak. Ms. Taylor is a Virginia Certified Title Settlement Agent (VCTSA), a Virginia Certified Title Examiner (VCTE), and an ALTA National Title Professional (NTP). Ms. Taylor has been a licensed title agent since August 25, 1995 and has over thirty (30) years of experience in real estate settlements.
