VLTA 2025 Annual Convention Lineup

vltaexaminer

1 year ago

EACH VOICE COUNTS

The Virginia Land Title Association (VLTA) is looking forward to our Annual Convention, taking place in just ONE month on October 23-24, 2025, at the Hilton Short Pump in Richmond, Virginia. This year’s convention promises dynamic education sessions, powerful networking opportunities, and plenty of fun as we come together to celebrate the people and progress of our industry. Whether you’re a seasoned title professional or new to the field, this is your chance to learn, connect, and grow.

What to Expect?

7-Hours of Education CE & CLE (pending)
Thursday Morning Legislative Breakfast (separate registration is required)
ALTA Guest Speaker
New Member & First Time Attendee Welcome Reception (by special invite)
Thursday Night Opening Reception (for all registered Convention attendees)
Friday Morning Breakfast (for all registered Convention attendees)
Exhibitor Showcase
Member Section Meetings (Agents, Title Examiners, and Underwriters)
“Friday Night at the County Fair” (for all registered Convention attendees)
And much more!

Schedule of Events

Thursday, October 23, 2025

8:00 am – 7:00 pm: VLTA Convention Registration Open
9:00 am – 11:00 am: VLTA Legislative Breakfast (separate registration is required to attend, register for the legislative breakfast here)
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Education Sessions
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – The General Assembly and Effective Advocacy – James Pickral and Katherine Crawford
- 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm – Real Estate Closings in a Post NAR Settlement World – Sarah Louppe Petcher
- 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm – Advocating for and Selling Title Insurance – Kevin Pogoda
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: New Member & First Time Attendee Welcome Reception (by special invite)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: VLTA Opening Reception (for all registered Convention attendees)

Friday, October 24, 2025

7:00 am – 5:00 pm: VLTA Convention Registration Open
7:00 am – 5:00 pm: Vendor Showcase
7:00 am – 8:15 am: Breakfast (for all registered Convention attendees)
8:00 am – 9:00 am: VLTA Section Meetings
- Underwriter Section Meeting in room Capital A&B
- Agent Section Meeting in room Capital C
- Title Examiner Section Meeting in room Capital D
9:00 am – 5:00 pm: Education Sessions
- 9:00 am – 10:00 am – ALTA Speaker and Swearing In Ceremony for BOD
- 10:30 am – 11:30 am – FinCEN Understanding the Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule – Marilyn Cunningham
11:30 am – 1:00 pm: Lunch (for all registered Convention attendees)
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Transactions with a Twist: A Practical Guide for Settlement Professionals – Toula Dreifuss
- 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Every Penny Counts…Or Escrow Gone Wild – Jenine Skrabak
- 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Title Settlement Agency: Inception to Dissolution – Angela Crooker
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm: “Friday Night at the County Fair” Event (for all registered Convention attendees)
~The can’t-miss celebration of the VLTA Convention! We’re bringing all the fun of the fair indoors with classic games, fabulous prizes, tasty treats, and toe-tapping live music by the Dan Nicholls Band. From ring toss to cotton candy, it’s a night full of fair-themed fun, laughter, and maybe a little friendly competition. So, dust off your boots, grab your best fair flair, and get ready to win big, dance hard, and make memories that’ll last longer than a goldfish in a bag!~

VLTA Convention 2025 Education Lineup

JAMES PICKRAL & KATHERINE CRAWFORD
(1-HOUR CE & CLE APPROVED)

The General Assembly and Effective Advocacy

Get an inside look at the legislative wins and challenges that shaped the title industry during the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session, and prepare for what’s ahead in 2026. This grassroots-focused session will equip you with advocacy tools, share updates from the past year’s key bills, and outline the anticipated issues on the horizon for the upcoming session—so you’re ready to make your voice heard.

SARAH LOUPPE PETCHER (1-HOUR CE & CLE APPROVED)

Real Estate Closings in a Post NAR Settlement World

This workshop aims to equip real estate settlement professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully navigate handling agent compensation in the post-NAR Settlement world. It covers the latest NAR Settlement updates, best practices for settlement agents, and effective strategies to handle the inevitable settlement compensation headaches.

KEVIN POGODA (1-HOUR CE & CLE APPROVED)

Advocating for Title Insurance: From Congress to the Closing Table

It’s time to talk title! This presentation gives a brief overview of the Pilot Title Acceptance program and attorney opinion letters, both of which allow a lender to dispense with the usual requirement of title insurance. The remaining portion of the presentation will focus on how to market an owner’s title insurance policy, which is much more than rehearsing coverages found in the policy or presenting the consumer with a glossy brochure. Instead, this presentation will focus on the fundamentals of persuasion—recognizing the objections that a consumer has to title insurance and presenting the benefits thereof in a way that overcomes those objections.

MARILYN CUNNINGHAM (1-HOUR CE & CLE APPROVED)

FinCEN Understanding the Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule

This comprehensive course offers an in-depth exploration of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), including a brief overview of its mission and the existing Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs). The primary focus will be on the forthcoming Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule, set to take effect on December 1, 2025.

TOULA DREIFUSS (1-HOUR CE & CLE APPROVED)

Transactions with a Twist: A Practical Guide for Settlement Professionals

This presentation aims to equip real estate settlement professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully navigate transactions involving out-of-the-ordinary details to include powers of attorney, entities, estates and fiduciaries and a variety of other non-standard specifics. The materials include information on what documents to request and review, what questions to ask of the involved parties, and special underwriting requirements related to the issuance of title insurance.

JEN SKRABAK (1-HOUR CE & CLE APPROVED)

Every Penny Counts…Or Escrow Gone Wild

Every penny needs to be accounted for – in each process – or your escrow (or trust) account can go wild. In this session, we’ll discuss escrow accounting procedures from the “voices” of the escrow officer, the agency owner, your auditor, ALTA Best Practices, and from the Virginia Code. I’ll be showing you the money!

ANGELA CROOKER (1-HOUR CE APPROVED; CLE PENDING)

Title Settlement Agency: Inception to Dissolution

What you need to know about obtaining and maintaining a title settlement agency license for your business. Best practices for keeping operations compliant each step of the way.