My Experience at the American Escrow Association's 2026 Educational Conference
I recently spent a few days in the 108-degree heat of Las Vegas for the American Escrow Association’s 46th annual business meeting and educational seminar. I have to admit, I was a bit worried about being able to connect with the attendees, given that I’ve focused on advancing in the title and compliance corner of our industry for most of my career. Oh man, was I pleasantly surprised!
For me, the conference started bright and early Saturday morning, with breakfast at 7AM, followed by the opening ceremonies. The morning included legislative updates, regulatory reform, current escrow business needs, and updates from current ALTA President David Townsend and ALTA Past President Don Kennedy. Then it was time for my solo session, Authenticity as Your Competitive Edge. I was up late the night before, making sure my presentation was as clean as possible, but I was feeling good going into the day. As my time on stage got closer, my nerves started to rise. I’m used to speaking to crowds large and small about more tangible industry topics, like FinCEN, Fraud, and policy forms and endorsements, but this was different. These were my own thoughts and ideas, and bits about myself and my story, more vulnerable and subjective. My 45-minute time slot went quickly with great audience participation. When I walked off stage, though, I was beating myself up. Telling myself I should have practiced more, I should have made this change or that change, or I forgot to say that one part. Lunch was immediately after my talk, and it wasn’t long before I was approached by audience members who told me that what I said resonated with them and made them feel seen. It was then that I stopped being so hard on myself and started feeling incredibly lucky to have been able to stand up there and deliver my message, imperfect as it was. I walked away with valuable confidence and was energized to improve for the next opportunity.
The induction of the new board of directors happened over lunch, and Peggy Sue Lane, National Sales Director at Stewart Title, delivered a powerful installation speech. Aside from honoring the hard work of those stepping away and celebrating those starting their new board journey, she reminded us that in this industry of women, we can do better. She shared that she was recently at a leading mortgage conference and noticed an unfortunate trend. She saw groups of men walking through the halls and sitting at tables together, usually led by industry veterans with new, younger men, bringing those young men into conversations and rooms that had taken years, decades to access themselves. That sounds great on the surface, for the men, but the unfortunate part is she didn’t, and we don’t, see women doing the same thing. “It’s not something we were taught,” she said. She went on to explain the difference between Mentorship and Sponsorship, and that message stuck with me. I've already shared it with a dozen women. A Mentor gives you the tools to learn and grow, but a Sponsor brings your name into rooms you aren’t in, someone who is willing to tie their reputation to yours. Read that again and think about who in your professional life is helping you achieve your goals and grow into your potential.
After lunch, we got pumped up about the real value we bring to our communities thanks to Don Kennedy. We also heard about modern fraud tools and saw some eye-opening information and a video about how fraudsters do what they do, with Paul Stine. Did you know plenty of sellers do their ID verification with their shirts off? Yeah, me either, and I would be fine not knowing it, honestly!
Then it was time for me to join my first panel: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Future. We asked the audience and ourselves what keeps us up at night and what gets us up in the morning. Fraud and the “Silver Tsunami” were popular sleep stealers. Current industry momentum, collaboration, and the potential to attract and sponsor new talent were common energy boosters! Leslie Banes did a great job moderating and keeping us on track and on time. The day ended with the engaging Bill Svoboda discussing better closing experiences.
Sunday started off strong with Mickey Vandenberg speaking on passing the torch, with a visual presentation created entirely by AI. Then Sam Trimble took the stage to present How to Supercharge Your Escrow Marketing with AI. Always informative.
Then I joined 4 other women on stage for my last panel, all about my favorite topic, Women’s Leadership Groups and advancing women in our industry. Every group or organization was started with similar goals, but each is unique in its own way. When I started Women in Title in 2022, there were no other underwriter-agnostic organizations. I wanted something neutral and inclusive, and ultimately nimble enough to do what our members really wanted and effect real change. I had no blueprint, but I knew I wanted to be authentic and relatable. The panel ended with a question and an invitation to share a win one of our members has experienced from engaging with our organization. Almost 4 years in, our members have experienced countless wins, reached goals, and celebrated together. I feel incredibly blessed. For me, the wins that stand out most are when a member tells us she has finally found her people, feels heard and seen, is supported and emboldened to go for what she wants. Those moments hold more weight and remind me of day one, when I worried no one would show up to our very first meet-up. Women in Title has the momentum we do because we are all in this together, creating a force that just won’t stop. We are truly stronger together.
The event ended with David Bravo Jr bringing his undeniable energy to the room. You can’t help but feel energized and ready to take on the world when David speaks.
Shortly after, I headed home to Denver, where I left that heat behind for 60 degrees and a nice cool breeze. Walking through the Las Vegas airport, I ran into an industry friend not there for the event. Wild what a small world title is. It was fun to catch up with him and hear what he’s been up to since I last saw him at the ALTA Advocacy Summit.
And now, I’m back to the grind, feeling re-energized and full of new ideas. I’m ready to embrace change and grow!
If you are an escrow professional, I highly recommend joining the American Escrow Association. The AEA is dedicated to educating its members, improving escrow and closing services, disseminating information, promoting uniformity, increasing public knowledge and understanding of the industry, and coordinating legislative and regulatory efforts across the United States.
Written by Kim Whitlock