First American Title Chicago Metro Taking Flight Newsletter - Spring 2015

TAK I N G F L I G H T

S P R I N G 2015

A Quarterly Publication for the Chicago Metro Area in this issue

page

From the Top ............................................................... 1-2 Ask the Title Officer .................................................... 2-3 Best Practices ................................................................. 4 What’s New at First American Title ........................... 5-8 Items of Interest ............................................................. 9 Your Point of View ................................................... 10-11

Visit us online at www.il.firstam.com

FROM THE TOP...

By: Kelli Winsky Sr. Operations Manager When I run into clients at one of our branches or an MCLE class, I frequently get asked, “Where are you again?” When I reply that I’m in Warrenville, the general response appears to be, “Oooohhhh” (and yes, I see that look of skepticism in your eye as you say, “So, they let you out for the day”).

Around 2002, we began moving our title and escrow support services for our customers and escrow branches to Warrenville. After spending my first 14 years at First American Title working in various escrow branches, in 2007 I accepted a position here in our State Office and have been managing many of our departments since.

You may be surprised to learn that we have close to 100 employees supporting our direct operations in Illinois based here along with many others working for various divisions of the company. We’ve gone through many changes over the years; however, our core purpose remains the same; to create a seamless transaction by providing technical expertise and a positive customer experience unlike any in our industry. Although you may feel comfortable reaching out to your local contact or Sales Representative for help, know that we are always here to give you any assistance you may need. All of our departments are open during our regular business hours of 8:00 am-5:00 pm, and many will have extended hours as business volume dictates.

Continued...

©2015 First American Financial Corporation and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. | NYSE: FAF First American Title Insurance Company, and the operating divisions thereof, make no express or implied warranty respecting the information presented and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. First American, the eagle logo, First American Title, and firstam.com are registered trademarks or trademarks of First American Financial Corporation and/or its affiliates.

IL - 04/2015

FROM THE TOP...

By concentrating our services in one location, we are able to provide our clients with a single point of contact regardless of the branch at which the closing may take place. Our internal software technology allows for any office to access information received prior to closing; so if a transaction moves from one location to another, there is no need to contact multiple branches. Need updates to your title commitment? Our Customer Solutions Department is here to make the changes for you. Need to work with a Title Officer on clearance for your transaction? Our Title Underwriting Department will be able to assist you regardless of closing location. Need to move your closing from one office to another? Our Scheduling Department can assist you with one phone call. Need to request a Short Sale HUD-1 and you don’t know where the file will be closing?

Our HUD-1 Prep team is here to assist you.

We can also accept deposits for a transaction in any office and have remote check cutting capabilities. Need to leave your closing before the file is ready to disburse? You can pick up any checks at any office for your convenience. Are you a builder or working with a builder client that wants the ease of picking up your checks anywhere? Contractors can bring their waivers to any branch location, and our construction escrow department will have that check printed for them at that branch. Are you interested in having a closing transaction take place in your office? Our Mobile Closing Unit may be able to arrange for a Closing Officer to come to your office and will be able to disburse checks at the time of closing. Is your borrower unable to attend their refinance closing during regular business hours? Our mobile closing unit can arrange for a notary to meet your client at their home during or after business hours.

So, the next time I see you and tell you that I’m working in Warrenville, don’t feel sorry for me. I work with a team of people dedicated to providing you with the highest level of customer care. Many of them are not as fortunate as I am to be “let out” for the day, but if you ever find your way near our office, they would be very pleased to meet you if you stopped in. I welcome your feedback and can be reached at kwinsky@ firstam.com if you have any questions or suggestions.

ASK THE TITLE OFFICER QUES T IO N

CFPB Bulletin 2012-13, released in April 2012, stresses the need for all lenders to ensure vendor management oversight as to consumer protection laws. What can the attorney in the Chicago metro market do to comply with the requirements of lenders in relation to this bulletin?

ANS WER The attorney should implement the appropriate American Land Title Association Best Practices as lenders may prefer or require compliance to do business. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau requires lender to be responsible for third party vendors utilized in real estate closings. There are seven best practices that ALTA has created that may be applicable depending on the transaction and the scope of the attorney’s real estate practice.

The first best practice is to establish and maintain current license(s) as required to conduct the business of title insurance and settlement services. Among the procedures to meet this best practice are to establish and maintain compliance with licensing, registration, or similar requirements with the applicable state regulatory department or agency including business, professional licenses and ALTA policy forms licensing.

The second best practice is to adopt and maintain appropriate written procedures and controls for Escrow Trust Accounts allowing for electronic verification of reconciliation.

Continued...

Spring 2015 | PAGE 2

The third best practice is to adopt and maintain a written privacy

occurred and maintain a record of the recording information for the

and information security program to protect Non-public Personal

documents. Rate manuals and online calculators should be used, as

Information (NPI) as required by local, state, and federal law. To

appropriate, to help ensure correct fees are being charged for title

meet this best practice, attorneys should have procedures in place

insurance policy premiums, state-specific fees and endorsements.

to ensure physical security of NPI including restricting access to NPI to authorized employees who have undergone background checks at hiring, prohibiting or controlling the use of removable media, and using only secure delivery methods when transmitting NPI. Federal law requires companies that possess NPI for a business purpose to dispose of such information properly in a manner that protects against unauthorized access to or use of the information. A disaster management plan should be established. There should be appropriate management and training of employees to help ensure compliance

The fifth best practice is to adopt and maintain written procedures related to title policy production, delivery and reporting, if applicable.

Title policies should be delivered within thirty days of the later of the date of Settlement, or the date that the terms and conditions of title insurance commitment are satisfied.

The sixth best practice is to maintain appropriate professional liability insurance.

with Company’s information security program. Attorneys should

The seventh and final best practice is to adopt and maintain

take reasonable steps to select and retain service providers that are

procedures for resolving consumer complaints. Standard procedures

capable of appropriately safeguarding NPI. Attorneys should post the

should be created for logging and resolving consumer complaints to

privacy and information security program on their websites or provide

help ensure consumers provide the attorney with sufficient information

program information directly to customers in another useable form.

to understand the nature and scope of the complaint. Procedures

When a breach is detected, the attorney should have a program to

should be in place with a standard consumer complaint form that

inform customers and law enforcement as required by law.

identifies information that connects the complaint to a specific

The fourth best practice is to adopt standard real estate settlement procedures and policies that help ensure compliance with Federal and State Consumer Financial Laws as applicable to the settlement process. If the attorney is recording documents, the documents should

transaction, a single point of contact for consumer complaints, a procedure for forwarding complaints to appropriate personnel and maintenance of a log of consumer complaints that includes whether and how the complaint was resolved.

be submitted or shipped to the county recorder (or equivalent) or the

The expectation is that lenders will dovetail preference for or

person or entity responsible for recording within two business days

requirement of the ALTA Best Practices with the implementation of

of the later of the date of Settlement, or receipt by the attorney if the

the new Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure Statement for loan

Settlement is not performed by the attorney. Also procedures should

applications on or after August 1, 2015. Attorneys should implement

be in place to track shipments of documents for recording, ensure

the appropriate ALTA Best Practices in anticipation of this date.

timely responses to recording rejections, address rejected recordings to prevent unnecessary delay, and verify that recordation actually

RESOURCE: http://www.alta.org/bestpractices/index.cfm

Spring 2015 | PAGE 3

BEST PRACTICES...

Clean Desk Policy BY: STEVE TJADEN D I R E C T D I V I S I O N - V I C E P R E S I D E N T/O P E R AT I O N S A D V I S O R 1 First American Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707

Unattended PCs

Remember the Privacy Act from 1994 (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)?

It is still a requirement!

Beyond the federal GLBA, most states across the US have adopted privacy laws to make certain that a business that manages and stores sensitive information is doing so appropriately. As we all work towards following the new CFPB rules, a resurgence and focus on Best Practices were put in place by the American Land Title Association. One of the Best Practices mentioned is the Pillar Number 3 – Protecting Non-public Personal Information (NPI). In simple terms, it reminds us that our business should adopt and maintain a written privacy and information security program to protect NPI as required by local, state and federal law.

Activate the screen lock on your computer before leaving your work area for breaks, lunch, meetings, or at the end of the day (Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then click on Lock Computer).

Laptops, Portable Storage Devices, PDAs, and Cell Phones - Laptops should be encrypted. They should be taken home, or otherwise secured when unattended. You should not leave your laptop in your vehicle.

- Portable storage devices, such as memory sticks, should be encrypted. They should be removed from computers and secured when you leave your area for extended periods, or at the end of the day.

- Keep cell phones or handheld computing devices with you, or secured at all times.

One facet to a solid Information Security Program is a focus on maintaining a clean desk/work area. Below are some basics to consider: Define the terms so all understand. Keep it simple.

Make sure all employees know this is their responsibility!

Sensitive Data Sensitive data is generally defined as all types of information that, when accessed by an unauthorized party, could put a company, its clients, or consumers at risk of financial loss, damage to reputation, criminal penalties, and other such negative impacts. Common forms of sensitive data include financial, medical, intellectual property (such as trade secrets or patents), and similar types of information – particularly when the data or information is associated with a person’s name.

Confidential Information You should secure or properly discard confidential information anytime you are away from your desk. You should not leave confidential materials in washrooms or conference rooms; or on desks, under the doors, etc. of absent employees. Confidential information should be immediately picked up from printers, copiers, and fax machines.

Secure Disposal Confidential materials should be securely disposed of whether electronic or physical papers.

User IDs and Passwords Keep all system identifications and passwords confidential and do not share with anyone!

Conference Rooms - Confidential information should be erased from white boards when leaving meeting rooms.

- Any hard-copy material should be removed from a conference room at the end of a meeting and disposed of properly

Personal Property Personal possessions should be secured.

Though the above seems very basic, the fact remains that the majority of identity theft issues reported in the US relate to failures in handling paper documents. With implementing the key items above, a business will go a long way to adhering to the Best Practice.

Spring 2015 | PAGE 4

What’s New

AT F I R S T A M E R I C A N T I T L E ?

W E L C O M E T O T H E FA M I LY First American Title welcomes Maureen Dahlgren to our Sales team! A proven sales professional, Maureen brings almost 19 years of experience with underwriters in the title industry. She has excelled in each position, consistently ranking in the top percentile of her peers.

With her background in both residential and commercial sales, Maureen will be a perfect fit in our Chicago Metro Commercial Center. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois, and her warm and engaging personality combined with her zeal to provide outstanding customer service, will ensure her continued success!

Ron Ogorek joined First American Title in March of 2015 to become our Title Services Manager in Warrenville, IL. Ron has spent his entire career in the title industry. He started as a searcher, then title examiner, working his way into management as Title Operations officer for a competitor. Ron said, “After one week I was very impressed by how happy employees are at First American”.

Ron and his wife, Barb, have two daughters and one grandson. He is also an avid Cubs fan.

We welcome Tyler Tosch to the First American family! Tyler joined us in November of 2014 as one of our Realtor Relation Specialists. In this role, Tyler creates and builds relationships in the Chicago Metro area with the realtor community. He then establishes networking opportunities with our business partners and the realtors.

Tyler graduated summa cum laude from Saint Ambrose University with a degree in Business Management and Marketing. He is a “people person,” a great team player, and has already contributed greatly to our efforts!

Please welcome Brenda Semeniuk to the First American team. She is working out of the Lombard office as an escrow receptionist and joins us with 4 years of previous experience working in the title industry. She lives in Crestwood with her husband and has 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Brenda says she is excited to work for First American Title and is looking forward to meeting everyone!

Please welcome Barbara Morris to the First American Title Team. She will be working out of the West Joliet office as an escrow receptionist. She brings 30 years of banking and lender background experience. She is eager for new challenges and looks at them as lifelong learning experiences. She is looking forward to being a part of the First American Title family and learning more about the title industry.

Moving Upward We are pleased to announce that Amanda D’Anna has been promoted to the position of Realtor Relations Specialist. Amanda was originally the Sales Assistant for the Chicago Metro Team, and through her hard work and excellent customer care skills, has achieved this new rank.

Amanda has been in the title industry for 12 years and the experience she has gained with staff and customers, combined with her sparkling personality, has already proven to be successful!

We look forward to even greater things to come!

Spring 2015 | PAGE 5

Prepare Yourself for the Upcoming Changes CFPB Mandated Changes B R O U G H T TO YO U BY:

FI RS T A M ER I C A N T I T L E This seminar will focus on how you, the REALTOR®, are affected by the upcoming changes that are brought about by the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) mandated closing disclosure forms.

Monday, June 8th from 9am to 11am Check-in at 8:30a.m.

Mainstreet Downers Grove Office 6655 Main St. (live) Mainstreet Arilington Heights Office 1114 N. Arlington Heights Rd. (live via satellite) Mainstreet Libertyville Office 1580 S. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 312 (live via satellite) Mainstreet Tinley Park Office 16345 S. Harlem Ave., Suite 200 (live via satellite)

P R E S E NTE R Mojca Anaya First American Title Illinois State Escrow Lead CO ST Complimentary for MORe members $10 for non-members B R E AKFAST S P O N S O R E D BY: Law Office of Hawbecker and Garver, LLC Contact MORe for registration details.

Homestead... Your Place or Mine?

WEBINAR PRESENTED BY: CHRIS TINE BIL JE TINA - FIRST AMERICAN TITLE UNDERWRITING COUNSEL

This on-line MCLE webinar is designed to help you understand the often confusing concept of homestead in Illinois through a look at where it comes from, what it actually is and who’s entitled to the ‘right’ of homestead.

ON-LINE MCLE

WEBIN Wed, April 22nd, 2015 (MCLE 1.5 HRS) 10:00 – 11:30am Central Time

Wed, April 22nd, 2015 1:00 – 2:30pm Central Time

Register Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4310375118025973249

Register Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5558583598831073793

AR

Spring 2015 | PAGE 6

MCLE LIVE

Meeting

First American Title recently hosted live MCLE events focusing on CFPB mandated changes and fraud. The presenters, Marty Cann, IL State Underwriting Counsel, and Mojca Anaya, IL State Escrow Lead, gave an

Here’s your chance to attend the CFPB mandated changes and fraud MCLE seminar, in case you missed the first offering!

To register, contact your sales rep or email Amy Gregory at agregory@firstam.com

overview of how the attorney’s role will be affected by upcoming changes to the new CFPB mandated disclosure forms and a breakdown of the various scams the industry is currently facing.

WEDNES DAY M AY 6TH BUSINESS & CONFERENCE CENTER

1300 Higgins Road Park Ridge, IL 60068 8:30 - Registration 9:00 to 10:30 - CFPB 10:30 to 10:45 - Break 10:45 to 12:15 - Fraud

WEDNES DAY, M AY 13TH

Marty Cann Mojca Anaya

COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY- GRAYSLAKE CAMPUS

C-Wing Conference Center & Auditorium 19351 Washington Street Grayslake, IL 60030 12:30 - Registration 1:00 to 2:30 - CFPB 2:30 to 2:45 - Break

Chicago Bar Association 5th Floor

2:45 to 4:15 - Fraud

Northern IL University, Lisle Campus

Look for future email announcements or consult with your First American sales representative for: Upcoming MCLE Webinars Condominiums…

Entities…

Not Just a Glorified Apartment May 20th, 2015

Person, Place or Thing?

July 15th, 2015

The Point of Beginning…

Dates are subject to change.

What Your Survey is Telling You June 17th, 2015

Spring 2015 | PAGE 7

OFFICES ON THE MOVE! The Hickory Hills and Tinley Park offices were recently remodeled. We hope you get a chance to visit these branches.

Hickory Hills

Tinley Park

Saying Goodbye - Judy Clark Retirement First American Title wishes Judy Clark all the best in her retirement.

Judy started with us in November 1987, after working for a competitor the previous 19 years. Starting in the industry at the age of 18, Judy worked her way up the ranks, holding positions such as typist, examiner, clearance examiner, and title officer before joining First American Title. At First American Title, Judy has worked as a title officer, manager of the TI department, and most recently, performing many diverse functions for the accounting and claims departments.

Judy explained that her favorite part of working in the title industry is the amount of knowledge she has been able acquire over the years regarding real estate transactions.

Judy says that in this business, it always feels like a family working toward the same goals. She speaks highly of those with whom she has worked over the years. After 46 years in the business, Judy cannot wait to get up and not have anywhere to go. She wants to enjoy gardening, reading, spending time with her two rescue dogs, and having the time to accomplish some things around the house for which weekends are just not enough. She is also hoping to get a new rescue dog to add to the group. Judy said, “It will be a new experience, and I cannot wait to see what each day will bring. And best of all, not driving in the SNOW in the winter!!�

First American Title thanks Judy for all of her years of service.

Upcoming Sponsorship: The Illinois Land Title Association Annual Convention is being held in Delavan, Wisconsin this year on July 9th and 10th. First American Title will be a sponsor of the Underwriter Banquet Reception to be held in an outdoor, lakeside setting. Several of our staff will be in attendance, and we are proud to be part of the partnership of underwriters and agents that ILTA has experienced over the last 115 years.

First American Title was proud to sponsor the March meeting of the Lake County Bar Association's Real Estate Committee. Marty Cann, Illinois State Underwriting Counsel, gave an informative presentation on fraud, including what the industry is currently facing and what can be done to protect the attorney and their clients.

Marty Cann also presented this topic at the April DuPage County Bar Association luncheon at the Attorney Resource Center, DuPage County Courthouse.

Spring 2015 | PAGE 8

Items of Interest Effective March 21, 2015, Cook County requires a Zoning Certificate for any transfer of property in unincorporated Cook County. Announcement from the Commissioner of the Department of Building and Zoning and application form may be found on the department’s website: http://www.cookcountyil.gov/building-and-zoning.

The Cook County Department of Building and Zoning does provide a zoning search feature on their website: https://secure.cookcountyil.gov/b_z/zoning_info.php. Inputting an unincorporated property’s pin number will return the current zoning classification. Inputting the pin number of a property located within an incorporated area will most likely return an unknown message as this department focuses on unincorporated property only.

For assistance with obtaining a Zoning Certificate, contact your First American Title sales representative.

First American Title will be closed on Monday, May 25 th in observance of Memorial Day. FR AUD ALERT

FR AUD ALERT #2

There continues to be a prevalent scheme in which attorneys/realtors involved in a real estate transaction receive multiple emails allegedly from clients and/or title companies providing wire information for use by clients to transmit monies for an upcoming transaction. These messages are actually emails that have been intercepted by hackers who then alter the account information, causing the client’s funds to be sent to the hacker’s own account. The emails appear to be genuine and contain the title company’s email information and/or logos, and/or the client’s information, etc. When the wiring party transfers funds pursuant to the altered instructions, the money is stolen with little chance of return.

First American Title has learned of a troubling new scheme in which our title agents have received emails purportedly from First American Title, notifying the agent of a recently received title claim. The email directs the recipient to click on a link embedded in the email in order to obtain further information about the claim, and even contains a purported claim number. The email is fraudulent, and clicking on the embedded link could lead to the release of a virus or malware or other compromise of agent systems.

It is apparent that hackers monitor email traffic from title companies, attorneys, real estate professionals or customers and are aware of the timing of upcoming transactions. While in the reported instances a customer was induced to misdirect his/her own funds, an altered email could conceivably be used to cause misdirection of funds by any party in the transaction, including the title company themselves.

Immediate steps may be taken to secure computer systems and email accounts in order to safeguard against this type of scheme. There are a number of government and industry websites that provide tips to protect your systems against cybercrime.

Here is a partial list: www.onguardonline.gov, www.ic3.gov, www.nw3c.org & www.alta.org Another precautionary step is to verbally verify the wire instructions.

However, do not use the phone number that appears on the wire instructions! Rather, use a known telephone number.

How can you tell whether a claim notification is legitimate? An authentic email from First American Title will originate via an email address including “FAHQ-RA-CLAIMS INQUIRY with “@firstam.com”. The subject will be “Claims Notification Letter for….” Details of the claim are included as .pdf attachment to the email, and never as an embedded link.

You may always verify the validity of an emailed notice of claim from First American Title by contacting the Underwriting Department or your Sales Representative. Please do not forward these fraudulent emails or click on any link embedded within them. Delete them immediately and use junk filtering to screen out such emails.

If you receive a suspicious email, as always, please take immediate steps to secure your computer systems and email accounts, and personally verify any instructions or inquiries with known sources.

If you have any questions, please contact a First American Title underwriter at: underwriting.il@firstam.com 630.799.7309 or 618.578.4291

Please note Illinois direct operations’ incoming wire instructions list: First American Trust, FSB 5 First American Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707 ABA: 122241255 along with the account number Any other bank other than First American Trust, FSB listed is fraudulent.

Spring 2015 | PAGE 9

YOUR POINT OF VIEW

W H O IS YO U R HER O A N D W H Y ?

My initial response was “Superman” but I then thought more realistically of someone like Abraham Lincoln but then realized my true hero is my father. He unknowingly or not taught me those life lessons that have guided my life. When I started practicing law he gave me a plaque that still hangs in my office. It reads “I expect to pass through this world but once; if, therefore, there being any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Thanks Dad! Irv Ochsenschlager, Attorney Law Office of Irv Ochsenschlager 519 W. Galena Blvd, Aurora, IL 60506

Who is my hero? I have a number of them. I could write about my parents. They were unique and special and gave me all the love and help they could. They were part of the “Greatest Generation” that so much has been written about. But, I think our parents play the role of hero for all of us. I could say my sixth grade teacher who believed in me and encouraged me to believe in myself. Or I could take a more global view and write about Winston Churchill who, during the darkest days of World War II, kept up the spirits and resolve of the British. He spoke with force and conviction; “Never was so much owed by so many to so few” or “We will defend our island, we will fight them on the beaches,…….we will fight in the fields and in the streets….. we will never surrender.” Winston Churchill saved our world from the domination of evil. These are heroes, all of us we share them, our parents, our special teachers and the major world figures.

But there is a quiet hero I have always admired and marveled at and that is a simple lady who just wanted a seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama in December of 1955 – Rosa Parks. She was tired of giving in. She was tired of being told where to eat, where to walk, where to sit on the bus. She knew she would be arrested, but from her point of view enough was enough.

Her small action took courage, a phenomenal amount of courage. Her small act created a tidal wave of change. It resulted in the Montgomery bus boycott which lasted for 381 days. She gave other people courage to take small actions. The lunch counter sit in February of 1960 at Woolworths in North Carolina. The action of the Texas Western Basketball Coach in the NCAA final in 1966. The ripple from her small act continues to impact people today. Rosa tells us we don’t have to have to be big or strong to have courage. She tells us that a small act can have an enormous effect on other people in the future.

Many people have forgotten Rosa Parks but she is one my heroes. She should be a hero to all of us. So along with my parents and Sister Maria Dominica OP, my sixth grade teacher, and Winston Churchill, one of my heroes is Rosa Parks, a small woman with immense courage who changed our world.

Barbara Wheeler, Attorney at Law 6301 South Cass Ave, Suite 202, Westmont IL 60559

My hero is the matriarch of my family, Ila Benjamin. Despite having only an eighth grade education, and through much adversity, she strove to ensure that her children would have a better life. Her strong work ethic and perseverance to strive for the best have produced college graduates and professionals she would be proud of today.

Ila was a respected cornerstone in her community and was often seen selflessly giving to others even though she had so little.

She may not have realized the qualities she exemplified (she was a very stoic woman) are tools that have led to my success both in business and in life. Qualities like integrity, a strong work ethic, a desire to help others and a willingness to step out of my comfort zone are tenets of a good salesperson I adopted from my grandmother.

While those attributes are important her greatest gift to me is the ability to listen and problem solve based on what I learned. Imagine having 13 children all vying to tell their side of the story simultaneously… her solutions were always decisive and fair.

Ila was instrumental in the success of my family and I strive daily to emulate her example. That is why she is my hero.

Traci Benjamin, Sales Representative First American Title Hickory Hills, Tinley Park Spring 2015 | PAGE 10

At first, I wasn’t sure who I would pick as I do have a lot of heroes. One of my heroes is Mary Glavac. I left a career in real estate after working in residential leasing, management, and industrial sales for 10 years and was beginning a new career in mortgage lending and that is when I met Mary. I can’t tell you the number of times she came to my rescue. The bank that I started with hadn’t done a mortgage in 25 years and they wanted someone with a sales background and a good personality. They were looking for an individual that could go out, meet people and bring business into the bank. I had previously prepared packages for commercial leases and/or sales that were presented to various banks; however I had never worked for a lender directly. This could have been a tough experience and some days it was, but Mary made me laugh and she helped me through it every step of the way. That was in 1992 and I am still in the business in 2015. It is a bit of a joke now, but truly I don’t know what I would have done at that time without Mary Glavac.

When I scheduled my first closing and one of her closing associates asked for “closing instructions” – I had no clue what they were talking about. I was then sent a sample of what closing instructions should look like and I went on to contact others in my organization to figure out how I could accommodate this request. Another time, I had a customer that built his home new construction, paid cash and literally had a box of receipts. Mary told me to have him bring the box to closing with him and she would try and help me figure it out. We scheduled the closing and he brought in his box of receipts. Mary laughed when she actually saw the box of receipts, but said that she would do everything that she could do. She went on to talk to others at First American (underwriters, I believe) and was able to get this loan closed.

Mary had and has the patience of a saint, a great sense of humor; a good team and she knew how to assist her staff to advance their careers too. Most of the people that I met at First American went on to become managers with Mary’s assistance. I am and will always be very loyal to Mary Glavac for being the person that she is; I am fortunate to know her.

Cheryl Somers, Senior Loan Officer MB Financial Bank, N.A. 3959 N. Lincoln, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60613

Warren Buffett is known for his investment wisdom, advice, and being the wealthiest person in the world. Although I admire his financial success, I am more impressed with his integrity in being a model United States citizen, for his fair dealings, good business practices, and his generosity.

Most of Buffett’s quotes focus on his investment philosophy and practices, but what I admire most are his quotes on life. A few of my favorites are: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and 5 minutes to ruin it.”

(If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.)

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone else planted a tree long ago.”

“If you’re the luckiest 1% of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99%”.

John Antonopoulos, Attorney 15419 127th Street, Suite 100, Lemont, IL 60439

I am making this plural, because I am putting down both of my older brothers Stanley Wilczynski and Dr. Michael Wilczynski as my heroes. Since my father passed in August of 2011 they have both become “substitute” fathers to me in each of their own ways. Any day during the week, I know I can call either of them for advice, whether it is something personal going on in my life or something simple as a new driveway done or some new improvement on my house. They are always able to stop what they are doing and really take the time to listen and answer my questions. Even though I am the “baby” of the family both of them even come to me about advice on refinance rates and their own personal loans. I am so proud of both of them and the kind of men they are. They are both strong, determined, loving, and devoted men. They show their devotion to our family by taking care of our mother’s needs and being there for their “baby” sister. I am very sure that anyone who might ever come into contact with them can see all the fine attributes that I do. I know that I am the luckiest sister in the world to have these two wonderful men in my life to share our memories of our past, our present and our future!

Sue Graj, Field Manager First American Title Lombard, Naperville, Woodridge, Wheaton, Joliet and West Joliet | PAGE | PAGE Spring Spring 2015 2015 1111