Blum will focus on empowering the underwriter’s regional agents to grow their businesses.
Alliant National Title Insurance Company, the title insurer that is uniquely responsive to the needs of independent agents, is excited to announce that it has hired Christina Blum as Underwriting Counsel Southwest Region.
For over 11 years, Blum has been a fixture in the title industry. Her career began in 2013 when she worked in the claims center of a national underwriter. Starting in 2018, she served as underwriting counsel for two national underwriters and worked as a real estate and banking attorney for a large, regional law firm in San Antonio.
In her new role as Underwriting Counsel Southwest Region, Blum will focus on supporting Alliant National’s policy-issuing agents with their underwriting needs. This will include extensive research, risk analysis, and issuing insurance decisions, as well as creating and disseminating educational and underwriting materials.
“Alliant National is well-known in the industry for the unique support it offers independent agents,” Blum said. “Having the chance to join an organization like this during a period of rapid growth is an exciting opportunity. I look forward to navigating the evolving and challenging real estate landscape with the rest of Alliant National’s expert team.”
“Christina will be a major asset for our team and for our policy-issuing agents,” said Jean E. Bailey, VP, Regional Underwriting Counsel at Alliant National. “She brings significant experience that will enhance our operations, grow our footprint and assist our agents in addressing their most critical underwriting priorities.”
In addition to her professional roles and responsibilities, Blum is highly active in the title community. She is a member of the Louisiana Land Title Association and the Texas Land Title Association. On the latter, she sits on the institute committee, the legislative committee and acts as a local legislative liaison. In addition, she is part of the Oklahoma Land Title Association, the American Land Title Association and holds membership in the Commercial Real Estate Women, San Antonio Chapter.
Blum received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elmhurst University and her Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University. She lives in the San Antonio metropolitan area with her family.
Alliant National supports its independent agents by combining expert residential and commercial underwriting with a passionate heart for service. The company delivers uncommon help that promotes the well-being of agents and the communities they serve.
About Alliant National Title Insurance Company Alliant National is on a mission to empower independent agents while protecting property owners with secure title insurance. The company partners with its agents and never competes against them with direct or affiliate operations. Alliant National serves thousands of title professionals as a licensed underwriter in 32 states and the District of Columbia.
Longmont, CO — Alliant National Title Insurance Company, the title insurer that is uniquely responsive to the needs of independent agents, is pleased to announce the hiring of Ryan Martinez as Vice President, Southeast Regional Underwriting Counsel.
Martinez is a highly skilled legal professional with significant experience in real estate and title insurance. He got his start as a foreclosure and title attorney in Atlanta. He then worked as both an associate litigation and a closing attorney, where he handled residential and commercial transactions. Later, he was a supervising attorney for title and REO operations at a creditor’s rights firm. He most recently served as an underwriting counsel for a national underwriter.
Martinez will have a variety of responsibilities in his new role at Alliant National. He will primarily focus on handling underwriting requests from policy-issuing agents in the region. This will involve offering his advice on underwriting matters while also ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.
“I am thrilled to join Alliant National, as the company’s commitment to innovation and service aligns perfectly with my own values,” said Martinez. “Together with our talented team, we will enhance our underwriting processes, ensure agents receive exceptional support and grow our organizational footprint throughout the Southeast. The future is bright for Alliant National. I can’t wait to embark on this journey with such an outstanding organization.”
“It is a privilege to add an accomplished professional like Ryan Martinez to our Alliant National team,” said Jeff Stein, Chief Underwriting Counsel at Alliant National. “Incredibly experienced, knowledgeable and collaborative, Ryan is the ideal person to take on this critical role within our organization. Agents and partners only stand to gain from his hiring, and I am supremely confident in his ability to help us drive mutual success.”
Outside of his work, Martinez is highly active in the title community. He is currently a member of the Tennessee Land Title Association (TLTA), where he serves as Education Committee Chair. He also holds membership in the North Carolina Land Title Association (NCLTA) and the Southeast Land Title Association (SLTA), and is a member of the Bar in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Martinez obtained his undergraduate education at the Georgia Institute of Technology and received his Juris Doctor from the Florida Coastal School of Law.
Alliant National supports its independent agents by combining expert residential and commercial underwriting with a passionate heart for service. The company delivers uncommon help that promotes the well-being of agents and the communities they serve.
Alliant National is on a mission to empower independent agents while protecting property owners with secure title insurance. The company partners with its agents and never competes against them with direct or affiliate operations. Alliant National serves thousands of title professionals as a licensed underwriter in 32 states and the District of Columbia.
For Alliant National’s Tracy Pace, title insurance remains a passion.
Many find it difficult to remember what led to important phases of their careers. Tracy Pace doesn’t have that problem. Her journey to the title industry began during a national tragedy that forever imprinted itself in our collective memory. “I had been working as an executive at a New York-based cosmetics company,” she said. “After September 11th, our business declined, and I began to consider a career change.” This was an all-too-common situation at the time, as New York’s GDP dropped precipitously following the attacks and many professionals evaluated their options. However, it wasn’t long before a silver lining appeared. A recruiter contacted her about a job with a title underwriter, an opportunity which ironically transformed this dark moment into one of the brightest periods of Pace’s career.
The title industry, it turned out, would prove to be a great fit for Pace. It offered her the chance to make a tangible and positive impact on its many stakeholders. This continues today in her role as Alliant National’s South Florida Agency Manager.
Of course, Pace’s transition to the title industry wasn’t without its challenges – nor was it instantaneous. “I reluctantly took the job only after considering it for several months,” said Pace. “That’s primarily because, in the beginning, I knew very little about the industry.”
Over time, however, she came to learn the ins and outs of the business, developing a passion for title insurance by taking on a “diverse range of responsibilities” that kept her “challenged and engaged.” Once she joined Alliant National, she found ample opportunities to apply this drive for the benefit of the underwriter’s agents. “Every day I get to help our agents grow their businesses, start new businesses, the list goes on,” she explained.
Given the many challenges the average title agent faces today, being able to rely on passionate and accomplished professionals like Pace is critical. “The industry is currently experiencing dramatic upheavals, with advancements in technology and data accessibility driving rapid transformation. There are also more stringent rules around compliance, consumer protection and privacy,” she explained. At the same time, consumers are increasingly valuing businesses that prioritize human connection.
As a seasoned professional with many years of experience under her belt, Pace understands these competing interests completely. She also knows how to equip agents with everything they need to navigate both simultaneously and thrive.
For instance, Pace works hard to ensure agents know about the various tools, resources and knowledge Alliant National provides to its agent community. “Alliant National has invested in cutting-edge fraud prevention tools like SecureMyTransaction, as well as ongoing education to help agents spot and mitigate threats,” she said.
Pace also encourages others to never lose sight of the importance of relationships in the industry. She is adept at helping folks build the connections necessary for creating shared wins while achieving robust growth. “In this industry, relationships are everything,” she explained. “Whether you’re working with agents, clients or internal teams, being reliable, approachable and responsive creates lasting, meaningful connections that are the drivers of mutual success. It’s also essential to show integrity in every interaction – big or small.”
Although it may have begun on a somber note, Tracy Pace’s career in title insurance has proven to be anything but. For over two decades, she has applied her passion to meeting agent needs and helping them excel while navigating an ever-changing field. Alliant National’s agents can rely on her extensive experience and expertise as an invaluable resource to build the business they want and deliver the service their customers deserve.
Longmont, CO — (October 16, 2024) — Alliant National Title Insurance Company, the title insurer that is uniquely responsive to the needs of independent agents, is excited to announce that it has hired Valerie Grandin as Vice President, Senior Underwriting Counsel Florida.
Grandin brings with her a wealth of experience in title insurance, real estate, management and business strategy. She comes to Alliant National from a national underwriter, where she oversaw strategic initiatives, served as the primary point of contact for lender agreements, created agent and counsel training programs and coordinated regulatory compliance projects. In addition, she helped agents expand their capabilities and grow their businesses, while also leading continuing education programs for underwriters and examiners.
In her new role as Vice President, Senior Underwriting Counsel Florida, Grandin will have a full slate of responsibilities. Chief among them will be to develop educational programming and partner with Alliant National’s Florida agents to increase their market share through unique business development strategies and product offerings.
“I have been blessed to work with and know the team at Alliant National for many years,” said Grandin. “To be joining them now as the market is on the cusp of expansion and when Alliant National has assembled a great team, is a dream come true. Highly professional, agent focused and people-centric, it is a tremendous place to excel in an industry I love so much. Great things are ahead as we work together with our agents to drive greater business success.”
“Valerie is a consummate professional and a true industry leader. We couldn’t be happier to welcome her to our growing team,” said Jeff Stein, Chief Underwriting Counsel at Alliant National. “With her extensive experience in underwriting, education, management, compliance and business development, I know she will do great things for our agents and play an important role in the future of Alliant National.”
Grandin is an active member of the American Land Title Association (ALTA). She is also a member of the Florida Land Title Association (FLTA), where she serves on the Government Affairs committee, which is currently working on the new 2025 FinCEN rule. In addition, she sits on the Advisory Board of the University of Miami School of Law LLM in Real Property Development. As the only underwriting counsel on the board, she has a front row seat to the most cutting-edge changes and developments in the Florida commercial real estate market.
She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law.
Two young professionals embark on a career in title insurance.
The title industry is all about passion and people. Those who are most successful often have a strong connection to the field and can effectively navigate the intricate web of relationships that go into every successful real estate transaction. Alliant National has long prioritized building a close-knit team of people who embody those qualities. Take two of its most recent hires as an example. Jace Coffie and Aaron Figueroa recently joined the Alliant National team as associate agency representatives. Both have strong industry ties and professional backgrounds rooted in service, preparing them well to help Alliant National’s agents grow their business.
A close connection and a commitment to service
First, let’s introduce Jace Coffie. Having grown up around the industry due to a family connection, Coffie is no stranger to the world of title insurance. When an opportunity to join the profession arose, he jumped at the chance. To Coffie, transitioning to the title insurance industry was a natural progression. “My previous professional positions have a shared theme of customer service,” he said.
The second new hire is Aaron Figueroa, who also joined the team as associate agency representative. As with Coffie, the title insurance community has long been on his radar due to a family member’s experience in the field. After years of working in the service industry where he delivered exceptional customer care, he has quickly adapted to the responsibilities of his new role.
Finding a home at Alliant National
Alliant National’s unique culture has resonated deeply with both new hires. “I have always wanted to work for a company that allows you to show your full personality,” Coffie said. He’s confident a place like Alliant National is “where I want to spend my career.” Figueroa shares Coffie’s zeal as well. He specifically highlighted how “involved and caring everyone is” at Alliant National as the reason why he is so excited to further build his career with the underwriter.
Tackling their new roles
Coffie and Figueroa have begun channeling their enthusiasm into their new responsibilities. Coffie, who will support agents in Alliant National’s Great Lakes-Central West Region, stated that he loves “to learn from the ground up,” and has already taken the company’s “Agents First” outlook to heart. He hopes to contribute to that mission, saying, “I want to learn everything I can to support those around me.”
Figueroa will be supporting agents in the Southwest Region. He seconded Coffie’s sentiments, remarking that “he would like to be a sponge and absorb as much information as possible to become an asset to Alliant National.” He believes a strong Alliant National benefits agents by assuring them that “they will be taken care of,” allowing them to focus on growing their operations and strengthening their communities.
Staying in touch with what’s important
When building a team, it can be difficult to know what to prioritize. But for Alliant National, the answer is clear. Time and time again, it has seen the benefits of bringing people on board who have strong connections to the industry and a genuine commitment to serving others. By hiring Coffie and Figueroa, it has continued that valuable tradition, and Alliant National’s agents will only stand to gain.
