Your Advantage: Meet the Crew Behind Our National Operations Center
Alliant National’s NOC is the “nerve center” of everything agent-related across the company.
When trying to sum up the National Operations Center (NOC), Debra Coffie, SVP, Florida Regional Manager at Alliant National and National Operations Manager, perhaps said it best: “It is the hub for all information for Alliant National agents throughout the entire country.”
This is indeed an apt description for the NOC’s small but mighty team. As the nerve center for everything agent-related across the company, the NOC handles onboarding and licensing to compliance, ongoing maintenance and customer service. Simply put, Alliant National couldn’t do what it does without the NOC’s commitment and expertise. Here, we are excited to introduce you to the incredible group of people behind the NOC and showcase how they support the independent agent.
From all walks of life
Hailing from all walks of life, the folks who make up Alliant National’s NOC team each bring different experiences and expertise to the table. Let’s meet them one-by-one:
- Debra Coffie: Debra’s experience in title insurance goes back over 30 years. She initially came to Alliant National in 2009 to open the organization’s Florida operations. Last year, she started managing the NOC as well, inheriting what she describes as an “amazing team.” “It has been a joy to lead them,” she said about this experience. “This is a team that knows exactly what they’re doing. I just let them do what they do best.”
- Michelle Morgan: Michelle got her start in title insurance back in 1993 and learned the ins-and-outs of the business over the intervening decades. “First, I was busy with reception duties. And gradually, I learned how to put together a commitment, type policies, order payoffs and get a successful result,” she said. Michelle has been with Alliant National for six years. She considers it her “happy zone,” the “best place” and loves what she does.
- Rachel Ryan: Rachel Ryan is also a seasoned title professional. “I’ve been in the industry for basically my entire life,” she said. Initially, Rachel got into title insurance via a relative, starting small with tasks like making copies. After meeting Debra, however, she moved into administration, which proved to be her calling: “I love helping agents and the other employees,” she said. “To me, it is a joy to help.”
- Kiersten Balbin: Kiersten also got into title through her family, in this case her mother, and considers herself as having been “born into the industry.” She started working at Alliant National in its Florida regional operations, focusing on premiums and policies. Transitioning to the NOC has been a fun experience for her, not to mention a “great learning opportunity.”
- Lori Liberatore: Lori entered title insurance more recently than Michelle and Rachel, taking on her first role back in 2010. She came to Alliant National in March of 2023, which she described warmly as her “forever landing place.”
- Jenna Hall: Unlike many of her colleagues, Jenna joined Alliant National from another industry. Originally, she was working in a temporary role, but eventually moved into a permanent position upon Michelle’s request. Reflecting on her career, she stated that, although she initially “fell into” the role, she couldn’t be happier with the result. “I love helping out the people we work with in the different regions where we operate.”
United by a dedication to the independent agent
While each member of the NOC has a different backstory, they are all united by a shared dedication to the independent agent. “At the NOC, we love coming up with new ideas and new ways to be of service to our agents, customers and other people within the company,” said Debra. In practical terms, this means having a rock-solid commitment to supplying agents with answers when and where they need them. Michelle echoed this by comparing the NOC to “a detective team” that “works to get [agents] the right information.” She also mentioned that if “we don’t know, we will find out who does.”
The NOC focuses on helping agents deal with present-day concerns like state compliance issues; processing agency applications; and supporting audits, wind-downs and other significant events. Yet, as with the rest of Alliant National, they also help agents deal with how the industry is changing. “Fraud and cyberattacks are a growing problem with the industry,” said Michelle, outlining one example. “Alliant National has created a digital tool called SecureMyTransaction to help agents better identify potential wire fraud.”
Solutions like SecureMyTransaction are emblematic of the NOC’s and Alliant National’s larger approach to helping agents prepare for the future, which is being disrupted by technological innovation and other developments. “Today, there are things like AI and automation that are happening in the field,” said Debra. “At Alliant National, we can quickly respond to industry and customer needs. And I know our leadership all the way up to the CEO has their fingers on the pulse. We continually ask ourselves how we can embrace change, embrace technology and embrace the things that are coming. We aspire to stay true to who we are as a company, to our culture and to our agents, while always ensuring that our industry stays at the table.”
Heroes of the company
Given its obvious passion for the title industry and the professionals working within it, Alliant National’s NOC team is a big reason why the company has been so successful with this goal. Their ability to respond with speed, dexterity, efficiency and joy to agents’ ever-evolving needs has made the organization well-equipped to tackle the industry’s pressing concerns of both today and tomorrow. Moreover, it has fulfilled Coffie’s original vision for the team when she began leading them in 2023. “I told [the team] on day one that my goal for them was they would be heroes at the company. And that is exactly who they are.”
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