It is with great enthusiasm that I take on the presidency of your organization, and tackle head on the challenges presented to you and our industry in the coming year. Quite honestly, when I joined the Board a few years ago, I said I never dreamed I would someday be President. However, now that I am, I am committed to continuing the efforts of my predecessors, helping our Association to grow and to improve the quality of our industry. I hope that our members are equally committed to supporting our organization – YOUR organization – because without the support of our members, we would not exist.

The title industry is the backbone of the real estate transaction. Our efforts and diligence ensure that the American system of having recorded, good, clear title is maintained. We owe it to our customers and the System to actively pursue clearance of all title defects – after all, Clear Title is what we are all about.

Times have changed. Our industry has changed. We, as individuals, as companies, and as an organization must change with it. We start with the overhaul of our Bylaws – clarifying who our members are and modifying our processes to broaden the involvement of those members. It is incumbent upon our organization and its members to be proactive in creating the change necessary to restore our floundering industry – working to improve the professionalism and integrity with which we provide our services.

I would like to see the Maryland Land Title Association take a larger role in educating the public and encouraging a renewed interest in purchasing real estate. In the coming year, we plan to forge new relationships with our sister organizations – realtors, lenders, builders, and other real estate related industries. By working together and sharing our resources, we will have a stronger voice both in Annapolis and with the public.

To this end, I want to encourage our members to help the leadership of your Association by getting more active on our committees, and volunteering your time to promote the interests of our industry; actively making recommendations and suggestions to the leadership as to how we can improve our mission and our Association, as a whole; inspiring others in the industry to join our member- ship; and contributing to the MLTA PAC and making your voice heard in Annapolis and on Capitol Hill in support of legislation promoted by both MLTA and ALTA to enhance and protect our industry.

I look forward to a year of continuing positive change in our level of professionalism, in the sound of our voice in the legislature, and in the housing markets as a whole.

Nancy Gusman, Esq., CLTP
President
Maryland Land Title Association