For the eighth year, October Research, LLC, presented its annual awards for leadership, innovation and philanthropy, with some of the brightest stars in the title industry recognized for their efforts.
CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer presented the awards Wednesday at the 15th annual National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in Phoenix. Erin Faulkner, vice president of Amrock partner relations at Amrock, was presented the leadership award. Gorkem Kuterdam, senior vice president of strategy at Adeptive Software, was presented the innovation award. And John Voso, senior vice president manager, agency relationship services at Old Republic, was presented the philanthropy award.
“The October Research Awards are given to those nominated by their colleagues for excellence in leadership, innovation and philanthropy,” Meyer said. “Over the eight years we have been presenting these awards, the industry has continued to evolve and grow, and there are so many talented individuals who deserve recognition.”
2019 Leadership Award
Faulkner’s role as a leader on the Amrock Purchase team helped the company grow its platform from five states to 35 states, in particular building operational talent in the company’s Philadelphia office.
She has spent 15 years at Amrock, promoted in 2019 to her new role of vice president of partner relations, where she leads all title, settlement and appraisal partner services with a team of more than 300 across the country. She has also been a leader in coordinating efforts with the technology team on Amrock’s “My Signings” mobile app, eClosing software and the company’s purchase portal, which has helped Amrock become one of the largest settlement agents of eNote closings in the country.
2019 Innovation Award
Kuterdem was hired at Adeptive in May to lead their technology efforts. Before joining the company, he was the chief technology officer at west, a Williston Financial Group company. There, he played a critical role in the development of MyHome, an online suite of products and dashboards designed to close transactions more efficiently while improving sales and marketing efforts for lenders and real estate agents.
A native of Turkey, Kuterdem began building technology solutions for title companies in 2005 and joined WFG in 2011 before being named chief technology officer in 2016. Today more than 10,000 lenders and title agents are using MyHome, and more than 70,000 transactions have been managed through the portal. In addition, he helped spearhead WFG’s implementation of remote online notarization.
2019 Philanthropy Award
Voso has been in the title industry for three decades, and has spent recent years volunteering in the community by service on the board of the Dancing Wheels Company and School – a nonprofit that educates, advocates and entertains audiences through dance – and the Cleveland Arts Prize – which supports and encourages the art community in his home of Cleveland.
In addition, he has written two cookbooks, in which all proceeds from sales were donated to charity. His first book provided donations to the Richie White Pediatric Family Fund, while the second book generated donations for eight charities – Dancing Wheels, Cleveland Arts Prize and Richie White plus Autism Speaks, Ears to You, NEOPAT, O.A.S.I.S. and Steps for Sarcoma.
Previous OR Award winners were:
2018
Leadership: Monte Reinert, Transnation Title Agency of Michigan
Innovation: Dominic Iannitti, DocMagic
Philanthropy: Joyce Weiland, SoftPro
2017
Leadership: George Holler, Holler Law Firm LLC
Innovation: Paul Clifford, Simplifile
Philanthropy: Curt Szymanski, Windward Consulting
2016
Leadership: Mary Schuster, RamQuest
Innovation: Dan Sogorka, RealEC Technologies
Philanthropy: Tali Raphaely, Armour Settlement Services
2015
Leadership: Diane Evans, Land Title Guarantee Co.
Innovation: Dick Reass, RynohLive
Philanthropy: Kevin Tacher, Independence Title
2014
Leadership: John Hollenbeck, First American Title Insurance Co.
Innovation: Tim Armbruster, Woodfinn
Philanthropy: Kent Stewart, Reli Settlement Solutions
2013
Leadership: Joseph Drum, WFG National Title Insurance Co.
Innovation: Brian Coester, Coester VMS
Philanthropy: Dave Heine, Closemytimeshare.com
2012
Leadership: Robert Klein, Safeguard Properties
Innovation: Stewart Morris Jr., Stewart Information Services Corp.
Philanthropy: Chris Gulotta, The Gulotta Law Group, PLLC