October Research LLC, publisher of The Title Report, The Legal Description, Valuation Review, RESPA News and Dodd Frank Update, today announced the winners in its annual awards program, launched to honor men and women in the mortgage and settlement services industries for exemplary accomplishment in the areas of leadership, innovation and philanthropy.

Announced during the National Settlement Services Summit in Cleveland the leadership award was given to Joseph Drum, executive vice president of WFG National Title Insurance Co. The award for innovation went to Brian Coester, chief executive officer of Coester VMS. The award for philanthropy went to Dave Heine, vice president and co-owner of Closemytimeshare.com. 

The awards were presented by Erica Meyer, chief executive officer and publisher of October Research and Syndie Eardly, editorial director of October Research. 

“It was an honor to present the awards to such accomplished and dedicated individuals,” Meyer said. “This awards program provides us with a valuable reminder of the tremendous character and dedication of the people in our industry.”
 
2013 Leadership Award

Joe Drum currently sits on the executive committee for Williston Financial Group, and oversees the agency division for WFG National Title Insurance Company. He was President of United General Title Insurance Company and EVP at First American and Fidelity, where he was in charge of all agency operations and strategic initiatives for several brands. 

In the late 1990s, Joe was instrumental in the battle against a number of non-title insurers that began offering various “mortgage impairment” products. The California Insurance Commissioner ruled in 2003 that the Radian product was, in fact, title insurance and that only a licensed title insurer could provide such coverage. Shortly thereafter, a large number of states followed suit.

When states began to enact environmental super liens and the title insurance industry was being coerced by customers to insure against such liens, Joe was the driving force and co-author of a petition requesting a ruling that such insurance was beyond the scope of title insurance. In 1986, the Connecticut Insurance Commissioner ruled that such insurance was not title insurance and effectively stopped the efforts to force title insurers to assume environmental risks.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Connecticut was the scene of multiple lawsuits by several Native American tribes seeking to reclaim lands they claimed had been wrongfully taken in violation of several treaties. Joe played a major and vocal role in calming homeowner fears by explaining that title insurance would be enough to protect their property. 

He is a co-author of three books: Understanding RESPA, Understanding Reg X and Mortgage Financing. He is an expert on exclusionary zoning and landlord-tenant law as well.

He has served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps with the Peace Corp in the West Indies and raised funds for the construction of the Louise Reimann Clinic, an eye and health clinic in Jamaica. He was instrumental in the founding of Americares, and served as its volunteer head of emergency medical relief for a substantial period and has served on the boards of many charitable organizations.

“I’ve done every job in the title industry – from clerk to president – but I can’t think of a better industry with which to be affiliated. Customers become friends. Colleagues and competitors become friends. It’s a very collegial organization. And October Research has had a lot to do with that over the past 10 years by keeping us informed,” Drum said during his acceptance speech. “I mean it from my heart … the feeling I have is gratitude not just for the award, but for being in an industry filled with friends. Thank you.”

2013 Innovation Award 

Brian Coester has been chief executive officer of CoesterVMS since 2005. The son of one of the east coast’s most reputable appraisers, Brian literally grew up in the business. Since becoming chief executive officer, he has grown CoesterVMS from a local appraisal company, to a nationwide provider of appraisals and appraisal technology. 

He is the mastermind behind Cloud Control, the only appraisal process management software built on the award-winning Salesforce.com platform. Among the groundbreaking functions of Cloud Control are: 
• Comprehensive customer relationship management functionalities, fully integrated into Cloud Control; 
• Customizability — down to the user level; and
• The broadest database in use by any appraisal technology provider, which enables the assurance of quality and compliance. 

Coester’s contributions have made huge in-roads to a much needed upgrade in the way the settlement services industry serves the lender and investor community.

2013 Philanthropy Award

Dave Heine is vice President and Co-Owner, Closemytimeshare.com. He is being recognized for his volunteerism and charity with Christel House, JDRF and Deliver the Dream. 

• Christel House helps children around the world break the cycle of poverty, and become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. 
• JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. 
• Deliver the Dream is a retreat program that enables families who are experiencing serious illness or crisis to regain strength, mend spirits and just be families and kids again.

Additionally, he has been a financial sponsor for the Florida Diversity council’s Young Women’s Leadership symposium.

Dave has also been involved in helping others at a very personal level. 

He and his wife hosted a Vietnamese high school student for 10 months, but in truth his nominator reported, they went beyond just “hosting” to making this young woman a “daughter” of the house. After she successfully completed her exchange year as an A student, they encouraged her to continue at Seminole State College. She went on to enter Florida State and is seeking a degree in Actuarial Science. Not only did they provide an opportunity to this young woman, but they gave the American students in their local community the gift of learning about the Vietnamese culture. 
 
“I am humbled by the nomination for this award and want to thank Erica and the staff at October Research for the effort that goes into this conference and evaluating the many submissions,” Heine said as he accepted the award. “I thank my family, friends, and business partners who make everything I do possible. And I want to leave you with words of wisdom I received from a 21-year-old young lady who said to me: ‘I don’t give because I have a lot. I give because I know what it is like to have nothing.’ That’s philanthropy.”