The CEO of a mortgage fulfillment company, a Florida attorney and a data and analytics specialist were recognized by October Research, LLC with its annual awards for leadership, innovation, and philanthropy.
CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer presented the awards Thursday at the 18th annual National Settlement Services Summit (NS3). Sam Verma, CEO of Peoples Processing, Inc., received the leadership award. Annette Cotton, vice president, data and client solutions, DataTrace, received the innovation award. Justin Nepola of Nepola Yonta Attorneys at Law was presented the philanthropy award.
“The honorees selected truly illustrate leadership, innovation and philanthropy as modeled at the highest levels in our industry,” Meyer said. “This year’s winners of the October Research Awards truly reflect the best corporate America, not just our industry, has to offer in leadership, innovation and philanthropy.”
2022 Leadership Award
During her 25 years in the industry, Verma has made significant contributions toward streamlining operational challenges and making life easier for lenders and servicers. She has led Peoples Processing through an expansion of services which have gained the company several mid- to large-sized lenders/servicers/title agents as clients.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. Verma received the Thought Leader Award for 2021, the Mortgage Lending Women of Inspiration Award for 2021 and the NMP Women with Vision Award. She also was the proud recipient of the Bronze Stevie Award from the American Business Awards in 2021.
As a board member of the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers, Verma volunteers her time to help underserved communities and to help develop a more diverse mortgage workforce.
2022 Innovation Award
Cotton has spent more than three decades as an innovator in real estate data and analytics technology solutions. She has contributed to building market-leading suites of data assets which are essential to the industry.
In 2021, technology developed under Cotton’s guidance enabled DataTrace to add more than 1,000 new title plants, expanding the company’s title plant network to more than 1,600, covering more than 80 percent of the U.S. population.
During her career, Cotton has held senior data and analytics roles at DataTrace, First American Data and Analytics and CoreLogic.
2022 Philanthropy Award
Nepola has volunteered with many groups in South Florida, including Habitat for Humanity and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. He also has assisted nonprofits aiding the homeless, fighting human trafficking and domestic violence.
Nepola spent a week building houses with former President Jimmy Carter. He also once volunteered 24 hours straight feeding the food-challenged in South Florida. He is a member of six nonprofit boards.
Last year, he donated a car to a domestic violence survivor so she could take her children to school and get back and forth to her job safely. He regularly provides pro bono legal services.
Previous OR Award winners were:
2021:
Leadership: Fred Westerlund, MBH Settlement Group
Innovation: Nate Baker, Qualia
Philanthropy: Aaron Davis, AMD Enterprises
2020
Leadership: Patrick Stone, Williston Financial Group
Innovation: Rick Triola, NotaryCam
Philanthropy: Patrick Hagler, Alliant National Title Insurance Co.
2019
Leadership: Erin Faulkner, Amrock
Innovation: Gorkem Kuterdam, Adeptive Software
Philanthropy: John Voso, Old Republic National Title
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