PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Summer is now in full swing! Wishing you a fun Fourth of July, and I hope you are all enjoying pool parties and summer barbeques with family and friends.

Have you heard that CEA has a brand-new website? Stephanie Schoen and the CAMS team have been working hard to create an updated user-friendly online platform for our members to stay connected to all things CEA. Please visit us at https://www.ceaescrow.org/ to explore CEA information and new features available, and share this information with others who may benefit by becoming a member of CEA.

As an escrow professional, it is essential to stay up to date in order to thrive in the ever-changing competitive market. As a member of CEA, you have access to a wealth of resources and information that can help you navigate the fluid landscape of legislation and other forces that affect what happens on your desk. We keep our fingers on the pulse of the industry and bring you the latest developments that are crucial to your success.

On that note, I hope to see you at CEA’s NorCal Escrow Education Conference, on July 12 and 13 at the DoubleTree Hilton in Burlingame, CA. Check out the program -- there’s a great lineup of topics and speakers (including me) and we’d love to see you there. It’s not too late to sign up! Here’s a link to the registration form. 

Also, please block your calendar and plan to attend CEA’s 69th Annual Education Conference, Thursday, October 17 through Saturday, October 19 at the Hilton Anaheim. This will be another great opportunity for you to connect with like-minded individuals and sharpen your escrow skills. Watch our website and your email for more information to follow.

Please consider sharing your skills and strengths with us by becoming a CEA Director and/or Committee Member. Whatever your interest, we probably have a committee for it! Do you love to organize parties? Join our Conference Committee. Do you enjoy digging into legislative issues? Join our Bill Review Committee. ‘Love to train? How about the Education Committee? And there are other options, as well. Check them out at ceaescrow.org. To get a feel for how your association works, check us out as a guest at our August 3 Board of Directors’ Meeting at the Hilton Orange County Costa Mesa. Guests are welcome to observe, for the cost of lunch. Contact CEA HQ to RSVP if you’d like to attend.

I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but I encourage you to ask others in our industry to join CEA now. It’s very simple: CEA needs you. A big part of the association’s mission is to keep onerous tasks that should rightly be handled by others off of our desks. Considering the upcoming FinCEN AML Rule and the CFPB RFI, we need to increase our membership to be able to show our legislators and regulators that we truly are a force to be reckoned with – that our needs and opinions matter. Continued and new membership is absolutely vital to the success of our association – your association -- and to make sure you have the information you need to thrive! We need you, and our promise is to provide good value for your annual membership fee.

Please also consider sharing your skills and strengths with us by becoming a CEA Director and/or Committee Member. Do you love to organize parties? Join our Conference Committee. Do you love digging into legislative issues? Join our Bill Review Committee. ‘Love to train? How about the Education Committee? And there are other options, as well. Check them out at ceaescrow.org. Check us out as a guest at our August 3 Board of Directors Meeting at the Hilton Orange County Costa Mesa. Guests are welcome to observe, for the cost of lunch. Contact CEA HQ to RSVP if you’d like to attend.

I thank you in advance for being a part of our success!

Mickey Vandenberg
2024 (68th) President of the California Escrow Association