Professional Mentorship Program
A Mentee Perspective: Past Present and Passion
Stacey Reardon
Class of 2021
I was granted the opportunity to participate in the first installation of the New York State Land Title Association’s Professional Mentorship Program. The program had been a long-standing vision of many of the Association’s Presidents, and the vision shared has successfully taken off.
The class consisted of 14 Association Members, equally representing agents and underwriters. The program requirements were outlined to include participating in a monthly call subsequent to the monthly Executive Committee Meeting. Each mentee was required to ask a question during these calls, which could range from anything pertinent from the meeting the day before or anything specific from the formation of a committee or about the Association itself. The class was also required to read and discuss the By-Laws, and navigate the member website with Executive Director Robert Treuber. The program also required each mentee to conduct two 15 minute phone conversations per month with either an Officer, Prior Officer, Chair / Vice Chair of a Committee, Executive Committee Member, Bob Treuber or Regina Capone.
Each requirement was an excellent opportunity to learn about the function of the Association. Like many of my fellow mentees who have served in this industry for a number of years, while we are not new in our roles, we are not yet familiar voices within the Association. The program is geared to prepare for the future of the Association, but you can’t look to the future without learning and respecting the past and the present.
Throughout the last few months, I have spoken with several active members, many with vital roles within the Association. I proudly drafted this article back in March, during Women’s History Month. To have discussions with several female professionals who served as President of the Association during significant challenging times was truly inspiring to me. From licensing to regulation changes and now through a pandemic, they each exemplified what it is to be a leader. But as I continued my conversations with several other Members on the challenges of our industry and the importance of the Association I realized, there was a very strong component they all shared, male or female. Passion. Without passion, can you have a future?
Every member of the Association has a primary career role. Those roles have and will continue to be challenged and reiterate the importance of the Association. It is important to remember that every Officer or Committee member volunteers their time to ensure the security of the New York title industry. If it were not for the passion of the previous and present members, where would each of us stand today?
This program has embraced some familiar faces – the faces you have seen attend meetings and quietly stand in the background and wait to share our names during roll call. This program encourages new members to become more active, and not by just joining a committee, but by speaking up during the committee calls.
I have gained from this experience, and have many takeaways from the folks who dedicated more of their time in sharing some of their insights with me… from the encouragement to join a committee I am comfortable with, but also one that I know nothing about, to not joining too many committees and overextending myself. They spoke, I listened. What I also felt and heard was camaraderie – when many who attend these meetings no longer see each other as competitors, but work together and help each other – in and out of the Association. This program reiterated that and I am sure we will carry it forward.
I referenced earlier I had spoken with several active members of the Association. I had the pleasure of speaking with Amy Kelly who many know had a stellar career as she stated “the reverse” of mine. She started with an Underwriter before becoming an Agent. While Amy has now “retired” she shared not only her time with me, but is also a member of the Centennial Committee. Passion.
I am confident this program is the foundation for the future of the Association – layered with the passion of many who have worked tirelessly to build it.
COMMITTEE UPDATE BY
Stacey Reardon – NY Agency Representative
Westcor Land Title Insurance Company