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American Land Title CEO Takes Leave

In a statement released Monday, the ""American Land Title Association"":http://www.alta.org/ (ALTA) announced the departure of CEO Kurt Pfotenhaur, who plans to take over as EVP and vice chairman at the publicly traded ""First American Title Insurance Company"":http://www.firstam.com/.

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""Everyone in the industry recognizes Kurt as a top performer. He brought record growth to ALTA in a down market, and we are confident that First American will benefit from Kurt's results-driven leadership,"" Dennis Gilmore, CEO of ""First American Financial Corporation"":http://www.firstam.com/, said in a separate statement. ""Moreover, his working relationships with key mortgage industry players and government officials will bring added depth and breadth to our management of strategic opportunities.""

Pfotenhaur arrives at First American with over 26 years of experience in politics and the financial services industry. As CEO of Washington, D.C.-based ALTA, he frequently rubbed elbows with senior contacts at the White House and Congress.

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Speaking about his departure from ALTA, Pfotenhauer said in its statement: ""I cherish my time spent at ALTA, representing an industry that plays a vital role in the home buying process. I am very proud of the many successes ALTA has achieved during my leadership, but I leave behind a motivated and intelligent staff that will build upon the association's success and will strive to reinforce the industry's value proposition. I believe the best way to motivate people is to demand the best of yourself, and then invite others to join you. Let me just say, ALTA's staff has come to the table, accepted challenges and delivered results.""

Before his tenure at ALTA, Pfotenhauer presided as SVP of government affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association. He brought to the position his years of experience as chiefs of staff to Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) and Rep. Denny Smith (R-Oregon), respectively. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and his master's degree from Yale University.

As EVP at First American, according to the statement, Pfotenhauer will balance responsibilities between Santa Ana, California, and Washington, D.C., in order to facilitate relations between the banking industry and legislative arm of government.

According to its Web site, First American, a subsidiary of First American Financial, proffers title services by way of a network of real estate agents.

ALTA represents over 3,800 title companies, agents, searchers, and attorneys, according to its Web site.

About Author: Ryan Schuette

Ryan Schuette is a journalist, cartoonist, and social entrepreneur with several years of experience in real-estate news, international reporting, and business management. He currently lives in the Washington, D.C., area, where he freelances for DS News and MReport.
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