CEA PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:

October is CEA Conference month!  I am getting ready to travel to Anaheim, for the 69th CEA Conference, excited for all of the education and networking opportunities.  If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late! I hope to see you there. 

 

Friday 10/18 and Saturday 10/19 we have some great sessions and speakers lined up for you. You can register for Conference and check out the speaker list here. Attending this year’s Conference will be another great opportunity for you to show your support for CEA and all of the work it does for our industry, while you connect with your peers and sharpen your escrow skills.  Please share this information with others who may benefit by attending, and also by becoming a member of CEA.  

 

While you’re there, please join us for about an hour Friday evening, October 18 for a reception to support CEA’s designated charity, HomeAid. This will be a fun assembly-line style event to make up Care Kits for the homeless, with contents purchased using donations from CEA members.  If you haven’t done so yet, it’s not too late to make a donation to HomeAid, just click here!  Thank you in advance!

 

Last month I mentioned that we are establishing a subcommittee to review and discuss the new FinCEN Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Rule – which will be effective on December 1, 2025. This new regulation marks a major shift in FinCEN requirements, and the time to get ready for it is NOW. The calls have been scheduled for the second Friday of the month beginning in November at 8:30 AM.  If you are interested in joining this subcommittee, please email me.

 

FinCEN is just one of the big things affecting the industry. CEA is in the process of planning our educational events for the coming year, and we need to hear from you. What topics do you want CEA to focus on? Your input will be key in helping us bring you the most meaningful subject matter in 2025. 

 

I’ll end with my usual request for you to share information about CEA with escrow practitioners you know who are not currently CEA members. Think about the value you have received as a member. Whether you attend every webinar and Conference or only pop in for the occasional meeting, you always come away with important knowledge that improves your ability to serve your clients and protect your company, right?  I know I’m speaking to the choir, because you are a member. Please reach out to your coworkers and colleagues in our industry to join CEA now so that they can have that same benefit.  They need us, and CEA needs them. Membership is the lifeblood of our association. We need you and new members to continue our critical work on behalf of escrow practitioners throughout the state, and to ensure you have an association that represents you! 

 

Thank you for your continued dedication and support. I believe that together, we can navigate the changes ahead with confidence and contribute to the ongoing success of our association and our industry, for the benefit of the public which we serve.

 

Mickey Vandenberg

President of the California Escrow Association