November 26, 2002


Thanksgiving is once again upon us . . . a special time to spend with friends and family as we enjoy the abundance of this great land. In this spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to extend my appreciation to each and every one of you for your involvement in and support of TLTA. We could not be successful without you!

TLTA's seminars are continuing to draw record attendance. "Policy Training A to Z" was sold out in Dallas on November 20 with 135 attendees. Due to this overwhelming response, we will also offer this topic in Houston on January 10, 2003 . For more information check the calendar section of the TLTA Web site at http://tlta.com. In addition, we have pre-registered 400 people for the TLTA Institute to be held at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort in early December.

Earlier this month Texas Dept. of Insurance Commissioner Montemayor announced the scheduling of the 2002 Biennial Hearing for Dec. 31, 2002 . As we reported to you last week, a motion was granted to transfer the ratemaking portion of the hearing to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH).  With regard to the rulemaking portion of the hearing which is scheduled for December 31, 2002 , TLTA filed a motion for continuance until after the conclusion of the upcoming legislative session. We will notify you as more information becomes available on either hearing.

Just as a reminder, the 78th Legislature will convene on January 14, 2003 . If you have items of concern or pending legislation that you're interested in carrying, our legislative committee will be meeting soon. I would like to urge collaboration and cooperation among our members and the TLTA legislative committee as we enter into what could prove to be a very challenging session for the title industry. As I'm sure you know, it is to our benefit as an industry and as business owners to act as one voice with the legislature. If you have items of concern or issues to present to the committee, please contact Mindy Carr at mindy@tlta.com

Our plans for this year's Annual Conference, to be held at the beautiful Woodlands Resort and Conference Center , are beginning to pick up momentum. Nancy Ebert is working on tying down details for special events and speakers, and committee members are already marketing these events to potential sponsors and exhibitors.  I'm very excited about the dynamic educational sessions being planned as well as an appealing array of social events. Mark your calendars for June 6-8, 2003 and Rediscover the Nature of Your Business!

We do indeed have a great deal to be thankful for, both personally and professionally. Please accept my warmest wishes to you and your family for a bountiful and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday.

  Best regards,