Who We Are

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Title First has branch offices throughout the Midwest and a robust virtual partner network throughout the country. Title First got its start in 1956 as an affiliate of a local law firm and has since emerged as one of the largest independent title agencies in the nation. Proudly servicing Realtors, lenders, builders, developers, law firms, buyers and sellers, Title First is equipped to serve your residential and commercial title and settlement needs.

Certifications

To better serve its customers, Title First has implemented best practices and third-party audits, equipping itself to facilitate compliance efforts. In 2014, Title First instituted ALTA Best Practices and continually reviews its compliance. More importantly, in 2015, Title First completed its examination in conformity with Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 16 through an independent third-party auditor. Each year, Title First continues its SSAE examination, and in 2017 earned the SSAE-18 certification. Title First is one of the few title agencies in the industry having an SSAE-18 certification. This certification provides reassurance that Title First Agency is in compliance when it comes to financial controls and internal procedures for data security, availability, processing integrity and privacy.

Meet The Team

• 
  Sean Stoner, Esq.,
  President
  Title First Agency, Inc.
  

  Sean Stoner is a Group Senior Vice President for Stewart Title and is also President of Title First Agency, Inc. He is responsible for the management of business development and operations on a national scale, with focus in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama and Arkansas. Sean began his career with Title First in 2004 as the regional vice president, where he oversaw all aspects of sales, operations and business partnerships for central Ohio, southwest Ohio and Indiana. He also served as senior vice president of the company’s commercial division before being promoted to president in March 2012. Stoner purchased the agency in March 2016 and recently sold his agency to Stewart Title, a publicly traded company (NYSE) with over 5,000 employees and annual revenue of approximately $3.3 billion. Prior to joining Title First, Stoner served as director of regional real estate and in-house real estate counsel for Family Dollar Stores, Inc., in Charlotte, N.C. Stoner is a member of the North Carolina and Ohio Bar Associations and the North Carolina and Ohio Bar (corporate status). He is also a member of the American and the Ohio Land Title Associations and is licensed for title in Ohio and 32 states. Stoner earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Policy and Analysis and Political Science from Bowling Green State University, and he holds a Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

• 
  Tony Nauta
  Senior Vice President,
  Title First National Operations
  

  Tony Nauta is senior vice president of Title First’s National Operations. In that role, Nauta manages sales, title production, vendor management, and escrow processing for Title First National Operations. He has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage and banking industries, including underwriting, lending and title operations. Nauta joined the Title First team in 2005 as director of operations for the company’s national operations division. He became vice president of National Operations in 2010 and was promoted to senior vice president in 2012.

  Tony holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business.

• 
  Paul Thompson, Esq.,
  Senior Vice President,
  Title First Northern Ohio Region
  

  Paul Thompson, Esq., is senior vice president of Title First’s Northern Ohio Region. Thompson manages sales, title production and escrow processing in northern Ohio as well as joint venture operations in northern and central Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Having been in the title and insurance industries since 1992, Thompson has focused his career on insurance law and real estate. He joined Title First in 2004 as central Ohio counsel and director of national operations. In 2012, he was promoted to senior vice president of the company’s Northern Ohio Region.

  Thompson is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Bar. He is also a member of the Ohio Land Title Association and is licensed for title in Ohio and 33 other states. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and his Juris Doctor from Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

• 
  Tammy Leach
  Senior Vice President
  

  Tammy Leach was promoted to Senior Vice President, Operations in October 2020. Tammy started her career with Title First in 1993 as an escrow processor. She has worked extensively with both residential and commercial transactions and has overseen the title department. Tammy has held many pivotal roles throughout her tenure at the company, including Director of Operations from 2013 to 2020. In this capacity, she was in charge of daily operational decisions regarding facilities, branch operations, staffing, training, and employee benefits. As Senior Vice President, she will expand on those duties with a focus on enhancing the customer experience by providing continued training and growth opportunities for employees.

  Tammy attended Columbus State Community College and The Ohio State University. She is a licensed title insurance agent.

• 
  Darrel S. Slater
  Chief Operations Officer

  Darrel Slater is Title First’s Chief Operations Officer. He is responsible for overseeing operations including business operations, accounting and administrative functions. He joined the company in 2019 as CFO and was responsible for the company’s financial reporting, account reconciliation, accounts payable and cash management. Darrel has over 20 years of experience in the banking industry where he held various accounting and finance roles, including CFO of Equipment Finance at a large financial institution. He also has four years of experience in external and internal auditing.

  Slater earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Bowling Green State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

• 
  Angie Basta Sherry, Esq.,
  Director & Counsel, Central Ohio Legal Department
  

  Angie has served as an Underwriting attorney for Title First since 2003. She also serves as the Legal Department manager and is the primary attorney for the residential department. Her responsibilities include all aspects of underwriting as to probate matters, trusts, foreclosures, entities and chain of title issues in determining insurability.

  Before joining Title First, Angie was in private practice in Fairview Park, Ohio. She had multiple clients with litigation matters in criminal, civil and real property cases. Early on in her career, Angie provided contract closing services for several Northern Ohio title agencies.

  Angie received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Toledo.

• 
  Mark Martin
  Vice President,
  Title First Builder Division
  

  Mark manages all aspects of builder programs including, but not limited to, lot acquisitions, construction loans/draws and purchases. He also serves as Area Manager for the northern quadrant of central Ohio, overseeing four retail locations.

  Mark joined Title First in 1990. He was a key player in Title First’s commercial division, serving as manager for five years before being promoted to Vice President of the Builder Division. Mark has extensive experience in the title/real estate industry. Prior to joining Title First, Mark held his real estate license and worked for a mortgage lender.

  Mark is a licensed title agent and a member of the Building Industry Association (BIA). He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Ashland University.

• 
  Carson Quillin
  National Sales Manager
  Carson Quillin is National Sales Manager for Title First’s Commercial and Residential divisions. Joining the team in February 2020, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s sales efforts and new business development. Carson brings over twenty years of experience in the real estate industry in various, diverse roles.

  Prior to joining Title First, Carson worked in commercial business development with developers, commercial brokers and lenders. For eight years, he owned his own national loan facilitation company where he helped homeowners of distressed properties. He started his career in lending and banking.

  Quillin studied Business Administration and Marketing at Franklin University and obtained his Real Estate license from Hondros College. He is an active participant with the Central Ohio chapters of NAIOP and CCIIR.

• 
  Roni Jones
  Vice President, Administration
  Roni Jones is our VP of Administration. She joined the company in 2021 and is responsible for Accounting, Compliance, and Information Technology Departments. This includes increasing operational excellence through process improvement, technology innovation, managing audits, risk assessments and financial controls.

  Prior to joining Title First, Roni lead multiple Operations Teams for a top-rated law firm representing large financial institutions in real estate default litigation. She also held various roles in program management and technology.

  Roni earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Boston University, a post-baccalaureate Certificate in Legal Studies from Capital University Law School and a Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio University.  Roni also serves on several ALTA and OLTA committees.