Company names new chief underwriting counsel
Real estate services company Stewart has announced the appointment of Wilhelmina Kightlinger (pictured) as chief underwriting counsel for its National Commercial Services (NCS) arm.
Kightlinger, previously NCS deputy chief underwriting counsel, succeeds Don Wade, who is stepping down from the role to focus on mentorship and training. According to a release, he will continue to serve as a member of the underwriting leadership team for Stewart NCS and on the senior underwriting committee.
"Don has been with Stewart for nearly 30 years, serving in the NCS chief underwriting counsel role for the past five years," said Erin Sheckler, head of Stewart NCS. "We want to thank Don for his leadership and all he has done for Stewart and our underwriters, as he will work closely with Wilhelmina to ensure a smooth transition. Commercial underwriting is already a noted strength of ours at Stewart, and Wilhelmina will continue to build upon the great foundation that Don and our other senior underwriting committee leaders have lain."
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Before joining Stewart in 2022, Kightlinger served as senior vice president and general counsel at Florida-based Old Republic Title. She had also spent several years in private practice with DLA Piper US representing commercial developers and lenders.
"Stewart has a very firm commitment to its future-forward vision that includes a significant investment in the training and development of our next generation of best-in-class underwriters," Kightlinger said. "I'm honored to step into Don's role while also continuing to have the benefit of his counsel and guidance as we remain focused on strengthening our underwriting capacity. Partnering with our other underwriting leaders nationally, we'll continue to grow our footprint in markets where our unique expertise has previously been underrepresented. I'm excited about the challenges and opportunities ahead."
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