Ted Conner is Senior Vice President, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company and Deputy General Counsel of Old Republic National Title Holding Company. Ted’s responsibilities include managing Old Republic Title’s Regulatory Department in the Corporate Legal Division. Ted earned a B.S. degree in business administration with a major in real estate from the University of Florida and a J.D. degree from the University of Florida College of Law. He is also a Florida board certified real estate lawyer. Ted has authored chapters in Florida Real Property Title Examination and Insurance and Florida Real Property Sales Transactions (Fla.CLE).  Ted serves on the NAIC Liaison Committee of the American Land Title Association. He is also serving as vice-chair of the governing board of Port Tampa Bay. 

James Russick is Vice President, Southeast Regional Counsel, for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company.  Jim has been a title insurance underwriter for over 40 years and has also been deeply involved with legislative and regulatory matters impacting real property and title insurance in Florida for decades. 

Jim is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Real Estate and serves on multiple substantive committees of the Executive Council for the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section.  Jim has served on the Title Insurance Forms Committee of the American Land Title Association since 2003 and chairs the Existing Forms and the Commitment Subcommittees.  

Jim is a Past President of the Florida Land Title Association and a Fellow in both the American College of Real Estate Attorneys and The American College of Mortgage Attorneys.  He is a retired United States Air Force Reserve Judge Advocate.  

Shannon Widman earned her B.S. degree in Political Science at Syracuse University and J.D. Degree from University of Miami School of Law. 

As Legislative Counsel for Old Republic Title, Shannon is responsible for leading advocacy efforts on behalf of the company and its agents nationwide, with special focus on the state of Florida. Shannon takes an active role in the industry’s leading associations, including the Florida Land Title Association (FLTA), the American Land Title Association (ALTA), and the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law (RPPTL) Section of The Florida Bar where she currently serves on the Executive Council and as Co-Vice Chair of the Title Insurance Industry Liaison Committee. 

Prior to corporate work, Shannon was in private practice for 24 years, specializing in real estate transactions, commercial loan transactions and real estate development on Florida’s Emerald Coast and 30A corridor.