Executive Team
Michael P. Bell
Principal
Michael P. Bell is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law and was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1987. He is also a member of the District of Columbia Bar. Mr. Bell is a former prosecutor with the Assistant States Attorney office for Montgomery County, Maryland and a member of the Montgomery County and Maryland State Bar Associations. Prior to co-founding Closeline, Mr. Bell practiced law with the real estate law firm Selzer and Roberge in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Mr. Bell is an avid web designer and is primarily responsible for the design and implementation of Closeline’s proprietary web-based software platform. All of Mr. Bell’s designs are structured to foster Closeline’s National Closing and Escrow Platform. He also directed the overall design of Closeline’s Appraisal Management Software System. Mr. Bell also serves on an advisory board to Branch Banking and Trust (“BB and T”) which assists that bank in creating system operational efficiencies for national escrow clients as well as other multistate businesses. Mr. Bell is an avid pilot and is a member of the AOPA.
Elliot M. Liss
Principal
Elliot M. Liss is an attorney and member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bars and a cum laude graduate of the American University's Washington College of Law. Mr. Liss has a BS in finance from the University of Maryland at College Park. As a founding principal of the firm in 1993, Mr. Liss began his title career servicing lenders in connection with their nationwide and regional lending platforms. Mr. Liss was instrumental in creating one of the first nationwide title and escrow companies with brick and mortar locations in multistate environments. He has been instrumental in establishing Closeline as one of the leading directly licensed title and escrow companies in the country. Closeline has been active in national title business for well over a decade. Mr. Liss is an active member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and currently serves on his chapter’s executive committee.
Tanya Themistokleous
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales
Tanya Themistokleous has served as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales since April 2004. She has nationwide responsibility for Closeline’s marketing efforts and sales initiatives, which include branding, business development and client relations. She brings more than 15 years of marketing and management experience to the company.
Prior to joining Closeline, Ms. Themistokleous served as Director of Marketing for the Association for Financial Professionals and Director of Marketing for GE Healthcare Finance.
Ms. Themistokleous has been published in The Scotsman Guide and has been featured in various speaking engagements around the country. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, the Direct Marketing Association and the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women. Ms. Themistokleous graduated cum laude from Clark University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and then earned a Master’s of Business Administration degree as a magna cum laude graduate from American University.
Ronald J. Maas, Esquire
Underwriting Counsel
Ron Maas serves as Underwriting Counsel for Closeline Settlements. A real estate attorney with 35 years of experience, Mr. Maas has served as Vice President and State Underwriting Counsel for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company in New Jersey for three years, was General Counsel of Weichert Realtors for thirteen years and represented Home Connects Lending Services, GMAC Mortgage's former vendor management company. Mr. Maas has closed over 1000 real estate transactions involving residential, commercial and industrial properties. Mr. Maas is a magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University College of Law where he was an editor for the law review and a member of the Order of Coif.
Michael Heller
Director of Operations
Michael Heller has served as Director of Operations since joining Closeline Settlements in 2003. He is responsible for managing our network of nationwide title branches. He brings over 18 years of sales and operations experience to the company.
Prior to joining Closeline, Mr. Heller served as Regional Director of Sales for Amresco Residential Mortgage, a multi-state lender, and Vice President of National Sales for Britesmile, a national dental provider.
Mr. Heller graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He is a licensed title agent in Maryland and Virginia.
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