Melissa A. McPherson
President
Safe Harbor Title Company President Melissa A. McPherson is known for her ability to find solutions when commercial real estate transactions get complicated. Her very wise mentor taught her right from the beginning: “there’s no such thing as un-insurable title.” She strives to find business oriented solutions that satisfy and protect her clients.
A licensed title insurance agent, Melissa served on the Board of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Richmond for six years and was elected board president in 2013. She was honored by CREW Richmond as one of the “Top 25 Women to Watch in Richmond Commercial Real Estate,” and is a member of the VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) School of Business Real Estate Circle of Excellence. Melissa is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute of Virginia, the Virginia Land Title Association and the American Land Title Association. Melissa graduated from George Mason University with a B.A. in Government & Politics. She lives in Henrico, Virginia with her two children.
Cindy Keyser Balsly
Director of Commercial Underwriting
Cindy Balsly started her career as a real estate paralegal, handling all aspects of the settlement process. In 1999, she expanded her expertise by obtaining her title insurance license. With more than 20 years combined experience in both underwriting and settlement, she brings her vast knowledge, attention to detail and genuine love for the real estate industry to every transaction. Cindy holds a B.A. in English from Christopher Newport University. Outside of work, you’ll find her watching football, camping and enjoying the beach with her husband and three boys.
Rachel Bender
Commerical Title Coordinator
As Commercial Title Coordinator, Rachel opens commercial files, orders and sorts searches, sends out various correspondence to customers, and works closely with the underwriters. When not at work, she is actively involved in the community theater community, whether it’s going to shows, working backstage as part of the crew, or being onstage as part of the cast. She also enjoys lots of time with her family.
Anita Brown
Comerical Underwriter Training Specialist
Anita Brown is an Underwriter in the Commercial Department of Safe Harbor Title. She has worked at Safe Harbor Title since 2017. She works remotely from Union Grove, Alabama after her husband’s retirement from the U.S. Army. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Maryland University College which was obtained while stationed overseas in Ansbach, Germany. The family fosters dogs and puppies for a local rescue on their little farm. Anita also enjoys the top down and the wind in her hair as she drives around in her vintage Volkswagen.
Virginia Duley
Commercial Settlement Officer & Underwriter
Virginia Duley started with us this past July and works as the Commercial Settlement Coordinator.
Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, she received her B.S. in Psychology from James Madison University in 2019. Currently, she is finishing her Masters in Forensic Psychology.
After needing a change in pace, Safe Harbor was the perfect place and team to join. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, friends, and dog, Mikey.
Janie Elliot
Commercial Title Review Specialist
Janie Elliott started her career working in a law office in 1972 where she handled residential and commercial real estate closings. She then left the law office for a short period of time and became a member of the sales management team for a local real estate company where her main duty was to assist the agents with getting their contracts to closing. However, Janie’s love for the law office brought her back to a larger office where she again handled both residential and commercial closings. Janie was then offered the opportunity to become an executive assistant to a Hampton Circuit Court Judge. She enjoys gardening, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Maria Greco
Quality Assurance Officer
I have worked in Title Insurance since 1999. I started as a National Account Manager with a large underwriter. When my department was moved to Atlanta, I joined the audit department. The director of audit said, he could teach people how to audit, he could not teach people how to talk to others. Being an auditor allowed me to travel the US and meet some amazing people. When my children were born, I began reconciling escrow accounts. I spent over 15 years reconciling escrow accounts for title agents and assisting with problems. I joined Safe Harbor after reconciling their escrow accounts for over 9 years. I loved the way the company was run and knew they valued their employees.
Mary Brown Broughton Leachman
Director of Business Development
As Director of Business Development, Mary Brown Broughton Leachman builds lasting relationships with top real estate professionals in Virginia and beyond. She previously held positions as Real Estate Manager/Vice President in the Corporate Real Estate Group of SunTrust Bank, as well as an Executive Recruiter for staffing firm Durrill & Associates. Mary Brown is also a graduate of Mary Baldwin College with a B.A. in Marketing Communications.
Jaimee Maddox
New Construction Specialist
Jaimee Maddox started with us in 2012 and recently rejoined the Safe Harbor team after taking some time off to be with her kids. Her current position is as a New Construction Specialist. Jaimee is a born and raised Richmond native and received her credentials form Radford University.
Jaimee has worked in residential Real Estate since 2006 and prides herself on insuring that her customers are happy by doing whatever is needed to keep them satisfied.
In her free time Jaimee enjoys cooking, going to the beach and trying new restaurants. She and her husband Brandon have been married for 9 years and they have two little girls together. She loves spending time with her family when she is not working.
Amanda Nester
Residential Settlement Officer
Amanda Nester joined Safe Harbor in 2016 as a Residential Settlement Officer, helping make the process of buying a home as low-stress as possible. “It’s nice to see people realizing their dream of owning a home, and being able to be there when they get the key!” she says. Amanda holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She and her husband live in King Williams with their 3 sons, 1 cat and countless chickens.
Brielle Robertson
Administrative Assistant
Brielle Robertson joined Safe Harbor in May of 2021 for the Richmond office as the Front Office Administrator. She assists the closers with client correspondence and files. Outside of work she spends her free time hanging out with family and friends and enjoying photography.
Karla L. Smith
Residential Transaction Coordinator
After more than 12 years in the banking industry, Karla Smith decided to step out on faith and try something new. She now handles the disbursing of residential files after closing for Safe Harbor Title, and is responsible for getting all payments and monies out in a timely manner, ensuring a smooth and successful closing for the clients. Karla attended Virginia Commonwealth University and has one son, Kamron Tucker. On Sundays, you’ll find her singing with the Praise Team at her church.
Candace M. Winston
Commercial Settlement Director
Candace Winston joined Safe Harbor in 2013. She started as a receptionist/assistant, then was promoted to residential transaction coordinator. She’s currently a commercial settlement officer, managing multimillion-dollar deals both in the Richmond region and nationwide. Candace, who holds a B.S. in Business Management and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, specializes in disbursing commercial files, coordinating recordings and preparing settlement statements for all commercial transactions. Outside of work, Candace loves spending time with her husband, Kavon, and their two children Kiyah and Kavon Jr.
Susanne Borrelli
Safe Harbor Title’s Residential Seller Settlement Coordinator
She works diligently with Sellers, Realtors, Lenders and all other Parties to successfully transfer clear and marketable title from Seller to Buyer. Susanne often puts on her Super Sleuth hat to find long out of business lenders and missing heirs for purposes of signing releases. She is also the only reason this office still maintains a fax machine as even in the 21st century, most lenders still send loan payoffs this way!
When not saving the day for Sellers, Susanne is cheering for her home town team, the Pittsburgh Steelers and traveling with her husband and daughters.
Kristin Campbell
Residential & Commercial Underwriter
Kristin joined the Safe Harbor team in September 2022. Kristin has always loved the real estate industry. She has worked as a real estate agent, a real estate paralegal and now as a title processor for Safe Harbor. Kristin was born in North Carolina, but has lived most of her life in Virginia. She and her husband live in Chesterfield with their three children. When she is not working, Kristin loves anything outdoors, baking and the beach!
Elizabeth Mauck
Commercial Transactions Representative
Elizabeth Mauck recently joined Safe Harbor as a Commercial Transactions Representative. She also assists in Business development, working to build relationships with real estate professionals in Virginia.
She was born and raised in Richmond, but received her B.A. in Psychology from Clemson University in 2022. She then moved to Charlotte post-graduation where she worked in IT recruiting for two years before joining Safe Harbor. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys traveling and spending time in the sunshine.
Kathy McCann
Residential Settlement Processor
After being a dedicated stay-at-home mom for 20 years, Kathy joined us this past January as a residential settlement processor. She holds a B.S. from Miami University of Ohio and previously worked in insurance and investing. Kathy brings valuable life experience, organizational expertise, and a fresh perspective to our team. Known for her meticulous attention to detail, she excels in navigating complex settlement processes.
In her spare time, Kathy enjoys cooking and reading, indulging in these passions to relax and unwind. Her love for culinary arts and literature reflects her creative and inquisitive nature, making her a well-rounded and dynamic member of our team.
