President
Melissa Canavos
Safe Harbor Title Company President Melissa Canavos 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.
Director of Business Development
Mary Brown Broughton Leachman
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. A graduate of Mary Baldwin College with a B.A. in Marketing Communications, Mary Brown spends most of her time outside of work chauffeuring around her two active children
Residential Settlement Officer
Terri N. Hitt
The most rewarding part of being a residential settlement officer, Terri Hitt says, is seeing purchasers close on their first home. “There is a gleam in their eye and a pep in their step as they walk out of our doors with the keys to their new home,” she says. Terri works in our Fredericksburg office and will graduate from Ashford University in 2017 with a major in social and criminal justice and a minor in early child development. She’s passionate about spending time with her family, especially making memories with her many nieces and nephews.
Vice President and Senior Underwriter
Angela D. Molin
Angela D. Molin has more than a decade of experience as a title insurance underwriter specializing in commercial real estate. Based in Yorktown, she works closely with clients and title insurers to close complex deals nationwide. Angela attended Christopher Newport University, where she received a B.S. in Governmental Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children.
Administrative Assistant
Kathleen Edwards
Based in our Yorktown office, Kathleen Edwards prepares commercial files, corresponds with clients and assists the underwriters daily. Kathleen is a military spouse and spent many years moving throughout the United States and Europe. They eventually moved to the Tidewater area, where her husband retired from the military, and have lived in Yorktown for 18 years. Kathleen spends her free time with her husband and three children.
Residential Transaction Coordinator
Karla L. Smith
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.
Commercial Transaction Coordinator
Candace M. Winston
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 transaction coordinator, 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.
Residential Settlement Officer
Amanda Nester
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 have two young sons, Hunter and Hudson, and they spend most weekends at the pool or enjoying the outdoors.
Vice President of Residential Operations
Kenitra Lee Newton
In 31 years in real estate closings, including 22 as a title insurance underwriter, Kenitra Newton has seen it all. She’s still thrilled every time she gets to help a home buyer’s dream come true. “There’s nothing like home,” she says. Kenitra holds a business degree from the Burdett School of Business. She treasures the time spent with her family, especially her beloved grandchildren.
Commercial Underwriter and Transaction Coordinator
Cindy Keyser Balsly
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.
Residential Settlement Officer
Lettie Stanley
Lettie Stanley joined Safe Harbor Title Company in 2017 as a Residential Settlement Officer for the Richmond, Virginia location. Her specialties include seller side transactions for both foreclosures and short sales and is passionate about making each closing a success! Lettie went to college in Charlottesville, VA and has over 25 years of experience in real estate. In her free time, Lettie enjoys the outdoors with her family and pug “China”.
Residential Transactions Coordinator
Adrienne Heckstall
Adrienne Heckstall has been with Safe Harbor since September 2017 and currently works as a Residential Transaction Coordinator. Adrienne holds an A.A.S. in Human Services and credentials as a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Human Services from Old Dominion University.
She prides herself on being attentive to detail in her work and always maintains the goal of executing her work in a fashion that is precise, accurate and completed in a timely manner. “My drive is a force to be reckoned with. Some may call me a perfectionist” Adrienne says about herself.
Being a mother of two and a full-time college student she has a hard time finding free time but when she is able to sneak away Adrienne enjoys reading, writing, traveling and being with her friends and family. And for the last several years she has been working on writing her memoirs.
We are lucky to have a hardworking, passionate team member such as Adrienne here at Safe Harbor!
Assistant Transaction Coordinator
Kelli Jenkins
Kelli Jenkins joined the Safe Harbor team in May of this year and works as an Assistant Transaction Coordinator. Kelli was born in West Point, New York and grew up in Northern Virginia. She moved to Richmond in 2004 to attend school at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Although she has lived many places she has always loved Richmond because there are so many things to do while still being central to a lot of other great places.
Kelli attended Northern Virginia Community College where she received her associates degree and then transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue a degree in Business and Psychology.
Kelli always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude and believes that “you never know what kind of day someone is having and when it comes to buying or selling a home it should always be a positive experience”.
In her spare time Kelli enjoys traveling, cooking, reading and decorating her 1920’s home. She loves to explore Richmond and find new restaurants with craft cocktails and delicious food. Something interesting about Kelli is that she used to be a floral designer for weddings and events for over 15 years!
We are excited to welcome Kelli to our team!
Assistant Transaction Coordinator
Jenelle Robinson
Janelle Robinson joined the Safe Harbor team in July of 2018 and currently works as an Assistant Transactions Coordinator. She is originally from Richmond, Virginia and attended J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.
Janelle prides herself in being self-motivated, dependable and able to easily establish excellent rapport with others. She is able to quickly identify needs and problems and provide solutions which makes her a great addition to our team.
In her free time Janelle enjoys reading, spending time with her family, shopping and decorating. As a mother of 2 boys and a girl she is always traveling for cheer competitions and football games with her significant other John.
We are pleased and excited to welcome Janelle to the Safe Harbor team!
Residential Closing Assistant
Jaimee Maddox
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 Residential Closing Assistant. 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.
We are thrilled to have Jaimee back on our team!
