About Us - Sun Title

How we’re different

The ‘yes’ closing company

We always do the right thing for our clients: accommodating a variety of signing locations, resolving issues quickly, scouring over every detail and saying “Yes” when others are far too quick to say “No.” It means consistent, proactive communication and delivering an efficient, problem-free closing experience that is second to none.

We are a ‘yes’ company.

We’re experts who always find a way to help. “No” isn’t in our vocabulary, meaning we’re dedicated to speedy, effective solutions that help you close faster and easier.

Communication is our most important product.

Transparency and positivity are essential to effortlessly guiding our clients through the closing process.

We always do the right thing and assume positive intent.

Our clients trust our employees to act with their best interests in mind, navigating each step of the title process with integrity.

We vigorously protect our culture.

We’re welcoming. Friendly. Fun. And experienced. And we work to maintain our warm, caring, intuitive approach in each interaction.

Our mission

We empower our team and clients to achieve their best, making every interaction exceptional.

Our promise

We promise to deliver a second-to-none closing experience from day one.

We will do whatever it takes to make our client’s lives easier, making every step of the process smooth and stress-free. We will solve issues quickly, communicate consistently and make sure we earn your trust with our experience and approachability.

Our founders

Sun Title was founded almost twenty years ago after best friends, attorneys and real estate investors Tom Cronkright and Lawrence Duthler were involved in an awful closing experience for a commercial property they were purchasing.

Errors in the documents, a less-than-friendly closer and an overall lackluster experience forced them to ask a simple but powerful question: How can we make real estate closings better?

That simple question continues to drive Tom and Lawrence to this day, and after nearly two decades they are still finding ways to make buying and selling real estate more transparent and understandable for all parties involved. The title professionals at Sun Title believe that great closings begin with living the company’s core values and mission daily: To empower our team  and our clients to achieve their best, making every interaction exceptional.

How it all started

Our team

Our title team comes from diverse backgrounds in real estate, law and finance, bringing decades of knowledge to the table. This rich tapestry of experience ensures that no matter the complexity of the transaction, we have the expertise to handle it.

Lawrence Duthler

President

Tom Cronkright

CEO

Lorie Alberda

Title Production Manager

Leanord

Karl Albrecht

Commercial Title Officer

Olivia Amting

Escrow Officer

Cascade

Skyler Bach

Escrow Processor

Leonard

Erica Bailey

Escrow Officer

Cascade

Michelle Barker

Branch Manager

Big Rapids

Cindy Borrello-Smith

Controller

Leonard

Daniel Brewster

Branch Manager

Grandville

Glenn Burch

Property Manager

Leonard

Brenna Burns

Account Executive

Elizabeth Carr

Account Executive

Kara Chan

Residential Escrow Ops. & Sales Manager

Leonard

Hannah Christopher

Post Closing Specialist

Leonard

Mariann Collins

Senior Post Closing Specialist

Leonard

Kim Cook

Commercial Department Manager

Erin Cunningham

Human Resources Manager

Leonard

Molly Cusumano

Office Coordinator / Post Closing Specialist

Kalamazoo

Deanna Dargis

Account Executive

Rachael Davis

Escrow Processor

Ionia

Christina DeKoekKoek

Associate Accountant

Leonard

Bri Drahms

Office Coordinator/Order Entry Specialist

Plainfield

Micah Fritts

Commercial Escrow Processor

Leonard

Liz Groot

Executive Assistant/ Office Manager

Leonard

Danielle Gummere

Escrow Officer

Plainfield

Cindy Hewitt

Senior Commercial Title Officer

April Holm

Commercial Market Manager

Kalamazoo

Cheryl Jurmo

Escrow Officer

Greenville

Michelle Kadzban

Senior Escrow Closer

Plainfield

Terry Koch

Escrow Officer

Stacy Labadie

Branch Manager

Ionia

Tara Makepeace

Business Systems Optimization Manager

Leonard

Ana Martinez

Escrow Officer

Grandville

Beth Maslowski

Post Closing Manager

Leonard

Angela McCoy

Escrow Closer

Ionia

Tami McGillen

Commercial Escrow Officer

Victoria Meyer

Office Coordinator/Post Closing

Ionia

Anita Moomau

Escrow Officer

Plainfield

Daneli Munoz

Escrow Processor

Leonard

Barbara Nostrant

Office Coordinator/Escrow Closer

Big Rapids

Chrissy Oakes

Senior Escrow Officer

Plainfield

Madison Osborn

Branch Manager

Holland

Janet Owens

Escrow Officer

Grandville

Maggie O’Rourke

Branch Manager

Cascade

Sandy Pike

Commercial Escrow Officer

Rockford

TJ Pontarelli

Commercial Escrow Manager

Laurie Reed

Commercial Escrow Officer

Kalamazoo

Teresa Salas

Escrow Officer

Grandville

Isaiah Salguero

Account Executive

Marlene Schuhman

Senior Title Examiner

Leonard

Alfredo Sierra

Senior Escrow Closer

Plainfield

Sue Smith

Post Closing Specialist

Leonard

Joshua Snieder

Accounting Assistant

Leonard

Lauren Steindler

Human Resources Assistant

Leonard

Jennifer Stevenson

Escrow Officer

Ionia

Nikki Szymanski

Commercial Escrow Processor

Kalamazoo

Sarah Thomas

Branch Manager

Kalamazoo

Alyssa Tinker-Bell

Escrow Officer

Big Rapids

Emily VanTimmeren

Office Coordinator/Post Closing

Greenville

Manny Vazquez-Ramos

Escrow Officer

Holland

Zoe Vlachos

Escrow Officer

Kalamazoo

Craig Wandrie

Senior Commercial Escrow Officer

Wendy Watson

Escrow Officer

Rockford

Kyle Wilson

Commercial Escrow Officer

Beth Wilson

Title Examiner

Leonard

Bob Wolfe

Senior Title Examiner

Leonard

Karen Wolicki-Peasley

Office Coordinator/Post Closing

Holland

Annie Wysopal

Customer Service Specialist

Leonard

Our partners

Microsoft Azure gives users the ability to create their own, service-specific apps and house them securely in the cloud.

From the founders of Sun Title, CertifID is simple, secure method for buyers and sellers to share banking information for funds transfer.

Earnest is a digital payment platform that offers completely digital transfers for real estate transactions.

From the founders of Sun Title, Sun Title One is a net sheet and closing cost app platform offering buyers’ estimates, calculators and more.

SoftPro allows title companies to offer digital and hybrid e-closings on one platform.

Secure online platform DocuSign provides e-signing, electronic notarization and more via multi-platform delivery.

The eRecording Partners Network offers cutting-edge electronic document recording for submitters and receivers.

Our underwriters

In our commercial transactions, we support the businesses that fuel local economies. As part of this mission to contribute to communities and help them thrive, our staff also participates in a variety of volunteer efforts, while the company itself supports the work of local nonprofits.

Rooted in community

Support

Hand2Hand supports school-aged children by providing free meals for families throughout the community on weekends and extended school breaks. Our employees and clients regularly volunteer to pack meals as a team.

Learn more

Education

Educating the public and other real estate professionals about the complexities of real estate and titles has always been a passion for our founders, who started Sun Title with the goal of improving the customer experience. Lawrence Duthler and Tom Cronkright regularly speak at regional and national conferences about pressing industry issues, such as identity fraud.

Learn more

Youth

Our youth are tomorrow’s leaders, and unique after-school programs help them thrive. Sun Title supports the local professional women’s basketball team, The Elite Stars, by regularly offering their on-site athletic facilities for youth basketball clinics.

Learn more

New community partnership ideas?

Educational events

To Catch a Fraudster Seminars

This series of webinar events presents best practices for avoiding and addressing seller impersonation. The seminars detail specific practices such as leveraging law enforcement and enlisting the latest wire fraud protection technology.

1031 Exchange Seminar

Leveraging a 1031 exchange can lead to significant tax savings, allowing for the reinvestment of capital gains. This seminar shows local bankers all the ways to engage in this process and the pitfalls to avoid.

Title and Transaction Issues Seminars

These seminars occur at local real estate brokerages and agencies, educating their workforce on what can go wrong in the title process and how to safeguard it to ensure a secure transaction and encourage repeat business.

The State of Wire Fraud

The world of wire fraud and the tactics used by fraudsters are constantly evolving as technology advances. These webinars keep real estate professionals up to date on what is happening in the field and how they can stay ahead of it.

National Association of Realtors (NAR) Workshops

Navigating title insurance and changes in NAR policies can be challenging. These seminars help realtors and brokers in the area understand what they need to continue to be successful.

Fraud Prevention

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. These seminars help real estate professionals understand the most strategic steps to take to keep all the transactions they’re involved in secure.

Let’s get started.

Connect with one of our title experts now.