Board of Directors

Jim received his B.S. in Finance, cum laude, from the University of Connecticut. While attending law school, he worked for a high-volume residential law firm in East Hartford, CT where he was a title searcher for three years. He graduated from Western New England College School of Law and started work for a national title insurance underwriter in 1995. In October 2015 he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of CATIC.

A 20-year veteran of the title industry, Jim has held many positions and has experience in claims administration, underwriting, sales, and operations management. A Past President of the Connecticut Title Association, he is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association's Real Property Section, the New England Land Title Association, the American Land Title Association, and the Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut.

Attorney Keith Shaw is a native of Brooklyn, New York. He graduated Stuyvesant High School in 1973 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Brooklyn College and a Juris Doctorate degree from Western New England University School of Law.

Attorney Shaw has served on the CATIC Board of Directors since 2001 and has served as Chairman of the Governance and Claims committees.

In addition, Attorney Shaw serves as a Commissioner of the Town of Glastonbury Zoning Board and is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association Real Property Section and the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association Closing Committee. He is a former director of Connecticut Friends for ALS Research and the Kennebunk Beach Improvement Association.

Attorney Shaw’s law office is located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut with a concentration in residential and commercial real estate transactions, business transactions, condominium collections and estate planning.

Ken is a founding member of Goldman Gruder & Woods, LLC and Chairman of the Real Estate Law Practice Group, where he has practiced since 1995. Goldman Gruder & Woods, LLC has offices in Norwalk, Greenwich and Trumbull, Connecticut and Tarrytown, New York. He handles all aspects of residential and commercial real estate law, including purchases, sales, refinances, evictions, foreclosures, short sales and loan workouts. Attorney Gruder is an important personal advisor to many real estate developers, builders, lenders and other clients. A graduate of George Washington University and The Boston University School of Law, Ken is a frequent lecturer on many topics involving real estate law and has spoken before the Greater Fairfield Board of Realtors, Greater Bridgeport Board of Realtors and the Stamford Board of Realtors. Ken is also an affiliate member of the Mid-Fairfield County Association of Realtors. Ken also served as General Counsel for the Connecticut Multiple Listing Service for over ten years and was involved in its formation. Ken presently serves as general counsel for several religious non-profit organizations in Connecticut.

Laura Bellotti Cardillo is a member of Pullman & Comley, based in the firm’s Springfield, Massachusetts office. Laura practices in the areas of eminent domain litigation and ad valorem personal and real property tax appeals. Laura received her undergraduate degree from Siena College, and her law degree from Western New England University School of Law. She is admitted to the bar in Connecticut and in Massachusetts. Laura is a frequent speaker at seminars on the topics of eminent domain and property tax, and has co-authored the Connecticut material for the American Bar Association’s publications on these topics.

Damon Carter is CATIC's Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Damon has over 20 years of diverse experience in human resource leadership, including employee relations, strategic workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and continuous process improvement (i.e., LEAN/Six Sigma). He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Detroit-Mercy and graduated magna cum laude from Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology.

A native of Torrington, CT, Peter holds a B.A. degree from Haverford College and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University. He was admitted to the bar in 1977. He also served as president of the Connecticut Junior Republic and is a member of the Litchfield County Bar Association and the Connecticut Bar Association. His practice areas include real estate law, planning and zoning law, estate planning law, wills, and probate.  Peter is the former Chairman of CATIC and the current Chairman of CATIC Financial, Inc.

Craig is admitted to practice in New York, Connecticut and the United States District Court for the Second Circuit. He received his J.D. degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law, magna cum laude, where he was awarded the Distinguished Academic Achievement Award in Bankruptcy, Corporate Law, Evidence, Federal Income Tax and Administrative Law. Craig also won the Award for Academic Excellence for having graduated in the top 10 of his class. He is a member of the New York and Connecticut Bar Associations.

Dick is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Connecticut. He has extensive finance and accounting experience through senior finance and management roles for a variety of insurance organizations located in Connecticut, and has also helped establish insurance enterprises in Vermont, London, and Bermuda. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants. Dick earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Fairfield University and his Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Hartford.  

Dick retired from his position at CATIC in August 2019, having served as Senior Vice President, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer. He continues to serve as a member of the CATIC Board and the CATIC Foundation Board.

Mrs. Lopez’s practice includes representation of buyers and sellers of commercial real estate and operating businesses from contract negotiation through closing, including complete due diligence review and creation of business entities to raise capital and operate the property. She works with all property types, including office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, and apartment and condominium properties and handles related closing matters, including non-competition contracts, franchise agreements and operating agreements.

Mrs. Lopez represents owners and tenants in the leasing of office, industrial and retail property and is very familiar with the business and legal issues in single tenant and multi-tenant leases and related “turn-key” and “build-to-suit” construction arrangements for tenant improvements.

Mrs. Lopez represents institutional lenders and borrowers in the closing of construction financing of all property types, including office buildings, industrial facilities, shopping centers, supermarkets, “big box” retail projects, apartment buildings and hotels, and also in the closing of the “permanent” financing of these projects. She also represents borrowers and lenders in various forms of government guaranteed financing transactions, including, but not limited to, Small Business Administration loans.

BAR ADMISSIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Admitted, Connecticut
• Director & Chair of Membership Committee, CREW Connecticut
• Member, Real Estate Finance Association (REFA)

Linda is a Managing Member of Webber, Meyers & Sappington, LLC in Simsbury, Connecticut, with her practice focusing on real estate and the representation of lenders, buyers, and sellers. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the New England Land Title Association (NELTA), and has been an expert witness in numerous court matters regarding title disputes and standards of professional responsibility for real estate practitioners. A frequent guest lecturer on real estate matters and financial literacy, she has also been a member of the Avon Zoning Board of Appeals, and an advisory board member for a banking institution.

Linda received her undergraduate degree from Northeastern University, where she graduated first in her class with highest honors. She received her law degree from Boston College Law School, and was then admitted to the Connecticut Bar and the Federal District Court of Connecticut. While attending Boston College Law School Attorney Meyers was a Case Editor for the Uniform Commercial Code Reporter Digest, a nationally recognized publication.

Andy was engaged in the private practice of law for 13 years before becoming State Manager and Title Counsel at Vermont Attorneys Title Corporation in 1997. He graduated from Williams College and Vermont Law School. As an underwriter, Andy is a problem solver – helping nearly 200 CATIC attorneys resolve title issues. He is a member of the Vermont Bar Association’s Title Standards subcommittee, which he chaired for seven years, and the VBA Real Property Law Committee, which he chaired for eight years. Andy regularly presents at professional education seminars on real property issues and he is always active in legislative issues affecting the marketability of title. He and his wife live in Williston, Vermont where he is a former member of the town select board and school board. He currently chairs the town’s Board of Civil Authority.

Tom received his B.A. from St. Anselm's College, then served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam. He received his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and served as the Prosecutor for the City of Chicopee before joining his current firm, Murphy McCoubrey.

Tom is a member of the Massachusetts and Hampden County Bars and past President of the Chicopee Bar Association. He has been a Trustee of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, President of the Chicopee Boys & Girls Club, Director of the Chicopee Savings Bank, Director of Baystate Medical Center, and past Chairman of the Board of Elms College. Tom is also the Founder and past Chairman of EstateWorks, and current Chairman of the Board of Convenient Cards. Tom is the former Chairman of the Board of CATIC Financial.