The Michigan Association of Registers of Deeds is heading into its 110th year. It’s amazing to think about our association, our offices, and land conveyance over a century ago. The forefathers of Michigan recognized the importance of land ownership and its connection to wealth. They knew that if a proper process was not established that the great state of Michigan would not flourish. It is for this reason that the office of Register of Deeds was created and placed within the Constitution of Michigan. As the next President of the Michigan Association of Register of Deeds I have identified two priorities for 2024.

The first priority for MARD is understanding the fundamental function of a Constitutional office. This is something I am truly passionate about and hope to engage with the MARD membership on this topic this year. I want to make sure that all Eighty-Three counties in Michigan understands their position from this perspective and how it can guide the decisions we make for the offices in which we occupy.

The second priority for MARD is Involvement. There is a priceless amount of experience within MARD, but as more and more Register of Deeds retire, we lose a little more of that wisdom each year. I ask those of you with longevity and experience to reach out to someone new and encourage them to sit on a committee with you or sit next to them at the next conference. The magic happens in the relationships we build.

This next calendar year will be busy for us all, but I hope that our membership will get excited about the year ahead of us. I’m excited to work with all of you as we strive to become better Registers for our counties and together as MARD.

Respectfully,

Katie A. Kelly
MARD President
Saginaw County Register of Deeds

District 1 Director

Jennifer Kelly, Houghton County

District 2 Director

Jo Ann DeGraaf, Kalkaska County

District 3 Director

Ericka Earl, Iosco County

District 4 Director

Kimberlee VanHoose, Gratiot County

District 5 Director

Derrick Quinney, Ingham County