2022 Notary Conference

2022 Montana Notary conference

The 406 Notary Conference was held May 19-20 and featured a group of the best notary instructors and presenters from around the country with over 60 hours of workshops, classes, and interactive sessions focusing on everything notary – from the basics and fundamentals, to everything RON, as well as in-depth information on running a successful notary business.

Attendees were able to fulfill the training requirements for becoming a notary, renewing a commission, or becoming an online notary. If you’ve been thinking about becoming a notary be sure to join us at the next 406 Notary Conference.

Class Descriptions

Fundamental Courses

RON Classes

Entrepreneurs' Workshops

Fundamental Courses

RON Classes

Entrepreneurs' Workshops

Meet Our Presenters

Jeannie Franks

US Air Force veteran, author, and Remote Online Notarization Specialist

Jeannie is the owner of Cyber Notary Virtual Training Academy (CNVTA). Located in Hampton, Virginia, Ms. Franks developed CNVTA to provide tools that enhance the professional skills of commissioned notaries public who serve as Remote Notaries and Remote Notary Signing Agents through live online training and state-specific RON consulting services. CNVTA is an approved Montana RON education provider and her class, CNVTA Montana’s RON Essentials Course fulfills the requirements for RON education and exam. We are delighted to have Jeannie as a presenter at the 406 Notary Conference.

John Holder

Founder and Dean of RON University

John is a third-generation graduate of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law with over 25 years of experience as an attorney and notary public in Kentucky. His legal practice was primarily focused on real estate law and he has closed thousands of loans in over 30 countries. He was the first commissioned online notary in the state of Kentucky. He is the founder of a statewide notary network and has mentored and provided remote online notarization education to over 300 notaries. John makes his home in Vanceburg, KY – a small town on the Ohio River.

Amy Seitz

Ohio Notary, created and owns the RON platform, Cyberize It

Amy is a Certified Notary Trainer for Montana and Ohio (with more states pending). After years of working within the IT field and with government agencies, Amy discovered her love for RON and has transformed from doing her first RON transaction on Jan 1st, 2021, to becoming a full time RON within 4 months! Due to the high costs and limited support she encountered with the available software platforms, Amy decided it was time to make a change. Which is why Cyberize It was born.  Cyberize It is now available to notaries in 23 states, with more on the way! Amy was instrumental in developing the Montana Online Title Transfer pilot project.

Bill Anderson

Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Notary Association

Bill has been a California Notary since 1996, Bill has created and presented Notary education courses in over 40 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Bill currently oversees the NNA’s legislative, government relations, and Notary bonds and insurance programs, and works to promote, professionalize, and elevate the Notary Public profession by researching Notary Public law and technology issues, writing on topics relevant to Notaries, developing policy, and promoting legislation.

Nancy G. Pratt

Senior Strategic Business Manager at Black Knight Technologies

Nancy provides team leadership in attaining company goals and manages strategic relationships at the Federal and State level, understanding key regulatory issues and laws that pertain to the operations of Black Knight Technologies. She is involved with Sales Support and strategy of the promotion and development of the Digital Mortgage Solutions throughout the title agent network and lender segment of the industry. Nancy is recognized throughout the mortgage industry as an eClosing/eMortgage subject expert and is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the MBA Tech All Star Award and has been named as one of the Elite Women in Mortgage and a Woman of Influence by the industry.

Roger Rill

Founder and President of the Ohio Society of Notaries

Roger is a leading authority, speaker and trainer on notary topics, he is a staunch advocate of the notary office as defender of the public trust; emphasizing the centuries-old tradition behind the notary title, importance of proper notary procedures, and best practices. A retired hospital administrator, HR director and college professor, he has served on a number of non-profit boards. He received the 2011 Exceptional American Notary Award from the American Association of Notaries, and was named 2019 Notary of the Year Special Honoree by the National Notary Association. He was inducted into the Columbus Softball Hall of Fame in 2014, and honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Laura Biewer

Founder & owner at COACHMELAURA At Your Service Mobile Notary

Laura is an18 year veteran of the notary industry. She has maintained continuous certifications in Loan signing, Living Trusts, and teaching mandated training for the National Notary Association.  Laura teaches state-specific Real World Training to commissioned notaries who want to dive deeper and develop skills for everyday documents they may be presented that contains certificate language which may or may not comply, or even be a notarial act in their state. In addition, she coaches notaries in the business of specialty work, identifying niches that produce repeatable business.  And reminds notaries to be sure to build a life not just a business with her mindset course.

Marc Aronson

President & CEO of Pennsylvania Association of Notaries

Marc began his career at the Pennsylvania Association of Notaries (PAN) in 1972 and was appointed President and CEO in 1983. He is in his 49th year of service to the Association. He provided the initiative on a national level for the development of the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA). He has been an active member of the Property Records Industry Association (PRIA) for the last 20 years, serving in many capacities, including two terms as a Board member. He is currently on the president’s Council of Advisors. He is also active as an advisor nationally on traditional paper based notarial practice and is nationally recognized as a leading expert on electronic notarial matters, working with the Electronic Signature and Records Association (ESRA), the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA),the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO), the American Land Title Association (ALTA), the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Notary Public Administrators (NPAs) section, and a number of other organizations who seek his expertise in the notarial field.

Clyde Heppner

Creator and publisher of the Integrity Notary Journal

Clyde is a full-time notary public and certified loan signing agent in Missouri, after being the Coordinator of Research for the Kansas City, Missouri Public Schools and 18 years as an executive for Sprint/T-Mobile. He is a graduate of both Carol Ray’s Notary2Pro training and Bill Soroka’s “Sign and Thrive” Loan Signing Course. In 2020, he published the Integrity Notary Journal. He received his RON commission in February, 2021. Clyde frequently speaks at notary events and conferences. He hosts a weekly Clubhouse room—Notary Ask Me Anything—and is a mentor with The Notary Village. He has developed the Integrity Notary Journal™ that mirrors the work flow of signing agents to make journaling best practice an integral part of a loan signing appointments.

Lori Hamm

Lori Hamm Notary Administrator, Montana Secretary of State’s Office

Lori has been with the Montana Secretary of State’s office for almost 18 years and leads the education, outreach, compliance, and administrative functions of the Notary Division. She develops the state’s live and online notary education programs and produces the (mostly) biennial statewide notary conferences. Recognized nationally as a trailblazer, Lori was an advocate for remote notarization early on, and was instrumental in the drafting, enactment, and implementation of the 2015 and 2019 remote notarization statutes in Montana. She is the 2021 recipient of the National Notary Association’s March Fong Eu award, given to an individual who seeks to improve the standards, professionalism, and effectiveness of the Notary Public office in the United States. She serves on the Executive Board of the Notary Public Administrator’s Section of the National Association of Secretaries of State and was a delegate to the Hague Special Commission on Electronic Apostilles in October, 2021.

Jacqueline Phillips

Director of Notary Engagement and Education at Notarize

Jackie was Notarize’s first notary. She oversees outreach and education efforts to notaries across the U.S. interested in learning about remote online notarization (RON). In 2016, Jacqueline became one of the first individuals certified as an Electronic Notary in the Commonwealth of Virginia; she joined Notarize soon afterward as the first notary on the Notarize platform. Over the last five years at Notarize, she has worked as Notary Operations Team Lead and Manager of Notary Training and Compliance. Jacqueline has over 20 years of experience as a commissioned Notary Public. In 2012, she started her own notarization business, The Company 4U LLC, and has been training and mentoring notaries ever since. Jacqueline was a guest speaker at the National Notary Association’s Annual Conferences in 2019 and 2021 as a subject matter expert on RON.

Timothy Reiniger

Nationally recognized legal expert in electronic and online notarization

Tim serves as Digital Counsel for eNotaryLog LLC where he advises on all matters relating to notarial law as well as both electronic and online notary legislation. Previously, he served as the third Executive Director of the National Notary Association of the United States. Tim has authored and spearheaded first in the nation laws for remote/online notarization (2011) and digital identity issuance and management (2015), both in Virginia and Montana. He was also a member of the team that drafted HB 370, the 2019 Montana Notary laws. As a result of these efforts, he was appointed as an American Bar Association Adviser to the Uniform Law Commission’s drafting committee to amend the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (2018). In addition, Tim has served on the Advisory Board of the European Union’s LIGHTest Project and as a Vice-Chair of the Information Security Committee of the ABA’s Science & Technology Law Section. He is a member of the California, District of Columbia, Maine, and New Hampshire Bars.

Kathleen Butler

Executive Director of the American Society of Notaries

Kathleen has been guiding the Society’s reorganization and resulting growth in product offerings, educational opportunities and member services. Kathleen represents the Society in all matters concerning Notary Public policy at the national and state levels. She authors the Society’s publications, educational courses and online content. An experienced trainer and presenter, Kathleen deeply enjoys connecting with the Notaries who attend her seminars. She has been a part of every previous Montana Notary Conference and has consistently been rated as an audience favorite. She was also instrumental in drafting HB 370, revising Montana’s notary laws. Kathleen is a 39-year veteran of professional association work, having served with major state and national associations for such diverse industries as insurance, telecommunications, manufactured housing, and Notaries Public.

Jennell Huff

Relationship Executive Bank of the Rockies

Jannell joined Bank of the Rockies in September of 2003 and serves as Community Outreach Coordinator, and Coordinator for Financial Education. She is the driving force behind the bank’s programs CONversations About Cons and Senior Champions programs, which serve to educate staff and the public in all things elder fraud prevention related. In 2017 and again in 2021, these programs were awarded top honors in the Protecting Older American category from the American Bankers Association. Jennell is the chairperson of the Montana Elder Fraud and Exploitation Prevention Network, a cooperative multiagency network whose mission it is to work together to detect and prevent elder fraud and empower Montana’s professionals and citizens by giving them the tools needed in this area. The network is a direct result of her work with the Montana Financial Education Coalition, of which she is currently the Vice-President. She is the past president and current treasurer of the Wilsall Foundation, Inc., a local non-profit in her area, a volunteer with AARP, and serves on multiple other volunteer organizations.

Mark Allan Groleau

An international phenomenon as the creator of the Unboring! Wedding

Mark has built up a full-time, booked-solid wedding officiant practice that consistently wows newlyweds and thrills their guests. He is the author of several books, videos, and courses that teach others how to conduct a memorable and personal wedding ceremony around the couple’s love story. Learn from Mark’s experience how you, as a Montana notary, can launch your own business offering that same electric experience for your couples and all their guests! Say goodbye to boring in this session and say hello to an amazing opportunity to take your career in a new direction.

Bill Soroka

Notary, signing agent, coach, author, serial entrepreneur

Bill is no stranger to failure in business. But now he’s on a first-name basis with success. With over 26 flops, he finally found a system that led to phenomenal success as a mobile notary and loan signing agent for the mortgage industry. As one of the leading notary trainers and mentors in the country, Bill’s Notary Coach brand and the Sign & Thrive Notary Training Course and Community teaches thousands of notaries how to build a business and lifestyle that makes dreams come true. His life is committed to sharing the habits and routines that deepen relationships, create prolific high-quality output, and ensure a lifestyle of peace of mind and raving success.

Matt Miller

A passionate Notary Advocate and full-time independent notary

Matt is a busy Notary Signing Agent in the San Francisco Bay area and also the founder and President of the California League of Independent Notaries. He has become nationally regarded for his dedication to, and promotion of, the profession of the Independent Notary by pursuing regulation of, and high standards for, the Office of Notary Public. Matt is committed to the highest standards of excellence, integrity, honesty, ethical behavior, and professionalism in all capacities. He has been at the forefront of drafting AB1093, the RON bill currently being considered by the California legislature. He is also the co-author of “The Apostille Agents’ Survival Guide: A Not-So-Secret Reference Handbook to International Document Services.” Matt enjoys good food, good wine, the outdoors and spending time with friends, colleagues and his frenchie, Lorelei.

Judi Lawrence

Founder of Center City Notary and the Lawrence Institute for Notaries

Judi is an active Pennsylvania notary as well as a teacher, notary mentor, author, and Apostille agent. She is also an inspiration to many individuals who suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves without a job and a life plan. In 2018 Judi co-authored a book with colleague Daniel C. Lewis entitled “Make Your Business Our Business,” a step-by-step guide to starting a notary business. Last year she co-authored, “The Apostille Agents’ Survival Guide: A Not-So-Secret Reference Handbook to International Document Services” with Matt Miller. She serves as an Ambassador for the National Notary Association and will again be a workshop presenter at the NNA 2022 National Notary Conference.

Sabrina Hallsten

Law Office Administrator, Paralegal, Notary Trainer

Sabrina grew up in Arizona attending both high school and ASU classes simultaneously. After receiving her certification in cosmetology, she fled for the snowy mountains of Montana. She held numerous jobs for the first two years before accepting a position as the receptionist at a law firm in downtown Helena in 2007. What was supposed to be a temporary gig turned into her passion. She is currently the Office Administrator and a Paralegal at Jackson, Murdo & Grant, PC. Sabrina has been a Montana Notary since 2008, an active member of Montana Association of Legal Assistants since 2009, and a State Bar member since 2014. She has held several positions on the MALA Board over the years and is currently serving as the Vice-President. She received certification as a notary trainer in Montana in 2021, and was named Montana’s Notary of the Year in 2015.

Deanna Keller

Technical trainer for Xactly Corp of Missoula, MT

Deanna is a University of Louisiana at Monroe graduate with a Doctorate in Education, Curriculum and Instruction. She has a combined 20+ years of experience in military, education, and professional development. Deanna is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and was responsible for the training of personnel on the F/A-18C Hornet. She was a faculty member and administrator at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and has worked in the public-school system teaching 8th grade through 12th grade in Montana and Virginia. She has been a Montana notary since 2014 and an approved Montana Notary Trainer since 2018. She designed and conducted the first private sector notary training program in the state of Montana.

Event Sponsors

The Notary & Certifications Division of the Montana Secretary of State’s Office is grateful to the following businesses and organizations whose generous contributions have made the 2022 Montana Notary Conference possible.