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ABQ60_First AmericanFinancial
- 1. VISION JAN | FEB| MAR 2016 JAN | FEB | MAR 2016americanbuildersquarterly.com “It was a perfect time to celebrate the company’s history and create areas to showcase it while we were restacking the buildings.” Elise Luckham, VP and Director of Corporate Real Estate Elise Luckham describes First American Financial Corporation’s stake in history with its Home Office in California, and a worldwide relief effort to rebuild an Oklahoma office and help families affected by a devastating tornado byJessicaMontoyaCoggins Preserving History, Protecting Employees S ince 2007, Elise Luckham has served as vice president and director of corporate real estate for First Amer- ican Financial Corporation, devel- oping strategies to optimize the company’s vast real estate assets. For such a position at a company comprised of more than 700 domestic office locations and an additional 55 international office locations, Luckham’s is a dynamic role. The largest of these locations is First American’s 500,000-square-foot “Home Office” in Santa Ana, California. The campus, which opened in 1999 and currently consists of seven buildings, features several unique, visually striking rotundas and an architec- tural theme modeled after Thomas Jeffer- son’s estate, Monticello, reflecting the compa- ny’s rich history. First American traces its roots to 1889, when Orange County split off from Los Angeles County. Two firms opened to handle title matters in the brand-new county. Five years later, C.E. Parker, a local businessman, succeeded in merging the two competi- tors into a single entity—Orange County Title Company, the immediate predecessor to today’s First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation. Now, 126 years later, Orange County’s evolution into an influential economic power- house mirrors First American’s growth into an international enterprise and leading provider of title insurance, settlement services, and risk solutions for real estate transactions. Prior to the opening of the current Home Office campus in 1999, First American’s head- quarters was located in downtown Santa Ana. First American’s Moore, Oklahoma office had to be rebuilt after a May 2013 tornado. AMERICAN BUILDERS QUARTERLY JAN | FEB | MAR 2016
- 2. VISION VISION JAN |FEB | MAR 2016 JAN | FEB | MAR 2016americanbuildersquarterly.com The historic first building was left alone until two years ago, when Luckham and her team decided to migrate certain teams over as the company embarked on a process to “restack” or streamline its office space, bringing a new focus to the notable structure. The downtown Santa Ana building remains a functioning part of First Ameri- can’s real estate portfolio and still features the nearly untouched office of Donald P. Kennedy, the iconic former CEO of First American. Under three decades of Kenne- dy’s leadership, the company grew from an Orange County-focused title insurance company into a publicly held industry leader with offices across the United States. “His office was really a time capsule,” Luckham says. So, she and her team set out to memorialize Kennedy’s influence at the Home Office campus. Inspired by the life- like office of Disney founder Walt Disney at Disney World, Luckham and her team recre- ated Kennedy’s office at First American’s current Home Office campus. It features memorabilia from Kennedy’s tenure at the helm of First American and includes a visual timeline that highlights significant company milestones. First American also plays a special role in commemorating the history of the county in which it is based. It houses one of the largest collections of historical photos of Orange County, which includes approximately 12,500 photos. The Home Office restack was also bolstered by the addition of several more historical artifacts. “It was a perfect time to celebrate the company’s history and create areas to show- case it while we were restacking the build- ings,” Luckham says. Since arriving at First American, Luckham has mastered the art of integration. She became the first real estate executive to centralize the department for First American. Though companies often consider remodel- ing, Luckham feels the First American Home Office campus is significant because of its connection to the company’s fabled history. MOORE, OKLAHOMA REBUILD On May 20, 2013, the city of Moore, Okla- homa, was struck by a devastating EF-5 tornado. The tornado struck in the middle of the workday, and First American Title Insur- ance Company’s Moore office was directly in its path. A total of 20 First American employ- ees, as well as 15 other people and three dogs took shelter in the building’s basement. Thankfully, none of the people in the base- ment were injured. However, many people suffered significant property losses and damage to vehicles and other possessions. First American Title’s office was severely damaged to the point that it had to be rebuilt. Within three days, First American CEO Dennis Gilmore launched the First Ameri- can Oklahoma Employees’ Relief Fund. First American contributed $50,000 to the fund and committed to matching dollar-for-dollar employee donations to the fund. Luckham was very proud to see employ- ees from around the world rally around the Moore office. Hundreds of employees contrib- uted to the relief fund, and a total of $122,000 was raised to replace automobiles, personal items, and help repair the damaged homes of the First American Title employees and their families. In fact, there was so much money raised that a balance remained afterward. First American Title also committed to rebuilding its office in Moore and embarked on a two-year process to build and open a brand new office building. The recently opened building includes a statue of an eagle soaring in flight, which was funded by the leftover balance from the relief fund. The eagle statue, reminiscent of First Amer- ican’s logo, was dubbed “321”—a reference to the time when the tornado struck—by the staff. First American recreated former CEO Donald P. Kennedy’s office in its Santa Ana Home Office building. Architecture at the First American Home Office echoes Thomas Jeffer- son’s Monticello Estate. FIRST AMERICAN FINANCIAL’S COMPANY MILESTONES 2010 First American separates its real estate information businesses from its title in- surance and financial services operations, creating two new independent companies 1889 Orange County, CA—a rural, unde- veloped area at the time—splits off from the county of Los Angeles. Two firms open to handle title matters in the brand-new county 1894 Local businessman C.E. Parker merges the two companies and is named president of the resulting company— Orange County Title Company—prede- cessor to today’s First American Title Insurance Company 1924 First American becomes the first astract company in California to qualify to issue policies of title insurance 1948 C.E. Parker’s grandson, Donald Parker Kennedy, completes law school and joins the company, helping expand itbeyond the county’s borders 1957 The board of directors authorizes an expansion plan 1963 The company changes its name to First American, and D.P. Kennedy is named pres- ident of the company, now operating in four states 1982 First American Title now serves every region of the country, providing comprehensive presence across the US 1988 First American approaches Canadian officials with a request to open title insurance offices in Canada 1990’s First American develops inter- national operations around the world and becomes the first title insurance provider in Mexico, Korea, and Hong Kong Present First American has the leading market share in England and Australia and continues to explore international opportunities, working with government officials and community leaders to protect landowner rights Photos:SteveGiraud