CEA History

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In 1924, six Los Angeles escrow officers and supervisors, meeting to discuss problems of mutual interest, decided to form an escrow association. By 1956, with the assistance of the Los Angeles group, six other associations were formed in Southern California, including Escrow Associates of San Gabriel Valley, Escrow Institute, Long Beach, Riverside County, San Bernardino County and Santa Barbara.

In 1956, at an education conference sponsored by the Los Angeles Escrow Association, the seven groups agreed to form the statewide California Escrow Association, and elected Fred Tichenor of California Bank as president.

Education has been a goal of CEA from its very beginning. Working with a CEA Advisory Committee, Orange Coast College, in 1962, became the first institution to grant certificates in escrow and in 1967 awarded the first Associate of Arts degree in escrow. It was also in 1967 that CEA began offering education seminars for college instructors and administrators. Over the years, more than 35 California colleges have been approved to participate in CEA's Education Achievement Award program.

In 1969, CEA introduced a Professional Designation Program for escrow practitioners. Today, the P.D. program has gained serious state and national recognition, with members keeping their designations current by earning mandatory continuing education credits.

The CEA News, the official publication of the association, was first published in 1970. Over the years, it has expanded into a magazine format that includes advertising, all the while continuing to feature educational articles by escrow experts.

CEA has retained a legislative advocate since 1971 to screen all introduced legislation which might affect the escrow profession, and to draft new legislation to resolve any problems faced by the members.

In 1980 CEA played an important role in the formation of the American Escrow Association, and remains active in this organization today. All Active Members of CEA automatically become members, and as such, are apprised of national escrow issues.

Today, CEA is made up of more than 30 regional associations and more than 1,500 escrow practitioner members. The association remains dedicated to professionalizing escrow personnel through education and legislation.