Member Highlight – Abstractor: Bobbie Jo Kemp
Bobbie Jo Kemp was born in Louisiana but raised in Mississippi. In 2017, Bobbie Jo founded Slade Title Research which conducts residential and commercial title searches in several counties in central and southern parts of the state. In 2021, Bobbie Jo teamed up with Punctual Abstract Co., LLC and severed as State Manager for a period overseeing their statewide abstracting operations. Bobbie Jo found her time in that role to be an invaluable experience. It has allowed her to prioritize quality over quantity and deliver exception results to her clients at Slade Title Research in a more personalized manner.
Bobbie Jo has been involved in the land title abstracting world since her high school days. Her very first job was at Mississippi Title and Appraisal. In this role, she primarily served as a runner, handling various administrative tasks such as filing and sending out policies, utilizing the traditional snail mail method. She says that she “vividly remember those times when I would eagerly retrieve abstracts from the fax machine.”
Curiosity always burned within her, and she would bombard her colleagues with countless questions on a daily basis, such as “why do we need this” and “what does this mean?”
After she returned home to Mississippi from college in Missouri, she explored several different paths (such as massage therapy school and studying sports massage therapy) and even had aspirations of becoming a full-time message therapist for the New Orleans Saints. However, she soon realized that land title abstracting, rather than message therapy was the career choice she wanted to pursue. Bobbie Jo said “I needed something to challenge me and with my given nature for problem solving and attention to detail would later prove invaluable in the path I chose.”
When we asked Bobbie Jo what she enjoyed most about what she does, she told us that “throughout the years, I have taken on numerous roles and worn many hats within the industry. My primary objective was to absorb as much information as possible, immersing myself in every position I encountered. The actual search, delving into the depths of information and connecting the puzzle pieces is what intrigued my interest. However, it was during my quest to learn how to abstract that I gained a newfound appreciation for the importance of accuracy. It opened my eyes to the complexity and significance of this role and its utmost importance in safeguarding the interest of both the seller and the buyer.”
Bobbie Jo expressed a keen sense of the important skills necessary to succeed in the land title abstracting world. She says that the “meticulous nature of this work requires a sharp mind and a commitment to continually learning. I am always seeking new knowledge and do my best to stay informed with the latest industry news, trends and latest advancements. I listen to industry related podcasts for fun. (Such a nerd).” Bobbie Jo is currently on the Education Committee with NALTEA.
Bobbie Jo lives in the metro area with her son, Liam, who is 8 years old. She says that “[Liam] is the light of my life along with our pup Shelby. Watching him grow and experience the world is an incredible journey. (He is living his best life and I’m his ride). We cherish our time together and he just ‘loves’ getting beat by his mom in Fortnite or Rocket League on PlayStation.” She spends most of her time in the spring out at the ball field or in the woods trying to call in a gobbler. She says that her “love for the great outdoors has always been my way to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life.” In her free time she enjoys painting on canvas and baking goodies for friends and family every chance I get. A fun fact she shared with us is that she used to be a competitive skater and won a silver and gold medal in the Jr. Olympic National Championship in Artistic and Speed, back in the early 90’s. She says her favorite quote is: “being positive isn’t pretending everything is good, it is seeing the good in everything.”