San Antonio, Texas – The Property Records Industry Association (PRIA) presented the Carl R. Ernst Founders Award to Bettie Johnson, recorder of deeds for Boone Co., Mo., in a surprise announcement made during the group’s 2011 Annual Conference held in San Antonio from September 24-27.
The PRIA Founders Award was created to honor an industry member who not only reflects the association’s core values, but who has provided proven, unparalleled leadership in addressing specific industry needs and standards.
Johnson has distinguished herself as an innovator and thought-leader within the land records industry. She has positively impacted many people in the real property industry, both from her current vantage as a recorder and previously as a title agent.
If there’s an issue needing attention, Johnson is known to step up and dedicate herself to that cause. Her tireless work to support and move the property records industry forward has been felt nationally for well over a decade.
Johnson also has been actively involved with the International Association for Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers for over 25 years having served that association as president in 2006.
She has the expertise required to speak on practically every aspect of the real property industry from document standards, electronic recording (eRecording), document management and storage, industry specific technology, current real property laws, real property legislation for their state and country, government budgeting and more. Johnson first joined the Property Records Industry Joint Taskforce (PRIJTF) in 2008 and served on the PRIJTF board and, subsequently, PRIA board for eight years. She has spear-headed multiple workgroup efforts on behalf of PRIA including the Notary Essentials White Paper, NCCUSL URPERA drafting committee, eRecording business practices, ULC RULONA drafting committee, Military Discharge Model Statute and the bulk records access and sales workgroup.
Johnson lived the PRIA mission long before it was even conceived. This mission is emulated in one of Johnson’s favorite Harry S. Truman quotes: “It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow’s viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences.”
Johnson walks the walk and talks the talk, never running from the hard issues at hand. Through her devotion to the real property industry, she carries on the high standards and legacy established by the late Carl R. Ernst, for whom this award is named, when he encouraged recorders to aggressively tackle the issues of non-communication within the real property industry.
The award presentation was made during the group’s Annual Membership Meeting by Mark A. Monacelli, recorder, St. Louis Co., Minn., and Mark Ladd, director of channel sales, for Simplifile, LLC. Monacelli is a previous recipient of the Founders’ Award.
About PRIA
The Property Records Industry Association is a coalition of government and business partners within the property records industry cooperating to formulate positions on issues of common interest. PRIA works to identify problems, opportunities and solutions that will make property records systems more efficient, effective and responsive to the public. PRIA strives to identify areas of consensus within the industry, leading to recommendations for national standards pertaining to recordable documents. For more information on PRIA, visit www.pria.us.