Lincoln Appraisals

George Panichas is one of the founding partners of Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services. For 10 years, George has been instrumental in leading the company forward; rapidly growing the organization from a regional firm to a National Appraisal Management & Settlement Services Company.

George has been the driving force behind the development of the company's state-of-the-art OpenBOX LASS Technology Solution, the implementation of Client Specific Customized Service from Dedicated Client Service Teams, and the company's complete expansion to become a premier provider of Real Estate Valuations & Settlement Services.

George began his career as an investment banker in the private capital markets both nationally and internationally. His concentration has included working in various industries such as: Communications, IT, Consumer Services, and International Shipping and Finance.

George brings decades of experience in Management, Sales & Marketing, and Strategic Planning & Development to the Executive Management Team at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services. He places a high value on building an outstanding National Firm which conducts itself with exceptional Professional Integrity.

In addition to being involved in numerous civic and educational organizations, serving in various capacities, George has been married for over 16 years and has two children that keep him wonderfully busy.

George Demopulos is one of the founding partners of Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services. For over 15 years, George has been a Certified Residential Appraiser in 5 New England states and has extensive appraisal experience in all aspects of appraising including: Retail, REO/Foreclosure, Complex Properties, Field and Desk Reviews, Appraisal Compliance, etc.

Over the years George has served as a Supervisory Appraiser for many industry Appraiser Trainees and currently oversees Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services Nationwide Corporate Appraisal Network (NCAN) Evaluation Team which manages 6,000+ Appraisers Nationwide. George is also in charge of hiring all Chief Appraisers who lead Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services industry-leading Corporate Appraisal Internal Review Teams (CAIRT).

George began his real estate career in the late 1980's in Property Management with Ferland Property Management followed by Real Estate Sales with Coldwell Banker. He then joined Massachusetts-based Property Financial Appraisal Services (later First American Appraisal Services) in 1991, where he rose to become one of the selected few Regional Managers for the company.

George has 100's of hours of class experience and has attended many of the industry's top conferences through the years. He belongs to many industry organizations including; The Appraisal Institute (Associate Member), The MBREA (Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers), NAMB(The National Association of Mortgage Brokers), RIAR (The Rhode Island Association of Realtors) and NAR (The National Association of Realtors).

George graduated from George Washington University with a degree in Economics.

Debra Vitale is responsible for all aspects of operations at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services on a day to day basis. Debbie employs tremendous work ethic, as well as keen understanding of all corporate systems, processes and procedures. Debbie relentlessly pursues the company Mission of delivering "High-Quality Real Estate Valuation, Appraisal Management, and Settlement Services" with a "Personalized Touch" only coming from the most outstanding Client Service and the highest operational quality standards in the industry.

Debbie provides Leadership and Management expertise resulting in stellar daily operational execution which has allowed the business units at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services to be recognized for Operational Excellence numerous times over the past 5 years.

Debbie has about 20 years of legal experience in prestigious national & international firms such as Brown Rudnick Berlack & Israel and Higgins Cavanagh & Cooney. While at Brown Rudnick Berlack some of her assignments included work for the Rhode Island Bankers Association, working with the managing partner of Government Relations for the entire firm, while working very closely with lobbyists and legislature, and working for one of the partners who served as a Special Master for the US District Court for the Eastern District of California overseeing prison reform compliance.

Debbie has been instrumental in the growth, expansion and policymaking at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services and her coworkers love that she is a dedicated and down to earth team leader for the company.

When not at work Debbie enjoys traveling with her two children and husband.

Josh Bresette leads and manages the Sales, Marketing, Public Relations, and Strategic Business Development initiatives for Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services. In addition Josh is President at Bresette + Company, where he oversees the development of strategic initiatives for the company's existing client base. Josh has helped develop numerous strategic marketing and business plans across the following industries: Financial Services, Real Estate, Consumer Products, Healthcare, Technology and Professional Services. These executed plans have enabled companies to experience tremendous growth, secure many different types of financing as well as be sold at higher than average valuations.

Prior to Bresette + Company, Josh served as an Associate for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in the Fixed Income Derivative Products Group, the most profitable area of the investment banking firm at that time. Josh also served as an Associate for Chase Securities, Inc. Equity Derivatives Group in the Investment Banking Division of the Chase Manhattan Bank, where he managed the execution of proprietary trading strategies, and worked for Dun and Bradstreet China in Shanghai as the Operations Manager for China.

Josh is a graduate of Union College in Schenectady, New York, with bachelor's degrees in both History and English Literature. Most recently, Josh completed two Harvard Business School Executive Education Program's entitled Managing Brand Meaning and Leading Professional Service Firms, and he is currently enrolled in a highly selective three year HBS Owner and President Management (OPM) Program. In addition, he is a member of the Entrepreneur's Organization (EO), an avid supporter of theater and the arts, and loves reading, yoga, and travel.

Enid Cohen has been in the Real Estate Appraisal industry for over 23 years. In her current position as Senior Vice President of Quality and Compliance at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services, Enid leads and works closely with the company's Corporate Appraisal Internal Review Team (CAIRT) and has been instrumental in implementing Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services' industry-leading Corporate Appraisal Quality Control Management Process.

For the past 7 years, Enid previously worked in many different capacities at First American Appraisal Services/eAppraiseIT. She started at the company as a Staff Appraiser and worked her way up to Manager of Quality Control. Prior to that, Enid gained industry experience working at Strategic Mortgage Services, TRW Appraisal Division, and Appraisal Services of New England as a Staff Appraiser. professional career as a staff appraiser at Appraisal Services of New England.

Enid graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor's degree in speech communication. She holds Real Estate Residential Certification licenses in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Enid is an avid believer of Continuing Education and is passionate about learning. Some recent courses she has taken include: The Professional's Guide to the Residential Appraisal Form and most importantly, How to Meet Client Expectations.

Rita Norris has been in Real Estate Valuation industry for over 25 years and has been an exceptional Real Estate Appraiser this whole time. Rita is currently Senior Vice President and Co-head of Quality & Compliance at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services. Rita is also a Chief Appraiser and is one of the selected Executive Management Team Members who evaluates every internal Corporate Appraiser who is added to the company's Corporate Appraisal Internal Review Teams (CAIRT) who are known for implementing an industry-leading Corporate Appraisers Quality Control Management Process. Furthermore, Rita has been instrumental in leading the development of Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services Nationwide Corporate Appraisal Network (NCAN) who are the most experienced and dedicated Appraisers in the industry today.

Rita started out as a self-employed appraiser and then worked for many other well known appraisal companies such as: Delta Funding, Equity Tile and Closing Services, Aegis Mortgage Corporation, and Collateral Risk Solutions before joining Lincoln Appraisal and Settlement Services. Rita maintains tremendous knowledge around all State, Federal, HVCC, USPAP, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and how FHA's guidelines, compliance and regulations.

Rita continues to participate in Continuing Education Programs, Seminars, Classes and most importantly to keep abreast of the current real estate trends, market conditions, regulations, methodology, etc.

In her spare time Rita is a participant of St. Rita's Church and active in Women's Club and Choir and what she enjoys most is the time spent with her family; especially her grandchildren.

Justin T. Gontarek has been in the mortgage industry for over 6 years. At Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services Justin focuses on Strategic Product Development, Sales and New Business Development, Account Management, and Strategic Planning.

Justin has held Senior Management positions at some of the nation's largest mortgage lenders. Currently, at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services he has taken a leadership role in recruitment, business system innovation, sales and business development, training, and mentoring future leaders for the company.

Justin is a Magna Cum Laude Pre Law graduate from Roger Williams University in Bristol RI and is currently working toward his Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Real Estate Law.

Bethany Vanasse joined Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services after several years in the mortgage industry, servicing all sides of a loan transaction. Beth began her mortgage career with a broker shop, eventually transitioned into title and settlement services on a national level, and has now made her way to nationwide appraisals and settlements, giving her a country-wide perspective from every angle.

In her current capacity at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services, Beth directs the Client Services Department, which consists of all Dedicated Client Service Teams. She has been instrumental in developing the operational systems and processes which allow the company to deliver the highest level of client service and quality. As a leader, Beth has an exceptional work ethic and constantly strives for superior service; as a result, her staff exemplifies these virtues at every opportunity. Her division consistently endeavors to exceed clients' expectations, and remains committed to building personalized, long-term business partnerships with every client.

In her former life, Beth received her degree in Performing Arts, and lived and worked in Manhattan and Los Angeles for a period of time, acting, directing, and singing. She currently lives in Providence and continues to perform with a variety of local musicians and projects.

Janine leads and manages the Title, Escrow & Closing Division for Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services (LASS). Janine has worked in the mortgage industry for over 15 years and has experience as a loan originator, processor, funding manager and compliance officer. At LASS Janine is responsible for all aspects of settlement services operations and was instrumental in developing the comprehensive training program for Title, Escrow & Closing Division personnel. Janine makes certain her division remains well versed on the nuances within the settlement process which vary from state to state, and ensures they always take a complete proactive approach to curative work.

Janine has handled mortgage broker, banker and originator licensing in 33 states, as well as Freddie Mac and FHA approvals. She has extensive experience in representing brokers and bankers in regulatory compliance audits and repurchase demands as well as all aspects of Settlement Services. Prior to Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services Janine founded and ran a successful nationwide title company.

Janine graduated from the Pepperdine University School of Law and completed a fellowship in M.D.R. at The Straus Institute.