After 25 years, Francene DePrez retired from Fidelity National Financial (FNF), the nation’s largest title insurance and real estate closing. FNF family includes Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title and Alamo Title. DePrez was the President of one of FNF’s largest divisions, Fidelity Residential Solutions, Inc. (FRS), leading their growth and national client development; and managing eight production offices across the US, with more than 100 staff members. FRS specializes in providing national relocation services to corporations transferring their employees from one city to another. The production offices managed title and closing services, national inspection services and national appraisal services.
Francene and Diamond Don Rainey will continue to own and operate Historic Jefferson Railway and Diamond Don RV Park and Event Center. DePrez looks forward to spending more time at home working on projects; traveling around the country for Don’s vintage motocross racing; and working with her favorite local charities.
DePrez began her career as a real estate closing assistant when she was 20, at a large real estate office in Portland, Oregon. From there, she joined Stewart Title as their Residential and Commercial Closing Manager and was promoted a few years later to President of Stewart Title’s Oregon Operations managing more than 80 people.
She transferred to Stewart’s National Commercial Division, in Houston, as their SVP/National Marketing Director, managing 6-8 national commercial offices across the US. She moved to Fidelity in 1996 where she rapidly advanced to President of FRS. Francene received many corporate awards from FNF, including Top Performers Roundtable in 2000, 2009 and 2011.
In December 2011, Francene was recognized as one of ten outstanding women in real estate “who are shaping the future of the mortgage banking industry. These trailblazers were chosen based on ‘big picture’ thinking, reputation and a record of accomplishment with other organizations”. The award was presented personally in Dallas by Ms. Condoleezza Rice, past U.S. Secretary of State; and current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. The highlight of the evening included a private dinner with Ms. Rice and the other award winners.
She was also named the 2014 Citizen of the Year by Marion County Chamber of Commerce. “I really was surprised”, DePrez said. “One of the things that was said that night is that I quietly do things. I like to work behind the scenes.”
Francene currently serves on boards for Jefferson Adopt-A-Cop; Women of Jefferson; Jefferson Railway and Wetlands Foundation; and Summer Adventures in Learning. She served on the board of Real Estate Settlement Providers Council (RESPRO); Literacy Advance of Houston; Jefferson Texas Tourism Board; Jefferson Carnegie Library and Creating Opportunities in Marion County. She also chaired the Staff Parish Relations Committee at First United Methodist Church Jefferson; and served as President of Friends of Jefferson Carnegie Library.