Tedd R. Smith - Chief Executive Officer
As CEO and board member of FLDI, Tedd Smith brings extensive knowledge of business development and growth. Prior to creating FLDI, Mr. Smith co-founded and served as Vice President of Marketing for Flood Zones, Inc. At Flood Zones, Mr. Smith served as Vice President of Marketing and was integral in taking the company from a start-up company in 1992, to a national leader in flood zone determinations by 1996. Mr. Smith oversaw all sales, marketing, and advertising for Flood Zones. He was also responsible for the Value Added Reseller program and TransUnion sales representatives, which together generated more than 50 percent of the company's revenue. Following TransUnion's acquisition of Flood Zones in 1997, Mr. Smith started Home Equity Loan Corporation, a mortgage company. Mr. Smith also served on the board of directors of Home Equity Loan Corporation, prior to the company's acquisition by Baron Financial Corporation. In 1998, Mr. Smith co-founded Mall.com, Inc. and was quickly was promoted to President of Mall.com's sister technology company, Demandex, Inc. Realizing the opportunities in the real estate information industry and the need for technology-driven products and services, Mr. Smith left Demandex and created FLDI.
E-mail: tedd.smith@firstclose.com
Gabriel Flores - Chief Operating Officer
Gabriel Flores joined FLDI as the chief operating officer where his duties entail supervising the daily operations of FLDI including operations management, personnel, financial performance, customer service and the development of FLDI's strategies for information technology positioning within the real estate marketplace. Prior to joining FLDI, Flores served as a financial management and operations consultant at Austin, Texas-based KLD Business Consulting and as CEO of E-Matrix Systems Inc., a software development company. Flores attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned two bachelors degrees, one in accounting and another in business management. After gaining 15 years of experience with nonprofit and for profit organizations, he returned to UT Austin to earn his MBA with a concentration in business entrepreneurship and technology commercialization.
E-mail: gabriel.flores@firstclose.com
Timothy R. Smith - President
Tim Smith offers extensive experience creating and managing successful businesses. Prior to co-founding FLDI, Mr. Smith founded and served as Vice President of Flood Zones, Inc. From 1992 to 1995, he managed all operations and secured a large percentage of business for the company. Following TransUnion's acquisition of Flood Zones in 1996, Mr. Smith was reassigned to manage the automated flood zone determination database--now known as FloodWare. As the FloodWare Manager, Mr. Smith led his team of 110 employees to build the company into a leader in the industry. Mr. Smith went on to pursue additional business ventures, including Mall.com, Inc., Demandex, Inc., Trinidad Financial Group, and Home Equity Loan Corporation. He was an integral contributor in promoting and building these businesses. Mr. Smith currently serves as President of FLDI and serves on its board of directors.
E-mail: tim.smith@firstclose.com
Corey Smith - Director of Business Development
Corey Smith joined FLDI in 2009 and is responsible for generating and implementing strategies for business development. He works across all departments in order to maximize business opportunities and market share in the mortgage industry. He is also responsible for reviewing emerging markets, building fresh market ideas and thrusts, identifying new prospective business hubs, and evaluating business opportunities for new ventures. Prior to joining FLDI, Mr. Smith has enjoyed 18 years owning and operating various small businesses where he gained experience in executive management and leadership, specializing in start-ups, turnaround businesses and high growth organizations. Mr. Smith started his career in 1992 serving as co-founder and Vice President of Flood Zones, Inc. where he pioneered the invention of automated flood determinations utilizing geo-coded FEMA flood maps. His developing of the FloodWare geo-coded database helped grow the business from start-up to $10MM in annual sales in 4 short years. After Trans Unions acquisition of Flood Zones in 1996, Mr. Smith went on to owning and operating various businesses in sectors such as mortgage loan origination, Internet marketing, and most recently, commercial real estate software development. His direct experience in these businesses and sectors brings a well rounded yet unique perspective to FLDI.
E-mail: corey.smith@firstclose.com
Van G. Hill - National Sales Manager
Mr. Hill has been with First Lenders Data since November of 2003, first serving as an account manager and then moving up to become The National Sales Manager. Prior to coming to First Lenders Data, Inc. Mr. Hill was a loan officer with USA Home Lending, averaging $2,000,000 in loans a month. Prior to that, Mr. Hill was a commodities broker and served as an officer in the United States Air Force. Mr. Hill received his degree from the University of Texas while a resident of the state of Alaska.
E-mail: van.hill@firstclose.com