DARTON CASE, OWNER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Darton Case took the helm of Dart Appraisal Services in 1994, working closely with Oakland Mortgage, a company founded by his father during the rapid expansion of the mortgage market in the late 80s. He immediately recognized the critical need for a third party business model in the real estate appraisal industry and expanded Dart Appraisal until it reached nationwide coverage by 1998. Case is a licensed appraiser for the State of Michigan, and he is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association and a former board member of the Michigan Mortgage Brokers Association. He holds a bachelor of arts from Colorado State University.
His vision for Dart Appraisal is to execute a reliable and consistent experience for its clients, appraisers and employees. Case’s passion and drive to succeed can be felt throughout the company’s culture. His ability to attract great employees through perseverance has allowed his firm to adapt and lead in a rapidly changing marketplace.
MICHAEL DRESDEN, PRESIDENT
Developing and executing the vision for Dart Appraisal is company president Michael Dresden. He has responsibility for all areas of the business, including operations, sales, finance, human resources, technology and compliance. As the chief integrator for all branches of Dart Appraisal, Dresden works closely with the company’s leadership team to create a comprehensive strategic plan that effectively utilizes the skills of each area to their fullest advantage. From customer service and sales, from suppliers to operations, each piece of the strategic plan is fine-tuned to develop a package that delivers consistent, reliable and customized service to a broad range of clients throughout the U.S. Throughout the rapidly changing marketplace over the past decade, Dart Appraisal has emerged and remains a leading, national AMC under the strategic leadership of Dresden. As a certified Six Sigma Green Belt, he remains committed to continuous improvement efforts. Dresden is also an Accredited Mortgage Professional, as well as a licensed appraiser.
Prior to joining Dart Appraisal, Dresden served as Regional Operations Manager for a provider of outsourced services. In this role, he successfully aligned company operations and sales departments through combined planning sessions, developing a tool to unify account growth and customer satisfaction strategies across both departments. Dresden holds a bachelor of science from Illinois State University, where he served as president of Pi Sigma Epsilon marketing business fraternity.
Andrea Stickney, VP of appraiser strategy & OPERATions
john labriola, VP of sales
As VP of Sales, John LaBriola’s focus is developing and maintaining a winning sales strategy – one based on developing and maintaining great relationships. Recognizing that the most profitable persuasion is personal, John works with his team daily on process improvement, training, coaching, goal setting and motivation techniques.
Before joining Dart Appraisal in 2022, John spent 10 years as VP of Sales for a Credit Reporting Agency, helping achieve a positive corporate culture and significant sales growth. He also spent 20 years as Founder and President of Lighthouse Training, a consulting and training company specializing in sales and customer service trainings for the mortgage and automotive industries.
lon bollenbacher, VP of marketing
As Vice President of Finance, Tomer Meir is responsible for all of the company’s financial functions, including accounting, audit, treasury, corporate finance. He develops financial models to identify business opportunities and works closely with the executive team to grow the business and improve results. In addition, Tomer oversees the HR and IT departments of the company. He joined Dart in 2023.
Prior to joining Dart Appraisal, Tomer spent 7 years as Chief Financial Officer for Sundberg-Ferar, a product innovation and engineering company. Prior to that he was CFO for G-NIUS Unmanned Ground Systems and Fractional Controller/Finance Manager for Nativ Financial Consultants. He is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Walsh College and a Master of Business Administraiton in Finance from Ruppin Academic Center.
Tracey Meldrum, Vice president of compliance and process control
As Vice President of Compliance and Process Control, Tracey Meldrum focuses on compliance efforts for both state and federal regulations, as well as on fulfilling Dart Appraisal’s own compliance strategy. She also oversees the company’s document and policy management process, coordinates all non-financial audits, and serves as the liaison between state regulators and Dart Appraisal. She is an active participant in the Collateral Risk Network and the Association of Appraiser Regulatory Officials. Meldrum joined Dart as a Vendor Coordinator in 2010 and became the company’s first Vendor Manager in 2012.
Meldrum has more than twenty years’ experience in the banking and mortgage industries. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Oakland University.