Kari Sabo brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and passion to her role as Director of Escrow Administration, Compliance & Strategic Initiatives of Pango Group.

Her love for leading people and the real estate industry, started decades ago. Both of Kari’s parents were in real estate, so it was a natural fit for her to enter the industry.

While Kari knew there were many other careers she could have explored, she stayed in the industry because she quickly fell in love with the challenging work, constant learning, and the growth opportunities provided in escrow, especially for women.

With a master’s degree in Christian Leadership from Fuller Seminary, Kari utilizes the transferable skills gained in college in her role by encouraging teamwork, managing her team in a positive and nurturing fashion, and providing valuable support to meet overall company goals.

Her background in the title and escrow business is equally impressive. She possesses a great deal of experience in the Operations sector, both in title and escrow, and has been serving clients and companies for over four decades. The past 25 years have been spent in various leadership roles, supporting escrow teams so that they can serve their clients and win new business.

Her experience as an escrow officer spans across all types of transactions, including residential, mobile homes, and REOs. And, while she is an expert in the field, she is passionate about learning new things every day and thrives in an environment where no day is the same.

When Kari isn’t sharing her knowledge with others, providing encouragement to her team, or collaborating with other management, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking delicious meals to share, baking sourdough bread, and endlessly telling her lovable Shih tzu Toby to stop barking at the neighbors.

Mike Allegra is the VP of Information Technology for Pango Group, and has been serving the organization for over a decade. Given the vast depth and breadth of his experience, knowledge, and expertise, he brings an immense amount of value to the company, its employees, and clients daily.

Given Mike’s innate passion for technology, people, and being part of a strong team, he is able to help the organization make smart decisions by sharing solutions and strategies in a simple and comprehensible manner.

In addition to providing IT leadership, Mike also serves on the executive team, where he helps shape and execute the vision for the Independent Escrow Channel. His oversight of key departments and initiatives play a vital role in advancing the organization’s broader goals.

Outside of work, Mike is devoted to his family and is passionate about travel.  In his free time, you can typically find him off on a new adventure or researching and planning for his next one.

Chief Administrative & Financial Officer, Russell Jensen, brings a worldview to Granite Escrow. He spent his formative years overseas including attendance at American University in Dubai where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Management. After getting his feet wet working with Ernst & Young, Russell returned to the United States to pursue work with non-profit organizations such as C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and 211 LA in various capacities including Director of Finance.

“I was ready to do something different,” commented Russell on his move to Glen Oaks Escrow after a 13-year period working with 501(c)(3) organizations. “The position here dovetails perfectly with my experience and skills, and I’m excited in the opportunity to learn more about the real estate industry. The next five years are going to be very interesting in the Southern California market, which is often a harbinger for the rest of the country. I’m looking forward to contributing to the company’s goals and business objectives.” Russell will be helping to support a sustainable business practice for the organization, identifying and facilitating accounting efficiencies, and managing the needs of various accounting departments falling beneath the Pango Group corporate umbrella.

Outside of work, he enjoys cycling and continues to volunteer his time as Treasurer with three Los Angeles-based non-profit groups.

Lucas Pepi serves as the Director of Sales & Regional Escrow Operations and has been with the organization for over a decade.

He brings a vast amount of experience – both escrow and non-escrow related – to his role that has aided him in bringing an immense amount of value and growth to the organization. This includes working as a soccer coach, business development representative, Escrow Assistant, and Escrow Officer.

He has a clear understanding of how to manage a group of unique personalities with different value sets and motivations, and he is able to guide and encourage them to reach a common goal. His hands-on escrow background gives him an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of escrow and the industry, how to exceed client expectations, and successful ways to work with challenges proactively.

Lucas holds both a B.S. (BA) and MBA in Business with a concentration in Management. His education in this discipline has proved to be a valuable asset in managing the Sales Team and leading with grace and kindness, encouragement, and training.

When Lucas isn’t busy leading his team, you can find him hanging with family, working on home renovation projects, and attempting to golf.

Cecilia is joining our team with over 24 years of experience in the real estate industry, spanning 14 years in escrow and 10 years in commercial loans. She is a trusted expert in communication and workflow optimization.

She thrives in the ever-evolving world of real estate, finding inspiration in its dynamic and fast-paced nature. Her professional strengths lie in relationship building, collaboration, coaching, and problem solving, which she considers the most rewarding aspects of her work.

Beyond the office, she has a passion for live theater, exploring the great outdoors through hiking and camping, and unwinding at the beach. Recently, she’s embraced golfing as an exciting new pastime.

A fun and surprising fact about Cecilia? Despite not knowing how to swim, she adores being in the water and doesn’t let that stop her from an adventure!

Local escrow industry veteran Julie McMillan joined the Granite Escrow corporate team as Vice President of Escrow Operations in June 2021, after serving for five years as the manager of the Newport Beach branch.

Prior to joining Granite, Julie spent 35 years as an escrow officer in the Newport Beach coastal area.  She built and maintained respected Broker/Agent relationships over the course of her tenure and successfully closed escrow for many of the area’s homeowners and families.  Her career was built on a foundation of solid communication, investment in and attention to the nuances of every transaction, as well as discreet and respectful client care.

In her current role as an integral part of the Granite Corporate team, Julie thrives on the opportunity to act as a trusted resource and to support her colleagues by sharing her expertise, technical knowledge, and the lessons learnt through years of day-to-day escrow practice.

Julie graduated from University of California, Irvine, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and has lived in Newport Beach ever since.  Her family is close by and, when not working, she is happiest outside either in or on the water.