NAR board votes in new leaders in first-ever virtual election

The National Association of Realtors board of directors elected new leaders Friday morning in its first-ever virtual election. Nearly all candidates ran uncontested.

The board, which has around 800 members from across the country, voted during the last session of the Virtual Realtors Legislative Meetings, NAR’s first-ever virtual midyear conference.  Two-thirds of its sessions were closed to nearly all NAR members and press, including the board meeting.

The only contested race in the election was for the position of 2021-2022 NAR treasurer. In that race, Nancy Lane, principal broker at Lane-Harkins Commercial Real Estate in Brandon, Mississippi, was the winner. Her opponent was David McKey, broker-owner of the commercial and residential firm Coldwell Banker One in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Both Lane and McKey have served on multiple state and national Realtor association committees and boards, but in a candidates forum last week Lane emphasized her experience with NAR’s finances. She is in her tenth term on the NAR board of directors.

“Without question I have more exposure to and expertise with the finances of NAR. Five years on Finance Committee, five years on Reserve Investments [Committee], and eight years on Real Property Operations Committee overseeing the assets of NAR. Add all of that up: 18 years. That’s 12 years more experience with NAR finances that I bring to the position dealing with all the nuances of NAR’s portfolio. Experience matters,” Lane said at the forum.

NAR declined to say how many votes each candidate got or whether it was a close race.

The other candidates for NAR leadership ran unopposed. This includes Kenny Parcell, broker-owner of Equity Real Estate in Spanish Fork, Utah, who was elected NAR’s 2021 first vice president. The election puts him on the ladder to serve as NAR president in 2023, the trade group said. Parcell is a familiar face at NAR’s midyear and annual conferences and has served as NAR’s 2018 vice president of governmental affairs, a 2016 regional vice president and 2011 president of the Utah Association of Realtors.

Parcell, Lane and the other elected leaders will be installed at NAR’s annual conference in November. Charlie Oppler, NAR’s president-elect, will automatically succeed to the office of president, per NAR’s constitution.

NAR is still planning to hold its annual conference in New Orleans this fall, but the association said it is prepared to adapt to whatever circumstances come up in November and beyond.

“As we find during any time of crisis, this pandemic offers our members and our association a tremendous opportunity to evolve and adapt to the markets of the future,” said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg in a statement. “While we hope to proceed with our annual Conference & Expo in New Orleans this November, we know the way this association operates will be forever changed — and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

“Decades of investments in technology and a commitment to reinventing ourselves allowed NAR to execute a conference none of us imagined being necessary just a few months ago. This week provides a successful blueprint of a hybrid approach for future NAR events — with both virtual and in-person capabilities — even after the nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and all resulting shutdowns.”

NAR also announced Friday the 2020 recipients of its Distinguished Service Award, which the trade group said is “the highest honor outside the presidency bestowed on an NAR member.”

The recipients are Michael Ford, broker-owner of Coldwell Banker Heritage Homes, and member of NAR’s board of directors for 23 years, and Diana Bull, CFO and broker-associate with Pacific Crest Realty, and a NAR director for 31 years. Both have served their local, state and national Realtor associations for decades in multiple capacities.

Here’s the slate of NAR leaders for 2021:

Leadership Team

· President Charlie Oppler, AHWD, C2EX, Franklin Lakes, N.J.

· President-Elect Leslie Rouda Smith, ABR, AHWD, CIPS, CRB, CRS, e-PRO, PMN, C2EX Dallas

· First Vice President Kenny Parcell, ABR, C2EX, CRS, Spanish Fork, Utah

· Immediate Past President Vince Malta, CIPS, C2EX, San Francisco

· Treasurer Nancy M. Lane, CCIM, AHWD, RENE, C2EX, Brandon, Miss.

· CEO Bob Goldberg

Appointed Vice Presidents

· Vice President of Advocacy Leigh Brown, ABR, AHWD, CIPS, e-PRO, CRS, SFR, SRES, C2EX, Concord, N.C.

· Vice President of Association Affairs Tommy Choi, Chicago

Regional Vice Presidents

· Region 1: Donna Cusson, PSA, RSPS Warren, Vt.

· Region 2: Margaret Hartman, ABR, AHWD, CIPS, CRB, CRS, GRI, Buffalo, N.Y.

· Region 3: Bonnie Roberts-Burke, CRS, C2EX, Washington, D.C.

· Region 4: Carl Tackett, AHWD, CRS, GRI, MRP, Georgetown, Ky.

· Region 5: Andrew Barbar, ABR, CIPS, C2EX, Boca Raton, Fla.

· Region 6: Eugene Szpeinski, GRI, ePRO Grandville, Mich.

· Region 7: Michael Oldenettel, CRS, GRI, Springfield, Ill.

· Region 8: Len Sarvela, AHWD, CRS, GRI, Duluth, Minn.

· Region 9: Doyle Yates, CRB, CRS, GRI, SFR, C2EX, Springdale, Ark.

· Region 10: Vicki Fullerton, ABR, CRS, e-PRO, C2EX, The Woodlands, Texas

· Region 11: Scott Matthias, AWHD, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, C2EX, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

· Region 12: Tiffanie Mai-Ganske, CRS, GRI, C2EX, Pocatello, Idaho

· Region 13: Chris Kutzkey, GRI, Yreka, Calif.

Email Andrea V. Brambila.
Like me on Facebook | Follow me on Twitter