Realtors honored at annual awards reception
Dayton Realtors announced the recipients of the 2018 Affiliate, Community Service, Rookie, Owner/Manager and Realtor of the Year Awards at the annual Sales Leaders Club Reception held at the Mandalay Banquet Center Jan. 24. They also honored one member with the Distinguished Career Award. Their contributions to the real estate industry, the community and the Realtor organization are greatly appreciated.
Distinguished Career Award
Steve Brown, associated with Irongate, Inc., has been a Dayton Realtors member for more than 40 years, having received a real estate sales license in 1975 and a broker license in 1990. He holds the ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES and GREEN designation.
His involvement with Dayton Realtors began in 1977 as a member of the nominating committee, then continued as a member of the board of directors and serving as Dayton Realtors president in 1995.
He then served as Ohio Realtors president in 2002 and president of the National Association of Realtors in 2014. He describes a distinguished career not in terms of offices held or awards received but in how one uses these opportunities to encourage others to seek success and service in our local real estate industry.
Realtor of the Year
Billie Duncan-Hart, associated with Coldwell Banker Heritage, has been a member of the Realtor organization since 1993 and was a graduate of Dayton Realtors’ first leadership development program in 2013.
She served on the board of directors from 20132018, chaired or participated on many board committees including legislative RPAC, professional standards, government affairs and grievance. In addition to these committees, she chaired the 2018 MLS Rules & Procedures Task Force and served on the Leadership Development Task Force. A focus of her volunteer work consisted of forming the Cypress Ridge Garden Club to maintain the entrance to their neighborhood.
Affiliate of the Year
Karen Brown, associated with Landmark Title Agency South, has been an Associate Affiliate member of Dayton Realtors since 1990. She was a member of the Affiliate Institutions Advisory Group and social events committee, and served in other industry affiliations such as the Home Builders Association of the Miami Valley, Dayton Mortgage Bankers and the Ohio Land Title and Miami Valley Land Title Associations.
She served as secretary for the Women’s Council of Realtors Dayton Chapter in 2011 and 2012 and was recognized as the WCR Affiliate of the Year in 2008. Her community involvement includes serving as treasurer for the Compassionate Friends and volunteering with the Thanksgiving Community Action Committee.
Realtor Community Service Award
Dale Berry, associated with Irongate, Inc., has been a Realtor since 1971 and is involved with several area community organizations. He has been a Washington Twp. trustee since 2009, a charter member of the Montgomery County Land Reutilization Board and a member of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
In addition to these contributions, Dale volunteers at the House of Bread and the Dayton Art Institute Ocktoberfest and Art Ball and participated in a fundraising event for Clothes That Work. Previous community activities include being a member of the South Suburban Coalition, Montgomery County auditor’s committee, board member of the Montgomery County chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Washington Twp. Zoning commission.
He was previously awarded the Dayton Realtors’ 2009 Realtor of the Year award and recognized as a Dayton Area Realtors Political Action Committee Hall of Fame member. In additional to this award, the community organization of his choice will receive a contribution of $250 from Dayton Realtors in her name.
Owner/Manager of the Year
Mike Martin, associated with Kamela & Company Realty, has been licensed since 2004 and was a graduate of the inaugural class of Dayton Realtors’ leadership development program. He holds the ABR, GREEN, CRS, HHS and MRP certifications or designations, and served on the Dayton Realtors board of directors from 2013 through 2017, serving as president in 2016.
He participates on the grievance, government affairs and equal opportunity committees and has served on numerous committees at the state and national level.
Martin previously received the Dayton Realtors’ 2013 Community Service Award, the 2015 Women’s Council of Realtors’ Realtor of the Year award, the 2015 Marie Kindrick Award, the 2013 Oregon District Community Service Award and the Preservation Award in Education from the Ohio Historic Society. He served on the Victoria Theatre Board of Trustees, volunteers annually for Rebuilding Together Dayton and has served as president for both the Oregon and Huffman historic districts.
Rookie of the Year
Christopher Howard, associated with Home Experts Realty, was licensed in 2016. As a new Realtor, he achieved almost $5 million in sales between October 2017 and September 2018. This qualified him to also receive the 2018 Dayton Realtors Sales Leaders Club Award of Distinction. His philosophy to always strive for the client’s benefit has no doubt contributed to this achievement.
In addition to these awards, the “Top 5 Under 40” Awards were also presented at the reception. The “Top Five Under 40” recognized future leaders of the organization based on community involvement, sales volume and participation in Dayton Realtors activities.
The recipients were Miranda Biedenham with RE/MAX Alliance Realty, Heather Haase with HER Realtors, Andrew Nicholl with Coldwell Banker Heritage, John Pawelski with EXP Realty, and Chelsea Turner with Coldwell Banker Heritage.
Dayton REALTORS is a trade association representing over 2,900 REALTOR and affiliate members in Montgomery, Greene, Darke, Warren, and Preble Counties in Ohio. As members of organized real estate, REALTORS subscribe to a strict code of ethics and have access to numerous services and programs to enhance their professionalism. Since 1909, Dayton REALTORS has provided its members with the resources they need to ensure the continued growth and success of real estate practitioners to better serve the consumer.