REALTOR®: SILVAR Congratulates 2020 AREAA SV Leadership Group
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR), neighboring REALTOR® associations, and other members of the real estate industry congratulated the Asian Real Estate Association of America Silicon Valley (AREAA SV) 2020 president, directors and advisors at their installation on Jan. 9 at Napredak Hall in San Jose.
Comprising the 2020 AREAA SV Executive Board are SILVAR members Andy Chung with Compass Saratoga, President, and Chika Mori with Sperry CGA - Global Estate Link, Vice President; Michelle Lin (Red Wave Insurance Services), Past President; Monaka Jackson (Excite Credit Union), Secretary; and Lillian Wong (PNC Bank), Treasurer. The 2020 AREAA SV Board Directors are Anna Truong Lopez (Wells Fargo Home Mortgage), Audrey Sun (DeLeon Realty), Joanna Hsu (Intero Real Estate), Kevin Cole (Compass), Marty Lefton (SV Commercial Lending), Kelly Le (Realty One Group Infinity) and Sylvia Lee (Intero Real Estate). 2020 Advisors are 2020 AREAA National Treasurer Atsuko Yube (Sperry CGA - GEL), 2018 AREAA SV Past President Dennis Delisle (EQ1 Real Estate), Katy Care (Veridian Mortgage), Frank Cancilla (Exp Realty), Linh Dang (Chicago Title) and Sebastien Colas (Stonecrest Financial).
This year’s AREAA SV leadership was installed by James Huang, 2020 AREAA National President. NBC Bay Area News reporter Robert Handa served as master of ceremony. Special guests were AREAA founding chair and Director Emeritus John Wong, 2020 California Association of REALTORS® President-elect Dave Walsh, 2021 AREAA National President-elect Amy Kong and AREAA Global CEO/2015 AREAA Chair Carmen Chong.
The event celebrated the AREAA local chapter’s 10th year anniversary and AREAA’s 17 years as a national organization. With 42 chapters in the U.S. and Canada and over 17,000 members, AREAA is the largest Asian association in North America.
Addressing members and guests, Chung noted Silicon Valley is recognized throughout the world as a place of innovation. Referring to this year’s theme “Still Making a Difference,” Chung said, “Being different is in our DNA and making a difference is our purpose.”
A native of San Francisco, Chung graduated from UC Berkeley and prior to becoming a REALTOR® worked in product marketing, international sales, software development, customer advocacy and other roles for several Silicon Valley companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Cisco and Xerox. He also founded a couple of startups.
Chung said he believes three elements are needed to fall in place for any life changing development to occur - ability, desire and opportunity. It is what has led him to be a successful REALTOR® and involved with AREAA.
“I am proud to have the innate ability to surround myself with people of unbending ethics,” said Chung.
This year Chung said AREAA SV will be offering programs with great speakers, educators and accomplished leaders of the Asian community. He reminded everyone of the importance of being represented in the 2020 census to ensure Asian Americans have a continued voice in the U.S.
Representing SILVAR at the event were 2020 President Mary Kay Groth and President-elect Joanne Fraser. As she congratulated Chung, Groth said, “We’ve had close ties with AREAA Silicon Valley through the years and we look forward to strengthening our partnership and serving as a resource for you and AREAA’s members. I’m looking forward to working with you this year as both our associations continue our mission of helping the Asian American community and others who wish to achieve their dream of homeownership.”