The Worcester Regional Association of REALTORS速
2015 ANNUAL REPORT 1
Dear WRAR Members: D As outgoing 2015 President, it is a great privilege to be wri ng these comments for our first Annual ReA port. p In so many ways it represents the tremendous progress we have made as an organiza on. Your leadership l teams have worked for the past several years to realign and recreate our service menu to meet the rapidly changing demands of both our industry and the world in which we live. m Before I highlight some of our par cular programs, I would like to tell you all that our professional staff B con nues to perform to the absolute highest standards. Their commitment to our Associa on is evic dent in the pride of ownership they take in all Associa on ac vi es. Colleen Pappas is one of the most d highly respected Execu ve Vice-Presidents in our local and na onal region. It is very common at State h aand Na onal events that her input is requested on a wide variety of associa on management ac vi es. We are fortunate to have her at the helm. W We are almost four years out from our strategic plan. In these four years, we were able to control our budget, take control of a committee system that was basically “wagging the dog,” and concentrate on increasing the quality and quan ty of educa on to our membership. Planning and scheduling have been streamlined; a reconfigured Commi ee Structure now comports with the strategic plan, and the new structure allows us to reduce the number and length of many mee ngs. One of our underlying goals from the strategic plan was to increase our profile to ensure that we are properly communica ng the value of not only REALTOR® membership but also of local membership. As we suspected, our par cipa on level increased as people who were willing to volunteer some me were now able to par cipate much more easily and on their schedule. I am happy to report that with increased par cipa on has come not only higher visibility for our REALTOR® community, but also more recogni on outside as well (e.g. Tim Murray speaking at our highly successful Annual Legisla ve Breakfast). Another one of our strategic goals was to improve the relevance and meliness of our educa onal offerings through our real estate school. I am pleased to report that we were successful on many levels but most notably we were out in front of the training for the new TRID rules that became effec ve in October 2015. Because of the research we were doing at the me, we were asked to beta test the new CEU RE93R15: Consumer Financial Protec on Bureau (CFPB) Effect on Real Estate. As a result of the work we were doing with the Board of Registra on and the Bar Associa on, we were one of the first associa ons in the state to offer training and were asked by many associa ons to assist with their efforts. We also partnered with Fairway Mortgage to bring a new military designa on class to the members. The Board has voted this year to pursue a name change for the organiza on. For some years now there has been discussion about changing our name to reflect our geography and not provide the name of any par cular town or city. Local research revealed the most recent change to our name in 2000 was to ensure that our yellow pages placement would be prominent! (Yes, some of us remember the yellow pages.) Consequently we have pe oned NAR for a name change to the Central Massachuse s Associa on of REALTORS®. Not everyone was as excited as we were so we will be having a hearing in San Diego rela ve thereto. Un l further no ce we remain WRAR but we suspect that will change for calendar year 2016. The rest of this flagship issue of the Annual report will provide detailed informa on on the ac vi es of the last year. I have learned many things from this meaningful experience and I cannot thank you enough for the privilege. Brad Roberts 2015 WRAR President
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WRAR INITIATIVES
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In the fall of 2014, we con nued the work on the Strategic Plan that began in earnest in 2012. We once again consulted with top-notch instructor Roger Turco e to iden fy 18 objec ves and corresponding ac on items that fulfill our mission statement. This crucial planning tool allowed the Board of Directors to set strategies for the commi ees so that all facets of the associa on were working together toward one main goal which is to fulfill the mission statement.
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The end of 2014 also brought us great sa sfac on as we finalized the expansion of our parking lot at the associa on. As a result of the hard work of the Directors, we managed to finance the cost through careful budge ng and reserves and did not rely on dues dollars. We also completed the project $25,000 under budget. We have been able to expand our offerings and a endance has con nued to increase without the worry of the parking.
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2015 introduced a new set of challenges when the Na onal Associa on of REALTORS® introduced, as a condi on of membership in the Na onal Associa on of REALTORS®, that all local and state associa ons must annually meet NAR’s Organizaonal Alignment Core Standards, a set of requirements that fall into six categories: Code of Ethics ; Advocacy; Consumer Outreach; Unifica on Efforts and Support of the REALTOR® Organiza on; Technology; Financial Solvency. The purpose of the new standards is to raise the bar for REALTOR® associa ons and ensure high-quality service for REALTORS®. WRAR welcomed the new standards and had no issues mee ng all 6 categories and completed the core standards months before the deadline.
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Authorized associa on leadership to explore the possibility of a name change from the Worcester Regional Associa on of REALTORS® to the Central Massachuse s Associa on of REALTORS®. This ini a ve was developed as a result of the extensive surveying we did in prepara on of the strategic plan. We heard from our members that the inclusion of the City of Worcester in our name did not accurately reflect the geographic region that we represent.
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The WRAR VIP Sponsorship Program is in its second year. The program saw tremendous growth this year, as our VIP sponsors found great value and ease in “one stop shopping” to promote their companies and products to the REALTOR® community. In addi on, for those small companies, we offer “a la carte” sponsorship opportuni es so they can tailor programs and events to fit their budgets. Our REALTORS® have responded posi vely, as classes have seen increased a endance and major events for the past two years have been at sell-out status. The majority of VIP Sponsors return each year, as they see posi ve return on their investment.
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WRAR Invested in RPAC as a Sterling Member , a $1,000 dona on to the Na onal Associa on of REALTORS® Poli cal Advocacy Fund (NARPAF) to demonstrate support for the organiza on’s public policy agenda, issues campaigns and related government affairs ac vi es.
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Adopted a 1.021 million budget for 2015 with annual REALTOR® and Designated REALTOR® membership dues remaining stable. We con nued to offer on-going con nuing educa on classes at no cost to our members.
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MEMBERSHIP REPORT For the third consecutive year, membership in the Worcester Regional Association of REALTORS® continues to increase with the number of dues paying members of all types exceeding budget numbers by 5% or a total of 131 members, to a total of 1,595 REALTORS®, Designated REALTORS® (DRs), and affiliate members entering October. The new member orientation continues to remain healthy with the 3 year average of 168 new members annually accounting for 10.1% of the membership. Our growth can be attributed to our focus on recruitment and retention through the efforts of our Membership Committee and their outreach program. In fact, this year the overall retention rate – representing the number of existing REALTORS® and DRs who renewed their membership – reached 90 percent, with the numbers of agents and brokerͲowners (DRs) rejoining the association in 2015 each exceeding budget forecasts. Our members enjoy a variety of benefits which include an abundance of monthly education classes presented in a central facility, no cost education, professional staff, active members in the association and community. Our partnership with our Affiliate Members is also a key component in the health of the Association as they continue to support many of our events, offer educational sessions to the members and are pivotal in us being able to produce a balanced budget. 2015 Budget 2015 Budget by 2015 Billing 2015 Paid by 2015 Paid by % of annual Member Type by Total Type Actual Type 09/30/2015 budget DR R Affiliates ( All sub-classes )
$66,960.00
180
188
176
$65,164.00
97.00%
$315,520.00
1160
1410
1263
$332,512.00
105.00%
$17,680.00
65
100
85
$23,596.00
133.00%
NM
$1,256.00
2
3
3
$1,884.00
150.00%
LF
$1,800.00
36
42
40
$2,000.00
111.00%
Secondary ( All sub-classes )
$7,812.00
21
28
28
$7,462.00
96.00%
$411,028.00
1464
1771
1595
$432,618.00
105.00%
2014 Budget 2014 Budget by 2014 Billing 2014 Paid by 2014 Paid by by Total Type Actual Type 09/30/2014 $66,960.00 180 177 178 $66,954.00 $307,360.00 1,130 1178 1230 $326,377.00 $17,393.00 63 68 76 $21,041.00 $2,000.00 2 2 2 $1,256.00 $1,850.00 36 35 35 $1,750.00 $5,984.00 22 24 25 $7,826.00 $401,547.00 1433 1484 1546 $425,204.00
% of annual budget 100.00% 106.20% 121.00% 62.80% 94.60% 130.80% 105.30%
2013 Budget 2013 Budget by 2013 Billing 2013 Paid by 2013 Paid by by Total Type Actual Type 09/30/2013 $66,960.00 180 193 187 $71,189.00 $307,360.00 1130 1168 1173 $323,112.22 $19,040.00 70 89 77 $14,824.00 $4,500.00 7 6 3 $1,884.00 $1,850.00 37 37 41 $2,050.00 $5,952.00 22 21 20 $7,075.00 $405,662.00 1446 1514 1501 $420,134.22
% of annual budget 106.30% 105.12% 77.85% 41.86% 110.80% 118.27% 103.53%
Total
Member Type DR R Affiliate NM LF Secondary Total
Member Type DR R Affiliate NM LF Secondary Total
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A Note from the Treasurer Mike Meurant: On behalf of the 2015 Finance Committee, we are pleased to present the 2016 budget as presented below. For the first time, we have tried to present a more comprehensive description of the finances for your reference. We are also presenting you with actuals in comparison to the budget. To date, we have already exceeded our income budget with another quarter (OctoberͲDecember 2015) to still report. One the expense side, we are slightly over budget on expenses due to the record setting numbers we had in attendance at our membership events. We are well under budget for Administrative Expenses with another quarter yet to report. Overall, we expect our actuals to exceed 2015 budget predications by 3% overall.
WORCESTER REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, INC.STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AS OF 9/30/2015 ACTUALS vs. 2015 and 2016 ANNUAL BUDGETS Jan Ͳ Sept 2015 2016 2015 Budget Budget
REVENUES: Local Dues State & National Dues Total Membership dues Education Programs Membership Programs Government Affairs ( RPAC ) Professional Standards Programs & Events Other revenues Total Revenues OPERATING EXPENSES: Program Services General and Administrative Total Operating Expenses Total change in net assets
464,347.00 434,989.00 $ 899,336.00 $ 52,007.00 $ 52,024.00 $ 8,190.00 $ Ͳ $ 34,284.00 $ 64,562.00
$432,028.00 $417,996.00 $ 850,024.00 $ 61,150.00 $ 53,000.00 $ Ͳ $ 3,000.00 $ 25,500.00 $ 56,964.00
$460,768.00 $482,515.00 $ 943,283.00 $ 48,650.00 $ 52,800.00 $ Ͳ $ 1,000.00 $ 26,000.00 $ 65,980.00
$1,110,403.00
$ 1,049,638.00
$ 1,137,713.00
$ 550,946.00 $ 506,616.00
$ 635,965.00 $ 504,260.00
$ 1,057,562.00
$ 1,140,225.00
$ (7,924.00)
$ (2,512.00)
$ Ͳ $ Ͳ
$ Ͳ $ Ͳ
$ 8,000.00
$ 2,512.00
$ 560,448.00 $ 367,746.00 $928,194.00 $ 182,209.00
OTHER ( REVENUES ) EXPENSES: (5,298.00) Interest and investment income Unrealized (gain)loss on investments 19,789.00 Total other ( revenues ) expenses $14,491.00 Total changes in net assets
$167,718.00
NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR
$451,052.00
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$76.00
$0.00
WORCESTER REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, INC. STATEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES
PROGRAM AND OTHER EXPENSES: National, State association dues Programs and Events Education programs Government affairs ( RPAC ) Membership Professional standards Past presidents council Subscriptions and memberships Meetings and conventions Resale form expense Web expense Ͳ social media Newsletter expense Bank fees and credit card charges LOC interest expense Total program and other expenses
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES:
Actual as of 9/30/2015
Annual Budget 2015
Annual Budget 2016
434,989.00 23,917.00 26,731.00 9,190.00 29,631.00 358.00 525.00 1,010.00 20,715.00 5,268.00 383.00 Ͳ 7,731.00 Ͳ
$ 417,996.00 $ 22,300.00 $ 35,800.00 $ Ͳ $ 29,600.00 $ 1,700.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 600.00 $ 24,900.00 $ 5,000.00 $ Ͳ $ 250.00 $ 11,600.00 $ 200.00
$ 482,515.00 $ 22,550.00 $ 37,975.00 $ Ͳ $ 42,550.00 $ 900.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 29,250.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 1,500.00 $ Ͳ $ 11,725.00 $ Ͳ
$560,448.00
$ 550,946.00
$ 635,965.00
Annual Budget 2015
Annual Budget 2016
$ 1,500.00 $ 3,915.00 $ 8,500.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 47,100.00 $ 15,850.00 $ 1,500.00 $ 27,900.00 $ 3,000.00 $ 11,675.00 $ 127,426.00 $ 9,000.00 $ 232,500.00 $ 8,850.00 $ 6,900.00
$ 6,000.00 $ 2,840.00 $ 10,990.00 $ 1,150.00 $ 42,525.00 $ 13,019.00 $ 1,135.00 $ 28,200.00 $ 2,000.00 $ 8,875.00 $ 127,176.00 $ 7,000.00 $ 235,500.00 $ 9,250.00 $ 8,600.00
$ 506,616.00
$ 504,260.00
Actuals as of 9/30/2015
Advertising 947.00 General maintenance/cleaning 1,575.00 Equipment lease and maintenance 10,244.00 Insurance Ͳ content 775.00 Insurance Ͳ employee 31,859.00 Office expense, sponsorship and filing fees 10,350.00 Payroll service expense 752.00 Payroll taxes 16,247.00 Postage 2,028.00 Professional fees 11,161.00 Rent expense 95,458.00 Retirement plan 4,975.00 Salaries 166,615.00 Telephone 7,156.00 Utilities 7,604.00
Total administrative expenses
$367,746.00 6
COMMITTEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE The purpose of the Membership Commi ee is to maximize the involvement of real estate professionals in the Worcester Regional Associa on of REALTORS® through recruitment, recogni on and reten on ac vi es that are dedicated to helping individuals understand why we exist and why membership is crucially important Led by Chairperson Keith Pentz, this year’s Membership Commi ee focused their a en on on developing local member benefits and educa ng the members on the many benefits that already are part of the REALTOR® experience. Twenty-five (25) new businesses were recruited to be part of our local benefits program, offering incen ves and discounts to WRAR members and the WOO Card has agreed to offer free 2015 Diamond Level Top Producers discount cards to all of our members. The commi ee ini ated Office Visits and successfully brought the REALTOR® message to over 15 offices and 100+ agents. In addi on, they monitored the New Member Orienta on Program to ensure we create a great first impression to our newest members. So far this year, we have welcomed 108 new members, with another 57 scheduled to a end the November class. This far exceeds last year’s total of 144 new members. The Orienta on Task Force had the responsibility to review the current offering to new members and to make recommendaons. Based on their research we have implemented a new half-day orienta on program star ng in January, with an emphasis on the REALTOR® benefits and how to model your business prac ces with the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. The Commi ee also recommended a new applica on process for new members, which was approved by the Directors. Effec ve in January, if a new member applies within 30 days of joining a firm, they will save 50% off the $200 applica on fee for a savings of $100. TThe Membership Commi ee also oversees our annual Awards Banquet. They have added many aspects to the award process, including q introducing the Top Producer Awards, and the result has been record in a endance and increased par cipa on. TThe YPN Commi ee, under the direc on of Kathleen Cooper focused their effort on helping to support the Scholarship Commi ee and th hosted several events as fundraisers for that cause. With their efforts, h the Scholarship Commi ee was able to distribute three $1000 scholth aarships to gradua ng seniors and college students as well as four $250 scholarships to REALTOR® members looking to pursue a designa on. sc In total, this year we granted $4000! Membership Coordinator Lisa Sprague, 2015 WRAR Scholarship Winner Abby Joseph and 2015 Membership Chair, Keith Pentz
This Commi ee con nues to bring local value to the members and looks forward to another year of growth and opportunity.
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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE The purpose of the Government Affairs Commi ee is to main-
tain an effec ve government affairs program which will enhance members’ awareness of local, state and na onal legisla ve issues affec ng the real estate industry and to meet the RPAC goals established by the Na onal Associa on of REALTORS®. Annually, NAR establishes a goal based on member numbers for each local associa on to achieve. Our goal for 2015 was $23,677.00 for dollar amount and 423 members or 33% of the members. Co-Chairs Erika Hall and Duane Pape picked up where 2014 Chairs Tracey Fiorelli and Erika Hall le off which was establishing Kevin Sears, NAR RPAC Fundraising Trustees Chair, 2015 one of the premier commi ees within the Associa on so that we Local GAC Chairs Duane Pape and Erika Hall, and Judy Moore, NAR Major Investor Council Vice Chair are able to reach state and na onal RPAC fundraising goals. The Commi ee focused on increasing member awareness on the importance of RPAC, the REALTOR® Poli cal Ac on Commi ee, by crea ng their own RPAC presenta on to be included within the Membership Commi ee’s office presenta on as well as a ending the new M member orienta ons educa ng them on the importance of RPAC. Through m their efforts, we were once again successful in achieving the goal established th by NAR for dollar volume and have contributed close to $24,000 to RPAC which represents 29% of our members par cipa ng. We are almost at goal w with a quarter le to invest. If you have not done so, please consider becomw ing an investor. in In May, the Commi ee hosted its 4th Annual Major Investor Night at the Nashoba Winery in N Senator Ryan Fa man with State Poli cal Bolton. We were forCoordinator, Sarah Gustafson tunate to welcome the following members to the Sterling “R: Club, which is an $1000.00 investment in RPAC: Andrew Abu, Jeffrey Burk, Lauren Demerjian, Jane Fine, Tracey Fiorelli, Sarah Gustafson , Leona Joseph, Kris Koliss, Kathleen McSweeney, Janice Mitchell, David Stead, Leslie Storrs, Brad Roberts, Worcester Regional Associa on of REALTORS® . Through their generosity, we are able to meet the NAR RPAC Fundraising goal once again. Thank you to all who invest in RPAC. In June, the Government Affairs Commi ee rallied the members to attend the annual REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill and was able to fill our own bus for the first me. A record turnout of over 50 Worcester members WRAR Director and Major Investor, Lee Joseph, made their way to Boston to carry the REALTOR® message to our Senators with daughter and REALTOR® Rebecca Joseph and Representa ves. The Commi ee also became the pilot associa on for
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the state in developing a State Poli cal Coordinators (SPC) program which is mirrored a er the federal program whereby a REALTOR® member who is a cons tuent of the legislator becomes the point of contact and all informa on regarding bills, posi ons, events etc. flows through the SPC to the legislator. This personal, one on one rela onship has assisted us in developing more effec ve communica on and as a result be er a ended events such as the Day on Beacon Hill and the annual Legisla ve Breakfast. The Government Affairs Commi ee also received Na onal recogni on for their efforts in restoring the Eagle Monument on West Boylston Street. This project was a result of a Place-making Grant received from the Na onal Associa on of REALTORS® with the inten on of making our community a be er place to live and work by transforming public spaces into vibrant community places. Our current project is with Habitat for Humanity with their Auburn build which is a LEED home. We are in the process of applying for a NAR place-making grant with the goal to be able to pay for all of the permits required to build a house mee ng LEED requirements. The NAR Community Place-Making Grant Project, grant program provides an excellent opportunity for the Commi ee to bring back Eagle on West Boylston Street, Worcester to the Associa on projects that will enhance the communi es in which we work.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The purpose of the Professional Development Commi ee is to increase opportuni es for growth through educa onal opportuni es for all members with emphasis on programming for new members; broker/owners and young professionals.
Recent graduates from the SRS Designa on Class with instructor Barbara Fairfield
Co-Chairs Maribeth McCauley Lynch and Sue Tolley worked with the commi ee to revamp our monthly Business Builder series to a quarterly Mastermind Event star ng this November. The commi ee reviewed previous offerings, surveyed members and researched other associa ons to determine which designa on courses would best serve our members. As a result of their hard work, we were able to present three Na onal Designa on Courses this year: SRES (Senior), SRS (Seller) and GRI. Addi onally, they offered a one-day training on the art of Nego a ng, as well as hos ng Na onal speaker Barbara Fairfield, who entertained, inspired and educated the students. The commi ee plans to con nue offering these high-quality and impac ul classes in 2016.
In addi on, they con nue to offer their quarterly breakfast series for Brokers and Managers. This series was headed by Leif Rosseland and his task force and together they brought four sessions geared to reducing liability for our brokers. We saw increased a endance each quarter and received posi ve feedback on the direc on these breakfasts have taken. We are excited to con nue this program in 2016. The Center for Real Estate Studies and Training, our real estate school, is also under the direc on of the Professional Development Commi ee . The school con nues to offer on-going training for con nuing educa on and pre-license courses. The commi ee is looking to branch into other areas of training and will be focusing future efforts on professional and personal growth for our members.
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COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE The purpose of the Community Ac on Commi ee is to engage in community service and charitable fundraising ac vi es that will provide the membership with an avenue to give back to the communi es we serve and that will demonstrate our members’ commitment to the region. This year, the Community Ac on Commi ee was chaired by President-Elect Kris Koliss who got to work early in the year idenfying the 2 local chari es that would be the recipients of our commi ees’ efforts: Veteran’s Inc. and Horizons for Homeless Children. Annually, our commi ee will iden fy and interview local chari es that work within the scope of homelessness. A er recommending the recipients to the Board of Directors for approval, they become adopted as our “pet” charity for the year and we focus our efforts on their needs. This year, we were able to submit applica ons from both chari es to the MAR Charitable Founda on where each one was given a grant for $1500 each. In addi on, both chari es were awarded $1000 each from the proceeds of our annual Golf Tournament. The commi ee also spearheaded a baby supplies drive for Horizons for Homeless Children and will be doing a drive with the Veterans in the fall. Our 17th annual golf tournament was a sell out and over 150 members and guests enjoyed a fabulous summer day on the course. First place prize went to the foursome of Alex Mar n, Jim Caruso, Gerry Barry and Lisa Houghton. The event was such a success that we were able to present checks to our 2 chari es for $1000.00 each. The highlight of the commi ee’s year is always our annual Back Pack Drive. With the support of the members, we were able to deliver over 300 filled backpacks to area schools. The goodwill from that event makes the work worth the effort.
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2015
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Communica on Task Force This task force was created as a result of the 2014 Strategic Plan and their Objec ve was to help the Associa on achieve a 75% awareness rate on communica on and to be sure members know how and where to access resources. Leslie Storrs was in charge of this Task Force and as a result we were able to create our own WRAR app! The task force also developed tutorials that assisted members on how to access resources such as how to best use our WRAR FB page and subscribe to updates; how to stop our emails from going into spam in the gmail pla orm, etc. Going forward, the task force will be working closely with each commi ee to help communicate their message effec vely and to be sure that the members know which resources are available and how to find them.
Public Rela ons Task Force This task force also came from the strategic plan. The objec ve was to communicate to the public the work that WRAR does for community as well as to develop press contacts so that we will be considered the “Voice for Real Estate” in Worcester County. Our task was to promote market sta s cs and/or real estate trends and issues and their impact on consumers. Lee Joseph led the task force and with her guidance, the task force was able to recommend an aggressive marke ng campaign to the Directors for the la er part of 2015 and 2016. This work will be done in conjunc on with the new branding that may come as a result of our local name change and will focus on educa ng the consumer on the importance of working with a REALTOR®. The task force was excited to be able to tap into the extensive resources at the state and na onal associa ons.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS With leadership from Chairman Jeff Burk and Grievance Commi ee Chair Kathleen McSweeney , the Professional Standards Commi ee was once again successful in protec ng the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. The commi ee hosted a Mock Hearing in late 2014 and welcomed A orney Bill Mullen and MAR Legal Counsel Ashley Stolba to a Professional Standards Training session in June. We have over 40 members who are trained in the Grievance and Professional Standards process. In addi on, MAR hosted a 2 day Media on Training which allowed us to increase the number of trained mediators we have on the commi ee. With NAR manda ng in 2016 that all complaints (whether arbitra on or ethics) be mediated, we are in a good posi on to be able to assist our members resolve their disputes.
FINANCE COMMITTEE The Finance Commi ee, chaired by Treasurer Mike Meurant, oversees fiscal ma ers at WRAR, including recommending fiscal policy, monitoring fiscal condi on, and overseeing development of the Annual Budget for recommenda on to the Board of Directors. Within this commi ee also lies our Investment Commi ee headed by our very own Warren Buffet, A.K.A. Ed Levine. Ed and his task force make sure that our investments meet the guidelines established by the Board of Directors. With his oversight, we have a very diverse por olio that con nues to produce a posi ve income flow on a monthly basis from our dividends and overall long term gains from the remaining por olio. The Finance Commi ee also oversees our other investments which are our Associa on headquarters at 492 Washington Street and the adjacent property at 32 Coolidge Street, Auburn. Combined, these income proper es help to offset the opera ng expenses of the Associa on.
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NOMINATING COMMITTEE The purpose of the Nomina ng Commi ee is to study, inves gate and present to the REALTOR® members a slate of eligible candidates duly qualified to serve as elected officers or members of the Board of Directors for the ensuing year. This year’s Nomina ng Commi ee interviewed over 16 members to assess their goals, commitment and eligibility to serve on the leadership team. They are pleased to present the following slate for 2016: WRAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Term Expires
MAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Term Expires
President: President Elect: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Immediate Past Pres.:
Kris Koliss Sarah Gustafson Judy Pa erson Tracey Fiorelli Michael Meurant Brad Roberts
2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016
Brad Roberts Kris Koliss Sarah Gustafson Leslie Storrs Tracey Fiorelli Erika Hall
2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016
Directors:
Lorraine Herbert Lee Joseph Diane Dabrowski Kathy McSweeney Leslie Storrs Mike Deluca Erika Hall John Vaillancourt
2016 2016 2016 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018
Alternates: Judy Pa erson Kathy McSweeney
2016 2016
Andrew Abu James Keenan Leif Rosseland Nathan Stewart
2016 2016 2016 2016
Alternates:
2015 Execu ve Commi ee taking Oath of Office
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AWARDS AND RECOGNITION WRAR REALTOR® OF THE YEAR Tracey Fiorelli, agent with Janice Mitchell Real Estate, Holden, was chosen as the 2015 REALTOR® of the Year Award at the Worcester Regional Associa on of REALTORS® 2015 Awards Ceremony. Tracey, a member of WRAR since 2002, is a current member of the WRAR Board of Directors, past chair and current member of the Government Affairs Commi ee, current Task Force Chair of the State Poli cal Coordinators, Chair Grant Wri ng Task Force, member of the Grievance Commi ee, member of the Community Ac on Commi ee, and member of the Strategic Planning Commi ee. Tracey is a cer fied Mediator for WRAR and has been a RPAC Sterling R Major Investor for the past four years. Tracey holds the na onal designaons of SRS and CNE. Tracey is ac ve in her home town of Rutland and is a frequent sponsor of town ac vi es such as Pop Warner and Cheerleading. The REALTOR® of the Year Award is awarded annually to one outstanding REALTOR® member who has made the greatest contribu on to the advancement of the real estate profession and the community at large during the past year. Out of approximately 1,400-members of the Associa on, only five were nominated for this most pres gious honor.
NATALIE QUINLAN DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD M Stolarczyk, broker with Re/Max Vision Worcester, was the recipient of the 2015 NATALIE Mary QUINLAN DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD, an award established in 1982 to honor a memQ ber who has made the greatest contribu on to the associa on and the community at large b tthroughout the years. Mary joined WRAR in 1999 and immediately became ac ve on the Grievance and Community Ac on Commi ees where Mary was the chair for several years. G SShe has con nued to serve on Professional Standards as a hearing panel member and was a Director for several years. Mary has been an ac ve par cipant in the annual Back Pack Drive D aas well as the Golf Tournament. Mary never misses our annual mee ngs and awards banquets and we can always count on her smile to brighten a mee ng or educa on class. q
WRAR REALTOR® CHOICE Kathleen Cooper , Exit Realty Partners, Worcester was chosen at the 2015 REALTOR® Choice Award Winner. This award recognizes a WRAR REALTOR® member for outstanding ethics and professionalism; for courtesy and coopera on in the lis ng and selling of real estate. Service on an Associa on commi ee is not required. This is the only award we have where the winner is chosen by the members by vo ng. Kathleen has been an ac ve member with WRAR since joining in 2007 and has been a WRAR Director, MAR Director, YPN Chair, Grievance Commi ee, Finance Commi ee and Technology just to name a few. Congratula ons!
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WRAR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR W K Keith Krikorian, of Keller Williams Worcester, was chosen as the 2015 Rookie of the Year. TThis award recognizes a REALTOR® member who is new to the business and who embodies tthe REALTOR® culture by focusing on professional development and professional growth. Keith joined the Associa on in 2013 and quickly became immersed in his educa onal purK ssuits achieving over 60 hours of con nuing educa on classes and also joined both the Goveernment Affairs and YPN Commi ees. Keith a ended the REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill in both 2014, 2015 and con nues to support all of the events sponsored by YPN. Keith is also b aac ve in the community by fundraising through the Keller Williams founda ons.
WRAR AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR W E Emily DeGray, formerly of Southbridge Savings Bank aand currently with Residen al Mortgage Services, recceived the 2015 Affiliate of the Year Award, an award tthat recognizes an outstanding Affiliate Business Partner of WRAR who has made the greatest contribu on to the Associa on and the community at large. Emily joined us in 2011 and quickly became involved by joining the Communica on Task Force and Golf Commi ee. Emily has ac vely par cipated in our mortgage panels at new member orienta on and supports many of the WRAR events.
WRAR LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Lif me Membership is available to individuals with a curLife re rent real estate salesperson or broker’s license from the Co Commonwealth of Massachuse s who have held membersh in the REALTOR® Organiza on for a minimum of 30 years, are att least l t 65 years off age and d who h ship ca can demonstrate at least 10 years of volunteer service to WRAR. In 2015, we were honored to welcome the following members to this elite category: Amoret Za Zamarro Beiter, A.A. Zamarro R.E.; Ki y Bradshaw, Re/MaxVision, Ella DeNault, C21 Denualt, Jane Fi Fine, Fine Proper es and Marcia Hastbacka, Coldwell Banker.
W We were also honored to have Janice Mitchell be awarded the REALTOR® Emeritus Award, w which is granted to individuals who have held m membership in the Na onal Associa on as a RE REALTOR®, REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®, or both, for a cu cumula ve period of forty (40) years.
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The Worcester Regional Associa on of REALTORS®
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers
Directors
Brad Roberts, President Kris Koliss, President Elect Sarah Gustafson, Vice President Judy Pa erson, Secretary Michael Meurant, Treasurer David Stead, Immediate Past President
Diane Dabrowski Tracey Fiorelli Lorraine Herbert Kathy McSweeney James Keenan, Alternate
COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES Membership Commi ee Chair: Keith Pentz Staff: Lisa Leadership: Sarah Gustafson, Brad Roberts Gretchen Antonelli Shannon Curll Michael Duffy Kelly Gaumond Elizabeth Gail Hanson Rocco Leone John Miller Kristen Walther Kathryn Weldon
Recruitment, Reten on & Orienta on Task Force Chair: Keith Pentz Gretchen Antonelli Wendy Burde Marcia Canter Mike Duffy Kelly Gaumand Elizabeth Hanson Rocco Leone John Miller Kristen Walther
Jayne Diliberto Erika Hall Lee Joseph Leslie Storrs John Vaillancourt, Alternate
Awards Task Force
Government Affairs Commi ee
Chair: Leslie Storrs Wendy Burde Shannon Curll Jane McGeary
Chair: Erika Hall Co-Chair: Duane Pape Staff: Colleen Leadership: Sarah Gustafson, Brad Roberts Kevin Bergin James Brooks Lauren Demerjian Anthony Economou Jane Fine Tracey Fiorelli Mar n Green Patrick Kennedy Linda Laney Michael Meurant Maria Navedo Keith Pentz Nathan Stewart Thomas Walsh
YPN Chair: Kathleen Cooper Jessica Albino Tracy Barber Chris Brown Wendy Burde Shannon Curll Deb Jordan Jane McGeary Brian O’Neil Lawrence Peak Meaghan Roche Tina Southerland Katherine Weldon
Day on the Hill Task Force Scholarship Commi ee Chair: Kathleen Cooper Wendy Burde Shannon Curll Angela Mann Leslie Storrs Sue Tolley
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Nathan Stewart Linda Laney Duane Pape
Legisla ve Breakfast Task Force Erika Hall Duane Pape
COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES (con nued) Major Investor Task Force Erika Hall Tracey Fiorelli Sarah Gustafson Duane Pape Brad Roberts Lauren Demerjian
Major Donors Sterling “R” Members Andrew Abu Jeff Burk Lauren Demerjian Jane Fine Tracey Fiorelli Sarah Gustafson Leona Joseph Kris Koliss Kathleen McSweeney Janice Mitchell Brad Roberts David Stead Leslie Storrs WRAR Addi onal Major Donors Sco Cheney Diane DeCiccio Elaine Evans Rebecca Joseph Dan Robertson Mary Stolarczyk
State Policital Coordinators (SPC) Patrick Bergin Jane Fine Patrick Kennedy Kris Koliss Mike Meurant Janice Mitchell Maria Navedo
Community Ac on Commi ee
Duane Pape Dave Stead Nathan Stewart Tom Walsh
Chair: Kris Koliss Staff: Jacki D’Innocenzo
Golf Tournament
SPC Task Force Tracey Fiorelli Sarah Gustafson Linda Laney Marty Green Keith Pentz
Grant Development Task Force Tracey Fiorelli Jim Brooks Sarah Gustafson Keith Pentz Erika Hall
Chair: Kris Koliss Staff: Jacki D’Innocenzo Wendy Burde Emily DeGray Craig Nardi Judy Pa erson Anne Marie Rafferty Dave Samara Tom Valen ne
Backpack Drive Task Force
Professional Development Chair: Maribeth Lynch Co-Chair: Suzanne Tolley Staff: Colleen Pappas Leadership: Sarah Gustafson, Brad Roberts Cherie Benoit David Bremer Kathleen Goneau Erika Hall James Keenan Maribeth McCauley Lynch Keith Pentz Suzanne Tolley
Broker/Owner/Manager Task Force Chair: Leif Rosseland Brad Roberts Andrew Abu Lorraine Herbert Kim Hines John Morte Jim Kelleher Cheryl Taylor
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Lee Abdella Jason Arakelian Susan Baghdasarian Serena Berube Marianne Belanger Bryan Davis Jayne Dilberto Tracey Fiorelli Alan Gelineau Charlsey Gen le Afaf Gerges Kim Hines Fiona Hoare Cheryl Kemp Arle e Lynch Kathy McSweeney Rich Power Judy Pa erson Mary Stolarczyk
MAR Charitable Task Force Kris Koliss Leslie Storrs Charles Pierce
COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES (con nued) Communica ons Task Force Chair: Leslie Storrs Kathleen Cooper Emily DeGray Ma hew Stewart John Vaillancourt
Public Rela ons Task Force Chair: Lee Joseph Diane Dabrowski Tony Economou Grace Golden Bryan Larson Ma hew Stewart
Professional Standards Chair: Jeff Burk Co-Chair: Kathy McSweeney Staff: Maura O’Connor Commi ee is comprised of Grievance and Hearing Panel. See below for list of members.
Grievance Chair: Kathleen McSweeney Staff: Maura O’Connor, Colleen Pappas Maureen Benoit Kathleen Cooper Dayle D’Amico Karen Dauderis Tracey Fiorelli Ma eo Gen le Stacey Hamel Barbara Hines Fran Koliss Susan Kronlund John Mansfield Michele Miller Kevin O’Connor Sue Sachs Dorry Stone
Finance Commi ee
Jeannie Storrs Mary Tavolieri Crystal Tropeano John Vaillancourt Mary Wood
Hearing Panel Conrad Allen Sheri Barre e Marianne Belanger Sue Ann Bock Jeffrey Burk Lisa Caron Carol Carter Eugene Check Pamela Crawford Thomas Davis Michael Deluca Ella Denault Linda Eknaian Robert Falter Jane Fine Amy Gerrish Jeffrey Hall Lorraine Herbert Rochelle Jonswold Leona Joseph William Lee Lucie Lemke Rosalind Levine Gordon MacPhee Kevin Maher Janice Mitchell Judy Reynolds Deborah Richards Theresa Sannicandro Cynthia Spellane David Stead Mary Stolarczyk Jo Ann Szymczak Crystal Tropeano Doris Walsh
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Chair: Mike Murrant Staff: Maura O’Connor, Colleen Pappas Brad Roberts, President Kris Koliss, President-Elect Sarah Gustafson David Stead Conrad Allen Sue-Anne Bock Mike Deluca Randall DeVries Mary Gale Marcia Hastbacka Rochelle Jonswold Edward Levine Joseph Sama Gary Premo
Investments Chair: Ed Levine Staff: Maura O’Connor, Colleen Pappas Conrad Allen Sue-Ann Bock Michael Deluca Marcia Hastbacka Michael Meurant Judy Reynolds
Budget Mike Murrant Staff: Maura O’Connor, Colleen Pappas Brad Roberts, President Kris Koliss, President-Elect Sarah Gustafson David Stead Conrad Allen Sue-Anne Bock Kathleen Cooper Mike Deluca Randall J DeVries Mary Gale Marcia Hastbacka Rochelle Jonswold Edward Levine Joseph M Sama Gary Premo
COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES (con nued) Nomina ng Commi ee Chair: Dave Stead Sta: Colleen Pappas Brad Roberts , President Kris Koliss, President-Elect Rochelle Jonswold Mark Balestracci Randy DeVries Mary Stolarczyk Mary Tavolieri Andrew Abu Jayne Diliberto
Leadership Development Task Force Dave Stead Dan Robertson Sue Vanderzicht Brad Roberts Rochelle Jonswold Kathleen Spangler Leif Rosseland
Volunteer Performance Expecta ons Task Force Dave Stead Mary Stolarcyzk Kathy McSweeney Mary Tavolieri Dave Samara
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OUR VIP SPONSORS PLATINUM The Law Office of Jessica Albino Daviau Law Offices, PC Fairway Mortgage Pres ge Home Mortgage Southbridge Savings WinTrust Mortgage
GOLD Bank of Canton Cahn & Barron, LLC, A orneys at Law Embrace Home Loans Fidelity Bank Forward Financial Services MLS PIN Prospect Mortgage Security First Mortgage Webster Five
SILVER Commonwealth Environmental Services The Law Office of Harry P. Kotseas
BRONZE Mortgage Network The Law Office of Patrick Flynn The Law Office of David R. Rocheford, Jr, PC
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The Worcester Regional Associa on of REALTORS® 492 Washington Street, Auburn, MA 01501 508-832-6600 www.wrar.org MISSION STATEMENT The purpose of the Worcester Regional Associa on of REALTORS® is to: • Provide REALTOR® members with the resources that enable them to serve the public in an ethical and professional manner • Take an ac ve role regarding issues affec ng sellers, buyers, tenants and landlords.
WRAR STAFF Colleen Pappas Lisa Sprague Jacki D’Innocenzo Maura O’Connor
Execu ve Vice President Office Manager Marke ng Manager Accountant
Like us on facebook: h ps://www.facebook.com/WorcesterRegionalAssocia onofREALTORS Download the WRAR App on the app store or google play.
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