PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Looking to lead
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our National Association of REALTORS® recently installed Charlie Oppler as its 2021 President. President Oppler is a great leader and is committed to the membership and our association. Kentucky's local associations have and are installing their new leaders across the state.
worked in the industry. Judy said he never changed. Once Judy joined the business, she would occasionally run into him. Mr. Hagan always asked how she was doing and how her mom and dad were. Judy said, “It was never small talk, always with sincerity, and making you feel that he cared.” KYR Past-president Jeff Smith first met Joe Guy Hagan at a Lake Barkley KYR summer meeting. He described Joe Guy LESTER SANDERS as “a true professional and gentleman". PRESIDENT – KENTUCKY REALTORS "I never met a person that did not like him", he said. "Joe Guy was the type of person you would meet and want to emulate.” Always impeccably dressed and a consummate professional.
I was recently honored to install the MurrayCalloway County Board of Directors and the incoming president, Gale Sharp, and acknowledge the work of outgoing president Janette DeWitt. All of these members are leaders that have stepped up to make a difference during these unprecedented times. What do great leaders have in common? What are the characteristics of great leaders that we admire? I find a wonderful example in one of Kentucky REALTORS®' past leaders. He was a "real estate great" that recently passed away, Joseph Guy Hagan. Many knew him as "Joe Guy". Others knew him as the man behind Century 21, Joe Guy Hagan. I'd like to talk about Joe Guy the leader. Lisa Stephenson, CEO of Greater Louisville Association of REALTORS®, called him simply iconic. Seeing his name at an early age she knew of him as Century 21, Joe Guy Hagan. He was real estate. He was the brand when it came to real estate in Bardstown well before she met Joe Guy Hagan the man. He could even seem a bit mythical until you met him. He was a man that served his clients until he passed. Judy Parks, president of GLAR, remembers meeting this caring leader. She describes him as “the perfect southern gentleman". At the age of nine or ten, she remembers meeting Joe Guy while visiting his Home-a-rama home with her parents who both
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Joe Guy gave his life to the industry. He was an NAR Director, Past-president of Kentucky REALTORS®, Past-president of Greater Louisville Association of REALTORS® (GLAR), KYR and GLAR REALTOR® of the Year, and a REALTOR® Emeritus. Perhaps more importantly Joe Guy Hagan, the family patriarch, was a caring father, grandfather, and uncle. He was a loving husband to his wife, Merwyn, for 62 years! A calm visionary, he was an encourager until the end. He believed in lifting as he climbed, and he set an example for all our leaders that will follow. We are living in a time when chaos seems to be a normal part of life. Though in-person meetings may be few and far between, and apparent opportunities to lead seem just as rare, I want to encourage you to find creative ways to make an impact in your circle of influence. We can take a lesson from our calm, caring, professional, iconic, visionary, dedicated, supportive, and encouraging leader, Joe Guy Hagan. Keep calm during tumultuous times. Set goals and work to achieve them. Discover ways to invest yourself in your business, your colleagues, your family, and your friends. Dedicate time to improving things in your community and volunteering. Understand that making a difference is what inspires others and creates a legacy. These are the things that make great leaders. Perhaps one day we will be remembered as fondly as Joe Guy Hagan if we just keep lifting as we climb!
