Loretta Alonzo named Illinois REALTOR® of the Year for outstanding industry leadership, service
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – February 2, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — REALTOR® Loretta Alonzo, CRB, GRI, of Romeoville, has been named the 2015 Illinois REALTOR® of the Year by the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR). She is the managing broker of Century 21 Affiliated in La Grange Park.
The announcement was made Jan. 21 at the association’s Public Policy Meetings held at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Riverfront Conference Center in East Peoria, Ill. Alonzo will be honored at a June 16 banquet at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield.
The REALTOR® of the Year award is presented to an IAR member who best exemplifies the professional qualities of a REALTOR®. The award recognizes leadership in the REALTOR® Association as well as service to civic, community and charitable causes.
“Loretta is always willing to lend her time and service to further the REALTOR® organization and champion the issues important to the industry and property owners,” said Jim Kinney, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI, president of the Illinois Association of REALTORS®. “Her unwavering commitment to pitching in, getting involved and making a difference has made her a respected leader in the real estate industry.”
During a real estate career that spans nearly 40 years, Alonzo has been actively involved in the REALTOR® association at the local, state and national levels and has served in a variety of leadership capacities. In 2012, she led IAR and was the state association’s first Hispanic president.
Alonzo is a member of the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® and was named its REALTOR® of the Year in 2013. She previously served two-terms as president of the former West Towns Board of REALTORS® and was honored as that association’s REALTOR® of the Year six times.
For IAR, Alonzo has chaired a variety of committees including: Executive, Finance, Strategic Planning, Technology Working Group, Community & Public Relations and the Professional Development Member Involvement Group. She was president of the Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation in 2002 and received IAR’s Distinguished Service Award in 2006.
Alonzo is a past president of the Century 21 Chicagoland & NW Indiana Broker Council and past president of the West Suburban Chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS®. She is a licensed Illinois continuing education instructor and was previously named Woman of the Year by the Mexican-American Business & Professional Women’s Club. She is a past president of the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois, now known as Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC (MRED).
At the national level, she chairs the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Housing Opportunity Committee and is a member of the Public Policy Coordinating Committee and Smart Growth Advisory Board and has been a member of the NAR Board of Directors since 2008.
Alonzo has also been active in her local community, working with the Easter Seals, Grand Haven Veterans Club and the La Grange Park Chamber of Commerce.
The Illinois Association of REALTORS® is a voluntary trade association whose 43,000 members are engaged in all facets of the real estate industry. In addition to serving the professional needs of its members, IAR works to protect the rights of private property owners in the state by recommending and promoting legislation that safeguards and advances the interest of real property ownership.
Contact: Jon Broadbooks, 217-529-2600
