BOSTON (November 7, 2018) – (RealEstateRama) — John Smaby, a second-generation Realtor® from Edina, Minnesota, was installed today as 2019 president of the National Association of Realtors® during the 2018 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.
Smaby was NAR’s 2018 president-elect and 2017 first vice president. He has been in the industry for nearly 40 years and is a broker at Edina Realty where he specializes in residential real estate. He has held numerous positions nationally and with Minnesota REALTORS®, where he served as president in 2015 and treasurer in 2013. In 2013, Smaby received Minnesota’s Ed Anderson Political Achievement Award, and in 2014, he was named their REALTOR® of the Year.
Vince Malta is 2019 NAR president-elect. He is a third-generation Realtor® and CEO and broker of Malta & Co. Inc. in San Francisco. Malta has been in real estate for nearly 40 years and has served in countless roles. On the national level, he has testified before Congress multiple times on behalf of NAR, served on the Board of Directors since 2002, and was the 2011 vice president of government affairs. In 2002, Malta became a California Association of REALTORS® honorary member for life, in 2006 he served as CAR president, and in 2007 he was awarded the state’s REALTOR® of the Year.
Charlie Oppler is 2019 first vice president. He has been a Realtor® for more than 30 years and is the CEO of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Tenafly, specializing in residential brokerage. He holds the At Home with Diversity certification from NAR. Oppler has served on NAR’s Board of Directors since 2003. He has chaired the REALTOR® Party Coordinating Committee twice and the RPAC Trustees Committee. He has served on four of NAR’s Presidential Advisory Groups. In 2005, Oppler was NAR’s Vice President for Region 2, representing New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He was president of the New Jersey Association of REALTORS® in 2004.
John Flor is 2019 treasurer. Flor has been a Realtor® for more than 20 years and is the Managing Broker of Six Lakes Realty, specializing in waterfront and recreational properties. At the national level, Flor has served on several committees, a presidential advisory group and the NAR Board of Directors. The Wisconsin REALTORS® Association elected Flor their Chairman of the Board for 2010. His local association, REALTORS® Association of Northwest Wisconsin, elected him their President in 2009.
Brian Copeland is the 2019 vice president, association affairs. He was the 2017 President of Tennessee REALTORS®. Copeland is the founder of Doorbell Real Estate in Nashville, Tennessee. Copeland was the 2011 Nashville REALTOR® of the Year. Copeland has served as the NAR’s chair for the Data Strategies, Young Professionals Network, and RPAC Participation Council committees. He founded one of the largest technology camps in the country, attracting more than 1,500 real estate professionals from more than 30 states.
Tracy Kasper is 2019 vice president, advocacy. She has been in real estate for more than 24 years and is the broker owner at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Silverhawk Realty. Kasper has experience in several areas of real estate with an emphasis in new construction and REO/Short Sale properties. She has served as 2016 President of the Idaho Association of REALTORS®. Kasper has chaired the IAR RPAC Committee twice in her career, the State Convention Committee and has served on those and other state and local committees over the years.
Elizabeth Mendenhall is 2019 immediate past president. She has been a Realtor® for more than 20 years and is CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty in Columbia, Missouri. Mendenhall is a sixth-generation Realtor® and holds numerous real estate designations. On the national level, Mendenhall served as NAR’s 2018 president, 2017 president-elect and 2016 first vice president. She currently serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. She chaired NAR’s Strategic Planning Committee in 2012, served as vice president of committees in 2011 and was the NAR liaison to association leadership in 2008. In 2010, Mendenhall served as president of the Missouri Association of REALTORS®, and in 2003, she served as president of the Columbia Board of REALTORS® and was named their REALTOR® of the Year.
NAR’s 2019 Regional Vice Presidents are:
- Alan DeStephano, Bristol, New Hampshire, Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont;
- Guy Matteo, Newton Square, Pennsylvania, Region 2: New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania;
- Carole Maclure, Olney, Maryland, Region 3: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia;
- Tony Smith, Charlotte, North Carolina, Region 4: Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee;
- Maria S. Wells, Stuart, Florida, Region 5: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands;
- Carol Griffith, Brighton, Michigan, Region 6: Michigan and Ohio;
- Mike Drews, Aurora, Illinois, Region 7: Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin;
- Rod Helm, Edina, Minnesota, Region 8: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota;
- Chris Rost, Salina, Kansas, Region 9: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma;
- Beth Cristina, Metairie, Louisiana, Region 10: Louisiana and Texas;
- Paula Monthofer, Flagstaff, Arizona, Region 11: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming;
- Mark Kitabayashi, Puyallup, Washington, Region 12: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington; and
- Don Faught, Pleasanton, California, Region 13: California, Hawaii and Guam.
The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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Media Contact: Jane Dollinger 202-383-1042
