South Carolina REALTORS® UnConference a Success
COLUMBIA, S.C. – September 22, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR) Annual Conference and Expo, UnConference, was a big success with hundreds of REALTORS® from across the state in attendance. The event was held at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, South Carolina September 14-16. Highlights of the conference are listed below. Photos and interviews are available upon request.
2012 President
Incoming President, Gordon Seay was inducted by long time friend and mentor, Seabrook Marchant in a roast-style ceremony during the board of directors meeting. Seay’s term as SCR President begins in November 2011.
REALTOR® of the Year
David Lockwood of Colliers International South Carolina, Inc., was named SCR’s 2011 REALTOR® of the Year. Lockwood is active in his local, state and national associations and currently serves as a National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) director and member of the NAR Executive Committee.
REALTOR® Advocate Award
Alexander “Sandy” Stone of Island Realty was awarded the South Carolina REALTOR® Advocate Award, which is given annually to a member of SCR who demonstrates a constant effort and unwavering commitment as an advocate for the real estate industry. Stone took his passion for advocacy to the next level a few years ago when he successfully ran for city council and has been a proponent of positive change for real estate ever since.
W. Mack Chamblee Quality of Life Award
South Carolina REALTORS® presented Representative Jim Merrill with the W. Mack Chamblee Quality of Life Award for his unwavering support of real estate legislation. Merrill was the primary sponsor of the recently enacted Point of Sale Reform legislation, and worked tirelessly along side Realtors® to keep the issue at the forefront while leading the debate on the House floor.
Distinguished Service Award
Randy Harrison has contributed 43 years of outstanding service to the real estate industry. Throughout that time he has been a broker of his own company, served on numerous committees on the local, state and national levels, and volunteered countless hours to legislative issues.
Omega Tau Rho Medallion of Honor
Membership in this honorary fraternity is represented by the Medallion of Service which symbolizes the recognition and appreciation of accorded inductees for their contributions to NAR, its affiliated institutes, societies and councils. The Medallion was presented to Wayne Poplin and Rusty Garrett. Wayne Poplin also is a real estate veteran with more than 30 years of dedicated service to the South Carolina real estate industry. He shares his knowledge and experience through his position as Director of Training and Education with Charleston’s Carolina One Real Estate and is described as having a unique and dynamic training style. Rusty Garrett, SCR’s 2011 President also was awarded the Omega Tau Rho Medallion of Honor during the awards ceremony. In addition to his duties as president, Garrett has been at the forefront of SCR’s legislative goals and was a key player in passing Point of Sale reform. In addition to his real state work, Garrett is a leader in his community as a strong supporter of the Tri-County Young Life, Children’s Miracle Network, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and many more.
James R. Peters Association Executive (AE) Award of Excellence
The James R. Peters Association Executive Award of Excellence is presented annually to an individual who has excelled in their role as an executive of a local South Carolina REALTOR® association. Association Executive of Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS®, Laura Crowther has spent time as a volunteer in Florence South Carolina, directing education at the state level for SCR and most recently as AE of the largest local association in the state. She is admired for her willingness to help, dedication to the profession and her ethical standards.
C. Dan Joyner REALTOR® Community Service Award
Myrtle Beach REALTOR® Kevin McDowell was awarded the C. Dan Joyner Community Service Award for his missionary work through the Waccamaw Baptist Association. The missionary work has taken him to Nepal, Guatemala and Honduras where he served more than 2,500 people and logged more than 1,150 hours. Recipients of the C. Dan Joyner Community Service Award are also entered into NAR’s REALTORS® Good Neighbor Award contest.
Habitat for Humanity Home Build
South Carolina REALTORS® came together at this year’s conference to help build a Habitat for Humanity home for the Pollard family. SCR’s Homeownership License Plate sales contributed $10,000 to the building of this year’s Habitat Home and local REALTORS® Associations contributed $5,000. The build is expected to continue throughout September. For more information, please contact the Greater Greenville Association of REALTORS®.
Education Sessions
SCR offered many education sessions at the conference including courses on technology and popular real estate topics. The highlight of the conference was a BarCamp style session in which the attendees were also instructors in breakout brainstorming sessions. Seasoned real estate veterans exchanged their valuable experiences with rookie tech-savvy REALTORS® in a meeting of the minds. The BarCamp is what made this SCR’s first UnConference.
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South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR), the largest professional trade association in the state, serves as the voice of real estate for more than 14,000 members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a professional in real estate who subscribes to a strict code of ethics as a member of SCR and the National Association of REALTORS®.
Contact:
Sharon Delia
sharon (at) screaltors (dot) org
