At the end of each year, the five districts of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR), select a chair to conduct the district REALTOR® meetings in the upcoming year and represent the district's REALTORS® and the interests of local homeowners at the California Association of REALTORS® meetings as Region 9 directors. On Dec. 9, the local trade association's Los Gatos/Saratoga District passed the gavel on to Suzanne Yost, a broker associate with Alain Pinel Realtors Los Gatos and former SILVAR president.
Over 70 members and guests attended this year's Los Gatos/Saratoga District holiday reception for 2016 District Chair Suzanne Yost. The event held at the La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos was a great opportunity for everyone to celebrate the end of a successful year and enjoy the holiday season among friends and colleagues, with great music, food and drinks.
2015 District chair Alan Barbic, a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Saratoga, thanked members for their support this year. He said learned a lot during his term, especially about the value of community.
"We have some great leaders here," Barbic noted. He thanked this year's district council members Alan Barbic, Suzanne Yost, Mary Kay Groth, Susan Hollis, Ryan Nunnally, David Tonna and Cindy Stanford.
Barbic especially thanked the district's brokers for their support all year. They included Don Tornincasa, Coldwell Banker - Saratoga; Doug Evans, Coldwell Banker – Los Gatos; Jeff Barnett, Alain Pinel Realtors – Los Gatos; Carol Burnett, Alain Pinel Realtors – Saratoga; Chris Trapani and Ryan Iwanaga, Sereno Group; Brian Crane, Intero Rea Estate – Los Gatos; Larry Klapow, Intero Real Estate – Saratoga; Mark Von Kaenel, Keller Williams Bay Area Real Estates. He also thanked John Tripp, chair of District Chairs, and affiliates Cindy Stanford and Anne Timoney, Opes Advisors; Darrell Monda, TourFactory Bay Area; Clayton Nelson, Clayton Nelson & Associates.
As is tradition in this REALTOR® district, past chairs present at the event were asked to come forward and pass on the gavel to the incoming District chair. The gavel was passed from Marlene Rodman (Sereno Group), Chris Morris (Alain Pinel Realtors), Jeff Barnett (Alain Pinel Realtors), Dennis Byron (Montalvo Ventures), David Tonna (Alain Pinel Realtors), Bill Rehbock (Coldwell Banker), Doug Evans (Coldwell Banker), Cassie Maas (Alain Pinel Realtors), Karen Trolan (Alain Pinel Realtors), Barbic (Coldwell Banker) and on to Yost.
Yost has practiced real estate for over 32 years. She served as 2012 president of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® and director, and as a member and chair of committees at the state and national REALTOR® level.
Yost believes involvement in organized real estate provides opportunities for REALTORS®, including the tools they need to succeed in business. "I'd like to see more people excited about being involved because local associations like SILVAR have a lot of offer," said Yost.
Yost thanked everyone for coming to the event and encouraged them to get involved next year. "I look forward to 2016 and seeing all of you at the tour meetings and district events," said Yost. "We need all of your support and involvement to have a vibrant and professional group of REALTORS® and affiliates in the Los Gatos/Saratoga District."
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.