Press Releases
19 Members Complete 2021 SILVAR Leadership Academy
Congratulations to our Leadership Academy graduates! They are pictured here with Suzanne Yost, chair of SILVAR's Leadership Academy Committee.
- For Immediate Release -
Cupertino, IA - Nineteen SILVAR members completed the 2021 SILVAR Leadership Academy on Sept. 23. The SILVAR Leadership Academy is a six-month training and development program structured to help participants develop their leadership knowledge and abilities and encourage them to get actively involved at SILVAR and eventually assume a leadership role. Candidates were asked to complete an application that included questions on issues and topics that impact the business of real estate, their civic involvement and leadership aspirations. Attendees were required to complete all sessions in order to graduate with their class.
The sessions touched on a variety of topics, including the REALTOR® Association Structure at the Local, State and National Level, How Organized Real Estate Helps You and Your Business, Communicating & Conducting Meetings Effectively, Resolving Conflict Situations & Building Consensus, Local, State and National Legislative Actions That Affect Your Business, and Fair Housing and Implicit Bias in Real Estate. The guest speakers from local, state and national organizations involved in real estate included U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo, 2020 California Association of REALTORS® President Jeanne Radsick, 2005 C.A.R. President and SILVAR National Association of REALTORS® Director Jim Hamilton, NAR Director of Governmental Advocacy Sydney Barron, C.A.R. Senior VP for Governmental Affairs and Chief Lobbyist Sanjay Wagle, C.A.R. Manager of Public Policy John Scribner, and attorney for Californians for Homeownership Matthew Gelfand.
Two sessions were devoted to the new NAR L.E.A.D Vision Course. L.E.A.D. stands for Lead, Elevate, Accelerate and Deliver. The course focused on creating a vision, team building, leadership styles, active listening, and other topics. It was the first time the course was taught to members of a local/state association. Steve Francks, CEO of the Washington Association of REALTORS®, and Suzanne Yost, chair of SILVAR's Leadership Academy Committee, taught the eight-hour course.
The last session focused on "A Leader's Role in Fair Housing, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion." Guest speakers included Farrah Wilder, Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at C.A.R.; Allen Okamoto, Broker, T. Okamoto & Co., Founding Director & Director Emeritus at the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) and NAR Board Director, and Matt Difanis, Broker, Champagne, Illinois and NAR Board Director.
"It is our hope that through this leadership program we have helped participants develop and polish their strengths, which will serve them should they choose to move on to a leadership role. We hope they learned new skills that will prove useful in their career and in all aspects of life," said Yost.
Congratulations to our graduates! They are Lovinda L. Beal (Coldwell Banker Realty), Anni Chui-Chen Chu (Coldwell Banker Realty), Elizabeth Doyle (Sereno Group), Katherine Frey (Katherine Frey Real Estate), Mary Kay Groth (Sereno Group), Christina Hood (Keller Williams), Jennifer Chen Chao Horton (FlyHomes Inc.), Ketan Jashapara (Compass), Jimmy Kang (Tavena Realty Group), Wendy Marioni (Compass), James Mauldwin (Intero Real Estate Services), Tracey McNeely (Compass), Chika Mori (Global Estate Link), Navneet Parmar (Compass), Sarah Sanusi (Keller Williams), Sudeshna Sen Gupta (Coldwell Banker Realty), Son Hoai Vu (eXp Realty of California), Lucy Woo (Giant Realty, Inc.), and Annie Yamashita (Intero Real Estate Services).
The Academy was a major part of 2021 President Joanne Fraser's goal to get more members involved at SILVAR and develop new and emerging leaders who wish to serve and advance organized real estate. "I'm very proud of our 2021 class. It takes commitment to devote half a day every month for six months. I congratulate the class and hope to see you at some of our committee meetings and events," said Fraser.
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.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.