FAR elects 2009 officers

ORLANDO, Fla. – Sept. 29, 2008 – Wendell Davis, a broker with Watson Realty Corp. in Jacksonville, has been named the 2009 president-elect of the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), the state's largest professional association. The election took place last week during FAR’s Annual Convention & Trade Expo in Orlando.

The 2009 leadership team also includes President Cynthia Shelton, Colliers Arnold, Orlando; Vice President Patricia Fitzgerald, Coastal Properties, Stuart; Treasurer Summer Greene, Prudential Florida 1st Realty Coral Ridge, Ft. Lauderdale; and Secretary Dean Asher, Don Asher & Associates, Orlando.

In addition, 13 Realtors were elected to district vice president positions and seven members were chosen to represent FAR as National Association of Realtors Directors:

District Vice Presidents:

District 1: Honora Giumenta, Exit Realty First Choice, Palm Coast
District 2: David Wyant, Wyant Realty, Ormond Beach
District 3: Phyllis Choy, Water Pointe Realty Group, Tequesta
District 4: Carlos Cruz, LMG Realty Inc., Miramar
District 5: Gerry Rosenblum, Prudential Florida Realty, Marco Island
District 6: Brad Monroe, Coldwell Banker Residential, Brandon
District 7: Butch Owens, Tri-County Realty Group, Ocala
District 8: Patti Ketcham, Ketcham Realty Group, Tallahassee
District 9: Cliff Chaplin, The Realty Leaders, Niceville
District 10: Arthur Mattson, Lakeland Realty, Lakeland
District 11: Christine Hansen, Century 21 Hansen Realty, Ft. Lauderdale
District 12: Hope Andrews, Prudential Sapphire Realty, Kissimmee
District 13: Cynthia Logan, Coldwell Banker Sunstar Realty, Port Charlotte

NAR Directors:
Moe Veissi, Veissi & Associates, Miami
Don Asher, Don Asher & Associates, Orlando
Ben Anderson, Anderson Auctions USA, Destin
Sherri Meadows, Meadows Realty, Ocala
Bob Caldwell, Caldwell Realty Services, Altamonte Springs
Tina Harris, Florida New Homes Realty, Tampa
Matey Veissi, Veissi & Associates, Miami

In other business, the FAR Board of Directors voted on several public policy initiatives:

• Support a legislatively-imposed moratorium of at least two years on local government tax and fees increases across the board in order to improve the state’s economy and real estate market

• Support Amendments [http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/initiativelist.asp?year=2008&initstatus=ALL&MadeBallot=Y&ElecType=GEN] 3, 4 and 6, which go before voters on Nov. 4.

• Oppose efforts to abolish the “recapture” of exempt values in homestead property during a decline in market values.

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