by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Sandy Holdren did what she was asked. She helped out where she could no matter how busy she was.
Little did she know someone was watching and they took note of her selfless involvement; “they” is unknown but they nominated her for the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors 2003 Silent Angel Award.
And she won.
“She did things that are fairly visible and it was that along with others, including her long time participation on the Education Committee,” said NEFAR President Andre Boutte. “These were things that I may not see, but somebody saw them and nominated her. She was always ready and willing to help.”
According to Melanie Green, NEFAR’s communications director, almost all annual award winners, including the Silent Angel, are selected by an committee from among nominations submitted by NEFAR members Presidential awards are the exception; they are selected solely at the discretion of the NEFAR president.
The Awards Committee carefully reviews the nominations and decides on winners.
“Silent Angels are people who are recognized by their peers who do work in the background,” said Boutte. “It’s something that you have to be recommended by from your peers, it’s not something that you really strive for. Their peers recognize that they are not one who is out there for all the glory, but they deserve some recognition.”
When area boards merged in 1996 to form NEFAR, the new association created an annual awards program to recognize members in a variety of categories for their service. One was the Silent Angel.
“I think the Silent Angel is needed because there are many people who do a lot of things in the background,” said Boutte, the vice president and director of training at Watson. “They don’t want a lot of recognition, they just like to work quietly. They are faithful and committed to serving NEFAR. They don’t feel a real need to be in front of everybody and be recognized. But, this is a person who is deserving of the award. We really need them.”
“I was extremely excited,” said Holdren, an assistant manager in Watson’s Mandarin South office. “I felt like there were other Realtors who were as well qualified or better qualified. I was just very blessed and grateful. It’s always nice when your hard work is recognized, especially when you don’t expect it.”
Holdren is currently serving a three-year term on the NEFAR board. She chaired the 2003 RPAC Golf Tournament, has been a RPAC Auction Committee member and has been on various committees and task forces. She was the 2000 president of the Women’s Council of Realtors and presently serves on its Spring Fashion Show and Nominating committees.
Holly McMurry of Prudential Network Realty got the award in 2002.
“I think it was just a culmination of years of working with the board and a nomination at the right time,” said McMurry, who is in her 26th year in real estate. She has been very involved with the board since she started in real estate, chairing and serving on committees, attending meetings and serving on the board for six years.
“It’s all about giving support and showing that you believe in what your organization is,” said McMurry.
The first winner of the award in 1996 was Shuri Speed of Coldwell Banker Walter Williams.
“You never know what you are doing [to win a Silent Angel Award],” said Speed. “You are not trying to win that award. It was the surprise of my life. It was such a shock.
“I was just floored. I said, ‘What did I do more than anyone else? It just seemed like I did a lot of little things. I think it’s a surprise to anyone who wins it, but it’s really an honor.”
Speed was very involved in the merger.
“We spent the year before working on the task force committee from each association to plan the mergers and create the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors,” said Speed. “It was a dream for a lot of us. I had been president of the Ponte Vedra Association and worked my way up as well as worked on committees.”
Since her award, many others have followed in her footsteps to receive the Silent Angel Award.
“There are people who are just quiet in the background and I think that they put in a lot of time and effort in the work they do,” said Speed. “They still maintain a home life, report with the customers and clients, are still working out there in the trenches and then they take time to do something with NEFAR that they feel is important.”
According to Green, the nominations received are vital to NEFAR’s awards program.
She said the best nominations are those that provide thorough, detailed information about the nominee’s activities and are based upon the stated criterion.
“For example, a nomination that simply says ‘always available to help’ doesn’t go far because the committee has no specifics upon which to make a determination,” said Green. “By contrast, a nomination that provides specific rationale regarding the scope and extent of the nominee’s contributions allows the Awards Committee to seriously consider that nomination.”