by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Sherry Quattlebaum of Coldwell Banker Jasinsky & Associates had no idea how she was chosen as Amelia Island/Nassau County Board of Realtor’s Realtor of the Year. She had just done what she had always done - spoke her mind - and it got her noticed.
“I know I am very outspoken if I believe in something, I work on it real hard and try to convince other people that I have a good idea,” said Quattlebaum. “I was very involved last year and I pushed for some things.”
Grace Lipman of Century 21 John T. Ferreira and Son and past president of the board chose Quattlebaum for the award because of her forward thinking attitude and her willingness to speak out.
“I feel that Realtor of the Year is not a sales award,” said Lipman. “It’s an award that should go to the person who has done the most for the association throughout that year. I realize that is not every president’s opinion or motivation in awarding that honor, but it was mine.
“Last year was a very busy year for us. We implemented the Strategic Plan that was created during the former president’s year. We started the conversation about our 5- and 10-year growth management plan. This was all very new stuff for our board to deal with and wrap their brains around.
“Sherry Quattlebaum, of all the board members and committee chairmen, was always willing to come forth with good suggestions [not always popular ones] and anytime I or Clyde [Goodbread, executive director] asked for extra participation and time, she was there. The membership did not know this, nor did they see this, but I did and I thought that she should be acknowledged for her unseen contribution to our association.
“Her heart is in the right place and she follows through with her actions.”
Quattlebaum has been on the board for many years and was recently a big part of the board purchasing the land adjacent to their building on 14th Street in Fernandina Beach.
“It just made our land that much more valuable,” said Quattlebaum.
In her years on the board she has been the Education chair and is currently still on the Education Committee. Last year, she won Chairperson of the Year for her work on the Education Committee. Quattlebaum is also on the Building Committee, which was formed after the board bought the land next to their building.
“After we bought the land, we realized we needed a group to oversee the the whole building, what we are going to do in the future and whether we are going to move or expand,” she said.
With the membership growing, the board is outgrowing its current building and is considering its options.
Quattlebaum has been in real estate since 1982.
There was no Board of Realtors at the time and real estate agents relied mainly on advertisements for listings in the newspaper to know what property to show.
“The first multiple listing service came as individual papers that we punched holes in and put into a spiral notebook,” she said. “I have kept up with the times and unfortunately I feel our whole area is growing too fast. I think the density is too large. I like larger lots and instead of the 120 or 100 foot lots, we are down to the 60 and 65 foot lots.”
She started out with Taber Real Estate Store and then moved over to Coldwell Banker Jasinsky & Associates where she has been ever since.
In addition to real estate, Quattlebaum was a school teacher for 31 years.
“I’m one of those people who have had two jobs for most of their lives,” she said. “I got into real estate after buying my first investment property. I went out to buy the lot next store and came home owning the house across the street. I just thought I wanted to try to have another career to make money.” Quattlebaum started out teaching math, but was mainly an elementary physical education teacher for most of her career.
“I stood outside for about 25 of those 31 years,” she said.
Though she was a full-time agent during her years teaching, she retired in 2000 from Emma Love Hardee Elementary School to be able to focus even more time to her real estate career.
Quattlebaum is a very physical person, so being a physical education teacher came naturally.
“My retirement present to myself was a trip to the Florida Keys where I was pulled around on the end of a rope to lobster for a whole month,” she said. “When you look for lobster, you snorkel and are pulled around on the end of a rope. We really enjoy the Florida Keys. I literally stay in the water for a whole month.”
In addition to being like a fish, Quattlebaum enjoys running two or three times a week.
Since she no longer has to split her time with another job, she has been getting more involved in the board and helping out with board functions.
“If you ever ran into a part of the board that you didn’t like, the only way to change it is to get involved,” she said. “I have found that to be true. If you find things that don’t work or there is some problem, the only real way to change them and make them better for you and everyone else is to get involved.”