From The Florida Association of
Realtors
Tom Salomone, the 2003 president of the Florida Association of Realtors and a member of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, has been named FAR’s 2005 Realtor of the Year.
The award and others were presented by President Frank Kowalski during FAR’s 89th annual Convention & Trade Expo Aug. 24-28 at the Buena Vista Palace in Lake Buena Vista. More than 2,500 Realtors from across Florida attended the convention.
Mary McCall, a member and past president of the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors, received the 2005 Associate Realtor of the Year Award. Receiving the Realtor Achievement Award for this year is Summer Greene, a member of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale. This award reflects the previous three years’ contributions to the community, local, state and national Realtor associations.
Additionally, FAR honored Laurie Neiman of the Pinellas Suncoast Association of Realtors as the 2005 Humanitarian of the Year. Neiman spends many hours each week volunteering with Pinellas Village, which provides to motivated single-parent families the opportunity to achieve economic and emotional self-sufficiency through on-site and community based resources and safe affordable housing.
Winning FAR’s Newcomer Award for 2005 is Lester Clinton Weimer, a member of the New Smyrna Beach Association of Realtors. Other FAR award winners this year include:
Board Achievement Awards: Small Board, Key West Association of Realtors; Medium Board, Venice Area Board of Realtors; Large Board, Space Coast Association of Realtors and Mega Board, Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches.
Education — Overall Program Achievement: Small Board, Marathon & Lower Keys Association of Realtors; Medium Board, Venice Area Board of Realtors; Large Board, Space Coast Association of Realtors and Mega Board, Northeast Florida Association of Realtors.
Education — Single Program Achievement: Medium Board, West Volusia Association of Realtors, for its “Leadership Development Program”; Large Board, Manatee Association of Realtors, for its “Realtor Jeopardy” and Mega Board, Realtor Association of Greater Miami & the Beach, for its “8th International Real Estate Congress.”
Graduate Realtor Institute Scholastic Achievement Award: Dennis Rauschl, GRI, Manatee Association of Realtors.
Florida Realtor Magazine Editorial Excellence Awards: “How to Have a Long, Successful Career,” Gwen Appelquist, Pensacola Association of Realtors; and “How to Turn an Idea into an Invention,” Jean Smith Newell, Melbourne Area Association of Realtors; and, Best Article, “How to Thrive in Commercial Real Estate,” Roger Broderick, Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors.
Residential Environmental ENVY Award: Lakewood Ranch, located on 7,000 acres in Sarasota and Manatee counties.