Jacksonville’s Russell Grooms has led the state association in many ways. Last month, the Florida Association of Realtors let him know just how much he has been appreciated.
Grooms, an agent in Watson Realty’s Ortega office, was named Realtor of the Year at the annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla.
Grooms, who was the FAR president in 2004, led the effort for disaster relief and produced $2.2 million. He also serves as head of the association’s nominating committee.
“I’m overwhelmed,” he said. “When you’re in a group of 165,000 people and you get singled out like that, it tends to really hit you.”
He has been an agent with Watson for 34 years.
Upon accepting the award from FAR President Mike Dooley, Grooms said, “I’ve done a lot of thinking about leadership since my year as president. It was a humbling experience. Leadership is a huge responsibility — it’s not a chore. It’s about action, and it’s not about position. But what is most important to me, leadership doesn’t build character, it reveals it. I don’t know what to say other than ‘thank you.’”
Grooms has served in every leadership capacity available in Jacksonville, first on the Jacksonville Board of Realtors and now with its successor, Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, including as president and Multiple Listing Service president. He has been recognized by his local peers as “Realtor of the Year” three times, a feat no other member has achieved.
He also received the association’s “Circle of Honor” award in 1998 for his many years of dedicated service to the local community, state and real estate profession. And in 2004, he received the most prestigious award given by the local association, its “Presidential Lifetime Service Award,” which is not given every year.
On the state level, Grooms has been a FAR director for more than 20 years. He has served on and chaired numerous FAR committees and was FAR’s District 1 vice president in 1998. He has filled the state association’s leadership posts of treasurer and president-elect. Then in 2004, Grooms became president of FAR, taking the reins during a year filled with changes and challenges: most notably, the devastation caused by four hurricanes striking Florida. He was instrumental in reestablishing FAR’s Disaster Relief Fund, which raised more than $2.2 million for recovery efforts. Grooms is the current chairman of the trustees for the Disaster Relief Fund.
Also during his tenure as FAR president, Grooms worked with several special presidential advisory groups: one to review needs in the area of finance, one to review technology needs, one to spearhead the search and hiring of a new executive vice president for FAR and one to study the formation of a for-profit subsidiary for FAR, which lead to the creation of Real Estate Industry Solutions LLC.
He is an active member of Ducks Unlimited, a group that encourages the preservation of land and water resources to provide needed habitat for duck, goose and bird populations throughout the world. Grooms also supports the Coastal Conservation Association, formerly known as the Florida Conservation Association. This organization is dedicated to the conservation and protection of the state’s marine resources. And for many years, he has served in an appointed position on the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, which investigates complaints against attorneys and makes formal recommendations for appropriate action.