From floridarealtors.org
Bill Martin, the chief executive officer of Michigan Realtors, is joining Florida Realtors as its new CEO.
Martin, 61, will be based at Florida Realtors’ Orlando headquarters. He holds the Realtor association certified executive designation for specialized industry knowledge, as well as association achievements and experience. He starts in March.
“This opportunity is very exciting and I look forward to joining a high-performance and high-powered organization like Florida Realtors,” Martin says. “Florida Realtors is internationally recognized and anyone would want to work with such a stellar group.”
Florida Realtors President Andrew Barbar, a broker with Keller Williams Realty Services in Boca Raton, welcomes the new CEO to the association.
“His knowledge, skills and expertise will be invaluable to Florida Realtors and our members across the state,” Barbar says. “We’re ready to put him to work.”
Martin has been CEO of the Michigan association for the past 14 years. His resume includes service in the U.S. Army with the famed 101st Airborne Division, then as a trooper with the Michigan State Police. In 1987, Martin was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives serving Calhoun County, a position he held for four terms.
In 1995, then-Michigan Gov. John Engler appointed Martin Commissioner of the Michigan State Lottery. In 1999, Engler appointed him director and CEO of the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Fourteen years ago, when Martin first heard that Michigan Realtors was seeking a CEO, he says he jumped at the chance to work for the Realtor organization.
He said there were two times in his life where Realtors were important — when as a state trooper and a Realtor was vital to a criminal case and when Realtors were the first organization to endorse him as a legislative candidate.
“My first fundraiser was a complete bust — no one came — but when the Realtors endorsed my campaign, they helped to launch my political success,” Martin said.
Martin is a past board member of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity and a trustee emeritus at Western Michigan University, his alma mater. In 2014, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder appointed him to the State Officers Compensation Commission.
He and his wife of 36 years, Denise, have two adult daughters, Haley and Brittany, and three grandchildren. Martin says he’s certain their new Florida home will be a welcome destination for his family and friends, especially the grandkids.