After a tumultuous year that saw a divided board of directors ultimately vote to oust its executive vice president, the incoming president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors challenged the organization’s members to work as a unified team in the coming year, and have fun while they were doing so.
The 2001 president, David M. Walsh of David Walsh Realtors in Weymouth, gave his remarks after taking the oath of office at MAR’s annual installation dinner held last week in Braintree.
“There will be times when we won’t all agree, and we’ve experienced plenty of that,” Walsh said. “But we have to have a vision for the future of real estate … and we need to be unified and march forward as one.”
Tops on Walsh’s list of priorities were advancements in technology. “We must continue to aid our members in technological growth,” he said. He also spoke about an extensive revamping of the association Web site that would make it “second to none.”
Walsh advocated for improved public awareness for the association within the state, throughout the country and worldwide, and spoke of MAR’s partnership with a real estate association in Romania as one example of the group’s global influence.
As he called on everyone to volunteer to serve one at least one committee, Walsh said, “The most important requirement will be to have fun. Life is meant to be enjoyed.”
Tied at the Hip
The National Association of Realtors’ newly installed president, Richard Mendenhall, was also on hand and administered the oath of office to Walsh.
In his remarks, Mendenhall made several references to stories about earthquakes, including one his grandmother survived in 1906. “We asked her how she got through it, and she told us, ‘You have to believe,'” he said.
“I say to you, you’re the Realtor, you have to believe and you can’t ever give up … There will always be difficulties with presidents or working with local boards. I don’t know what [Walsh] will go through during his year, we all have issues, but you need to be there for each other,” he said. “NAR does not exist without the state associations, and the state association does not exist without the local associations. We’re tied together at the hip.”
Also installed last week were President-elect David Drinkwater of Coastal Countryside Properties in Cohasset, Secretary/Treasurer Peter Casey of Prudential Wilmot Whitney Real Estate in Weston, Immediate Past President Fred Meyer of University Real Estate in Cambridge and Association Executive Liaison Carol Shapiro from the Eastern Middlesex Association of Realtors.
Regional vice presidents installed for 2001 include: Judy Moore, Boston Region; Amy Greene, Cape Cod & Islands Region; Laura Shifrin, Central Region; Lois Williams, Northern Region; Margaret Tomkiewicz, Southeast Region; Kelly Lewis-Grossi, Southern Region; and Susan Renfrew, Western Region.
Four focus area vice presidents also took the oath of office, including Carolyn Chodat of Medway, Joseph Delaney II of Canton, Linda O’Connor of Amesbury and Beverlee Vidoli of Burlington.
