The 2017 Alabama Association of REALTORS® REALTOR® of the Year, was awarded to Mr. Bruce Sanford of the Marshall County Board of REALTORS®. 

Recognizing him with our REALTOR® of the Year award almost seems to fall short of the recognition he so richly deserves in comparison to all that he has given to this association and his community.

Mr. Sanford gives wholly of himself to his community by being active in his local Chamber of Commerce, the American Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society, to name only a few of the causes and organizations he gives his time to. Perhaps his most selfless and generous contribution to his community is through work with a group of youngsters who simply need someone to be there for them. He takes them to church to give thanks for all that they do have in life, and he makes sure they are not deprived of a good meal on the Lord’s day.

Mr. Sanford finds time to give to our Association and our industry. He has served two terms as local board president for the Marshall County Board of REALTORS® and has provided his sage counsel as a member of their Board of Directors for twelve years. He has served the state association as a Regional Vice President, an ARPAC Trustee, and as a member of the Bill Read Committee.

As our advocate in Washington, DC in the prestigious role of a Federal Political Coordinator. He works with Congressman Aderholt of the 4th district, to fight on the front lines of some of the most important issues facing the REALTOR industry for the last 20 years.

The 2017 Alabama Association of REALTORS® David D. Roberts award, was awarded to Ms. Pam Segars Morris of the Bessemer Board of REALTORS®.

Ms. Morris is actively involved with her local government, Chambers of Commerce, the Salvation Army, and a multitude of other charitable activities and organizations. 

At the local REALTOR® level, she has been recognized as her board’s REALTOR® of the Year, served on about three dozen committees, task forces, and special groups, has served as their board president – 3 times! 

Ms. Morris is a past president of the Alabama Association of REALTORS® and has been recognized for her commitment to the association with the Robert Jemison award. She has been steadfast in her support of political advocacy, has been a member of the President’s Circle for more than 10 years, and has served as an ARPAC trustee.

Her commitment to our industry doesn’t stop at the state level. She’s attended NAR’s Mid-Year and Annual Conventions for more than 10 years, is in the RPAC Hall of Fame and President’s Circle, and she serves us in Washington, DC through speaking on our behalf as a Federal Political Coordinator.

The 2017 Mickey Phillips’ REALTORS® for Children Award, was awarded to Jamie Reeves of the Morgan County Association of REALTORS®.

The Mickey Phillips’ REALTORS® for Children Award is given to honor a REALTOR® who has devoted countless hours and resources to unselfishly invest in children through projects or programs focusing on their needs. 

Ms. Reeves is an incredibly giving person to those most in need of our love, comfort, and support – children. She volunteers her time, and opens her home, to children in need. She volunteers with FACES, a group devoted to meeting the needs of children in foster care or at risk of being placed in foster care, providing opportunities to attend various summer camps and basic necessities. She cares so much about children and their well-being that she and her husband have become licensed foster parents, taking in more than a dozen children needing a warm, loving home.

The 2017 Harriett Isaacson Excellence in Education Award, was awarded to Ginny Willis of the Birmingham Area Association of REALTORS®. 

The Harriett Isaacson Excellence in Education Award is given to honor a REALTOR® professional who follows in Harriett’s footsteps and devotes himself or herself to service in educational excellence at the local, state, and national levels.

Ms. Willis is a certified instructor for many courses offered by the Alabama REALTORS®, such as GRI, Professional Standards, and Pre- and Post-License. She is currently serving on the NAR Professional Standards Committee, possesses near countless designations, and has served this association as a volunteer leader for many years. Faithful to the principals of organized real estate, she staunchly adheres to NAR’s code of ethics.

Created in 1950, membership in the honorary fraternity of Omega Tau Rho is bestowed by state and local Associations of REALTORS® to those who serve the REALTOR® organization with exemplary dedication. Membership in this prestigious honorary fraternity is represented by the Medallion of Service, which symbolizes the recognition and appreciation accorded to Omega Tau Rho members for their contribution to the National Association of REALTORS® and its institutes, societies, and councils.  

Omega Tau Rho inductees are also to be recognized for their 40+ years of membership in the National Association of REALTORS®, thus achieving REALTOR® Emeritus status in the REALTOR® organization.

The 2017 REALTOR Emeritus and Omega Tau Rho inductees  are:

Huntsville Area Association:Bill McEwen 
Morgan County Association:Cathy Pearson
Huntsville Association: Charles Swafford
Shoals Area Association: Das Borden
Morgan County Association: Jane Glover
Montgomery Area Association: Jerry Wills
Morgan County Association: Jody Peterson
Huntsville Association: Marjorie Stamper
Tuscaloosa Association: Michael Carroll
Tuscaloosa Association: Ruth Whitley
Birmingham Association: Tom Murphy
Tuscaloosa Association: Tom Owings

Every day REALTORS® work hard on behalf of their clients and the betterment of their communities through the giving of countless hours of volunteer service.

Athens /Limestone Association: Deborah Lamb
Baldwin County Association: Ginny Stoppa
Bessemer Board: Rosalyn Johnson
Birmingham Area Association: Len Shannon
Calhoun County Area Board: Rita Smith
Cullman Association: Jeanice Galin     
DeKalb County Association: Kim Horton
Dothan Association: Jackie Whitehead
Huntsville Area Association: Thelma Dawson
Lake Martin Area Association: Emily McDaniel
Lee County Association: Carole Harrison
Marshall County Board: Bruce Sanford
Mobile Area Association: Kelly Cummings
Montgomery Area Association: Forrest Meadows
Morgan County Association: Patti Lambert
Phenix City Board: Jennifer Blackstock
Selma Association: Jewell Williamson
Shoals Area Association: Sue Young
St. Clair Association: Rita Foster
Tuscaloosa Association: Dedra Cabaniss
Walker Board: Carol Alexander
Wiregrass Board: Travis Parker