Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - (Page 2) President’s Perspective By Hope Andrews Dear Members, Thank you for the honor and privilege for allowing me to serve as your 2008 President. This was, at the same time, one of the toughest yet one of the best years of my life. The tough part was the turn in the market, and the need to double and triple my efforts for both my own company and the Association membership. The best part was working with an outstanding board and staff who all shared my passion for advancing the Association’s member benefits. In the face of extraordinary challenges, this board was able to reduce expenses by $71,000.00. We found ways to save $150,000 in the coming fiscal year. Yet after making enormous budget reductions the board realized it would be necessary to raise Association dues for the first time in eighteen years, and found the courage to do so. The combined efforts allow you, the Association member, to enjoy the same level of service you have come to expect from your Association, and to insure that there would be no surprise deficits or assessments in the coming year. We hired a new Association Executive, Jeri Peyton, who shares our goal of a membership driven organization. She has done a tremendous job in getting our members committees back on track, and has reestablished our Tuesday morning Marketing and Education meetings. We looked at the demographics of our membership and began offering many of our classes in Spanish. The reaction was both immediate and positive, and we saw faces that have never been involved before. We introduced the Property Management Council which became an instant success, servicing many members whom had not had the opportunity to participate in the past. Thanks go to Riva Alexander for taking on this task and over exceeding our expectations. The Young Professionals Network, originally an idea shared by Veronica Malolos and Andrey Bustamante, was one of the most successful projects we have ever initiated. Although they had a start-up budget, they were able to get almost every event sponsored! Participation continues to be strong, with 40 to 60 members at every gathering. Your new President-Elect, Jose Alvarez’ vision of our first time ever Hispanic Network, drew 40 attendees to the first meeting. We met many new members and got a preview of what is to come next year. Jose, thank you for your dedication and commitment. Our new Central Florida International Alliance, with Chairman, Abby Barboza at the helm, has many exciting things in store for 2009. She was able to fill the room to capacity at their very first meeting. We are off to a great start helping our members do business in other countries. Past-President Mike Levine chaired our first Past-Presidents council this year, and had great participation from our past presidents, many of whom I have gone to for advice. Thanks to all of our past leaders, with a special thank you to Past presidents Mike Levine, Linda Goodwin-Nichols, Nick Nichols, Hemendra Thakkar, Jack Frey, Renee Clark, Kim Goodwin-Dietz, Karen Dierex and Janice Presby for your advice, support and guidance. This year our Charitable Foundation began and we completed our first affordable housing project on Patrick Street. Director, Cheryl Grieb (also a Past-President and City of Kissimmee Commissioner) has big plans for the foundation for 2009, as evidenced by several planning meetings already held. Through her seemingly endless network of friends and fellow public servants, she has enlisted community leaders to assist and guide us. We are fortunate to count Cheryl amongst our leaders. The Osceola Brokerage Cooperative, under the direction of David DeLoach, has worked tirelessly to save brokerages money by providing products and services in bulk. We can’t wait to see what the plans of the cooperative are in 2009. Thank you, David, for your voice of reason and tireless service. Secretary and 2009 Treasurer, Len Goffredo served on so many committees this year and spent seemingly endless hours on an intense audit of our Association’s finances. We are thankful to have someone so dedicated, taking time from their own business and serving the membership as Len. Kemp Howland brought so much to the table this year with his innovative and creative expertise of video for our members. He has held classes on placing listings on YouTube and other internet sites, as well as providing live video for our website. Kemp has spent countless hours giving back to your Association. New board member Jerry Kelley did a great service to our membership, reviewing our budget and working with our budget and finance committee. He brings a wealth of experience to our board, and helps us understand the importance of accurate projections in the current market. Director Richard Knapp has served our Association for many years, and he helped us solve some very difficult problems. His sense of fair play has brought so much to our membership and he has taught me personally to be a better listener. Director Denise Sacks really stepped up to the plate this year and has served our membership in multiple ways. Her passion for our industry will continue to be a positive for the membership. Continued on Page 3. 2 Osceola ReVIEW December 2008
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 President's Perspective Knowledge Services News Membership News Association Staff Award Corner Association Executive Perspective Monthly Planner New Affiliate Offices New Real Estate Offices Welcome New Members Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 (Page Cover1) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - President's Perspective (Page 2) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Knowledge Services News (Page 3) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Membership News (Page 4) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Membership News (Page 5) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Association Staff (Page 6) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Award Corner (Page 7) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Award Corner (Page 8) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Award Corner (Page 9) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Association Executive Perspective (Page 10) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Association Executive Perspective (Page 11) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Association Executive Perspective (Page 12) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Association Executive Perspective (Page 13) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Monthly Planner (Page 14) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Monthly Planner (Page 15) Osceola ReVIEW - December 2008 - Welcome New Members (Page 16)
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