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Venice Realtor® Installed as District Vice President of Florida’s Largest Professional Association

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 4, 2008 – Thomas H. Sponaugle, broker-associate, Laura B. Kopple, Inc. in Venice, has been installed District 13 vice president of the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR), the state’s largest professional association. A member of the Venice Area Board of Realtors®, Sponaugle will serve his fellow professionals in District 13, which encompasses Manatee, Hardee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte counties.

“One major issue we face in our district is a drive to put limits on land use change that are designed to curb growth,” he says. “High property taxes is another major concern among buyers and sellers.”

Active in residential brokerage, Sponaugle served as 2004 president of the Venice board, and has been a FAR director since 2003. In the community, he is a member of the Plantation Community Foundation, Augusta Villas Condominium Association and a Venice Little Theatre volunteer.

Sponaugle brings extensive industry experience to his role as FAR district vice president. “As Realtors reinvent themselves, they need to step back and see what they can do personally to improve their skills,” he says. “They also need to be experts in their local markets.”

As a FAR vice president, Sponaugle will focus on Realtor education, training and involvement in vital housing-related issues in the region. As real estate professionals, Realtors seek to improve the availability and affordability of housing, while helping people from all walks of life achieve the American dream.

The Florida Association of Realtors®, the voice for real estate in Florida, provides programs, services, ongoing education, research and legislative representation to its 150,000 members in 67 local boards/associations throughout Florida.