Marla Martin, Communications Manager, or Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications
407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2314
Florida Association of Realtors® Enlists Community Leaders to Judge Scholarship Essay Contest
ORLANDO, Fla., April 2007 – What do a number of educators, Realtors, business executives, media representatives, civic organizers and elected officials across Florida have in common? They all can add serving as a district judge for the Florida Association of Realtors’® (FAR) 2006-2007 Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors to their resumes of community service.
The topic for this year’s essay contest was “How Does a Realtor Professional Benefit the Community?” which provided students with the chance to research a wide range of real estate disciplines. A total of $106,000 in scholarship funding will be awarded by FAR: The top student winners in each of the Association’s 13 districts receive a $5,000 scholarship prize, second-place district winners each receive a $1,500 award and the third-place winners will claim a $500 scholarship prize. The 13 district-winning essays also go on to compete for three state FAR scholarship awards – each worth an additional $5,000.
Once the district winners have been announced, a state panel of judges will review the 13 district-winning essays, narrowing the field to the top three state winners. These state scholarship winners may be announced either prior to or as part of FAR’s annual Convention and Trade Expo, set for Aug. 22-26 at the Buena Vista Palace in Lake Buena Vista near Orlando.
The district judges who volunteered their time and expertise to participate in FAR’s scholarship program form a distinguished “Who’s Who” list of community leaders from across the state. They include:
District 1: Jeff Taylor, 2007 president of the Lake City Board of Realtors; Todd Wilson, editor, Lake City Reporter; Jim Poole, executive director, Lake City Chamber of Commerce; and Stan Batten, FAR District 1 vice president.
District 2: Carole Nelson, radio show host and former TV anchor; Lisa Lombardi, Rockledge City Council; Barb Sheperd, publisher, DeLand Beacon; and Kathy Starkey, FAR District 2 vice president.
District 3: Roxanne Stein, morning news anchor, WPTV-Channel 5; Robert Kanjan, attorney, Realtor and Palm Beach County School Board member; Betsy Owen, Realtor and former English teacher; and Andrew Barber, FAR District 3 vice president.
District 4: Julio Robaina, mayor of Hialeah; Tomas Regalado, commissioner, City of Miami; Rhonda Simonds-Brewer, president of the Florida Keys Board of Realtors and broker-owner, Moorings Realty; and Luis Landrian, FAR District 4 vice president.
District 5: Mel King, broker-owner, The King Group; Marianne McCauley; Jim Woodward, RE/MAX Realty, and past president of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach; Anne McDonald, Coldwell Banker, and past president of the Marco Island Association of Realtors; Brett Brown, broker, VIP Realty Group; Karen Hall; and Scott Whitlock, FAR District 5 vice president.
District 6: C.T. Bowen, editorials editor, Pasco/St. Petersburg Times; Joe DeLuca, Tampa publisher and vice president, St. Petersburg Times/Tampa Bay Times; Christie Zimmer, broker, Frog Realty, and president of the Central Pasco Board of Realtors; and Susanna Madden, FAR District 6 vice president.
District 7: Harry B. Wallett, president of the Hernando County Association of Realtors; Suzan Mangram, Coast to Coast Realty & Investment; Diane Guthrie, Vangie Berry Signature Realty and a former teacher; and John "Pete" Craft, FAR District 7 vice president.
District 8: Sabrina Burke, broker-owner, Burke & Co. Real Estate Group; Larry Schnell, editor-in-chief, Levy County Journal; and Robin Schwartz, FAR District 8 vice president.
District 9: Sue Straughn, news anchor, WEAR Channel 3; John Appleyard, author and historian; Pat Sabastian, Bay County School Board; Rick Thomason, publisher, The Destin Log and The Walton Sun; Scott Parsons, Reliable Land Title; and Pam Smith, FAR District 9 vice president.
District 10: Bob Gernert Jr., executive director, Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce; Patty Wise, English teacher; Marvin Kahn, chairman, Kahn Grove Service Company; Jeremy Maready, business reporter, The Ledger; and Ben Crosby, FAR District 10 vice president.
District 11: Howard Schnellenberger, head football coach, Florida Atlantic University; Dr. Robert “Bob” Parks, Broward County School Board member; and Jim Balistreri, FAR District 11 vice president.
District 12: Cheryl Grieb, Kissimmee city commissioner, and Realtor, Olde Kissimmee Realty; Cathy Carr, chief operating officer, Osceola County Education Foundation; Hope Andrews, president-elect of the Osceola County Association of Realtors and Realtor, Sapphire Realty; Sharon Clark, Realtor, Clark Investment Properties Inc.; and Michelle Renee Clark, FAR District 12 vice president.
District 13: Scott Dennis, news anchor, WSB40 (ABC affiliate); Rip Dupont, Tampa Bay region president, Whitney Bank; Frank Leto, manager, Sarasota Herald-Tribune newspaper; and Lynn Parker, FAR District 13 vice president.
The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), the voice for real estate in Florida, provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 170,000 members in 68 boards/associations.
© 2007 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
