Contact:

Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications
407/438-1400, ext. 2314
JeffZ@far.org

Marla Martin, Communications Manager
407/438-1400, ext. 2326
MarlaM@far.org

Florida Association of Realtors® Enlist Community Leaders to Judge Scholarship Essay Contest

ORLANDO, Fla., April 2004 -- 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) 2003-2004 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. This year, a total of $41,000 in scholarship funding will be awarded by FAR, with student winners in each of the Association’s 13 districts receiving a $1,500 scholarship prize and the second-place district winners receiving a $500 award. The 13 district-winning essays 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 88th annual Convention and Trade Expo, set for Aug. 18-22, at the Orlando Renaissance Resort.

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: Kea Blalock, president of the St. Augustine Board of Realtors and a Realtor with RE/MAX 100; John Evans, president elect of the St. Augustine board and sales manager with Century 21 A1A Realty; Russell Saboe, ethics committee chairman with the Flagler Association of Realtors and a broker with RE/MAX Oceanside; and John Chapman, FAR District 1 vice president.

District 2: "Bobbi" Shirley Gentile, Realtor, Prudential Transact Realty Inc.; Diane Craparotta, Realtor, RE/MAX Associates, Deltona, and president of the West Volusia Association of Realtors; Jalene Stockhausen, Realtor, of Bill Mancinik Realtor; Shirley Solomon, Realtor, ERA The Property Place and president of the Space Coast Association of Realtors; and John Clare, FAR District 2 vice president.

District 3: Terence R. Moore, Sebastian city manager; Lisa Rymer, news editor, WWCI-TV 10 in Vero Beach; and Lois Work, FAR District 3 vice president.

District 4: Ellen Kempler, 1998 National Teacher of the Year and a member of the National Teachers' Hall of Fame; Frank Cobo, member of the Dade County School Board and a Realtor; Dr. John Zdanowicz, director of the Center for Banking and Financial Institutions, and director of the Jerome Bain Real Estate Institute, Florida International University; and Deborah Boza Valledor, FAR District 4 vice president.

District 5: Valeri Alker, news producer for FGCU Public Broadcast Service Radio at Florida Gulf Coast University; Ryan Hiraki, assignment reporter for the News Press in Fort Myers; Nanci Theoret, editor of Gulf Shore Life magazine's real estate section; and Al DiNicola, FAR District 5 vice president.

District 6: Phebe H. Kerr, Ed.D., associate Dean of Students at Stetson University College of Law; David Rogers, a Realtor with Keller Williams Gulf Coast Tyrone; and Michael Bindman, FAR District 6 vice president.

District 7: Brad Nimmo, CEO and president of Habitat for Humanity of Ocala; John "Pete" Craft, president of the Lake County Association of Realtors and broker-owner of ERA in Mount Dora; Trudy Boone, broker-co-owner of Foxfire Realty in Ocala; and Sandy Sauer, FAR District 7 vice president.

District 8: Laura Arpin, Ph.D., assistant professor of communications at Florida State University; and Kevin Hattaway, FAR District 8 vice president.

District 9: Col. Howard Hill, USAF, Ret., president of the PAL Soccer League in Niceville; Kimberly Troia, math and science teacher at Everitt Middle School; Commissioner Marie Young, chairman of the Pensacola City Commission; and Bob Hudgens, FAR District 9 vice president.

District 10: Sharon Watson, a Realtor with Choice-Dantzler Properties; Gayle Labanowitz, president of the Lake Placid Board of Realtors; and Joyce Tubb, FAR District 10 vice president.

District 11: Christie Caliendo, managing editor for Gulfstream Media Group; Steven Simmons, real estate attorney and general counsel for the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale; Claudette Bruck, broker of Multiple Choice Realty in Tamarac; and Ray Barkett, FAR District 11 vice president.

District 12: Jacque Stanly, senior vice president of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association; Lydia Pisano, Realtor with Watson Realty and president elect of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association; and Dean Asher, FAR District 12 vice president.

District 13: Dr. P. Dee G. Stephenson, Md.; Harold Bubil, real estate editor, Sarasota Herald-Tribune; James Kuhlman, president, Premier Community Bank; Jeffrey Knuckles, commercial real estate developer and business owner; and Helen Kirchner Moore, 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 100,000 members in 70 boards/associations.

© 2004 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS