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December 2013 Women’s Council of REALTORS®
President’s Column By Chris Rodriguez • 2013 President
2013: what a year!
T
o serve, lead and work with such a great group of people at the Women’s Council of REALTORS has been such an incredible experience. When the year first started, I was excited about the possibilities of what was about to take place, and of course, what has taken place was exciting, at times challenging. When I think back at the TAR/WCR Winter Meeting Celebrity Waiter Dinner, the theme Heroes and Villains—Bill Evans as Goldmember, Ruby Johnson as Mini-Me, Diana Keys as Ivana Humpalot, and myself as Austin Powers, I have memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I can’t express how grateful I am to the 2013 WCR board of directors, with whom I have spent so many hours in working to fulfill the WCR mission—a network of successful REALTORS, advancing women as professionals and leaders in business, the industry and communities we serve. As I look back over the year, we offered relevant educational classes and re-
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ferral and networking opportunities. We helped to develop leadership skills in those who stepped up, and we motivated by providing speakers that shared their ideas on how to “jump start” your business. February started the year with the Austin Chapter winning second place in the ABoR/TREPAC Chili Cook-off. In April, through our cakeauction, we were able to raise approximately $3,400 for TREPAC. At the TAR/WCR Winter meeting, the Austin Chapter was awarded “Largest Financial Contribution” during the TREPAC Celebrity Waiter Dinner and also won “Best Chapter Participation” (ah, again, the memories). Our Community Service Committee put together “comfort-kits” to distribute to the homeless and raised approximately $750 which was donated to the Senior Elder Care Summer Fan Drive. Then, in October, we more than tripled last year’s Bra’s 4 A Cause total with a portion of the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Central Texas. I am honored to have served as the 56th
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president of the Austin Chapter. They say that while you are developing your leadership skills, one of the things you must learn to do is to pull others up behind you who could, then, soon replace you. And, if you talk to Victoria Reviel, she tells a story of how, a couple of years ago, with a glass of wine in hand, I was calling her name from across the lobby of the Hyatt Regency during the TAR Conference—running after her, asking her if I could talk with her—and, again, with a glass of wine in hand for her, sat down with her to talk about the possibilities of running for office with the Women’s Council. I am glad she said, “yes.” Congratulations and best wishes to the 2014 WCR President, Victoria Reviel. I will miss WCR. I will probably pop in here and there just to satisfy my “WCR fix”. But, I leave the office confident that the Chapter is in the best possible hands to carry on the WCR values and make sure that as a WCR member, you are positioned to stay on top of your competition through
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the business-building resources and visibility and exposure that the Women’s Council of REALTORS is all about. Your incoming officers for 2014 have just been sworn into office. All the best to President Victoria Reviel, President-Elect Amy Kobza, VP of Membership Ruby Johnson, Secretary Becky DeButts and Treasurer Gene Fuessel. Please also join me in congratulating this years awards winners: Rookie of the Year Melia Gardner Affiliate of the Year Patricia Wagner Member of the Year Amy Kobza Entrepreneur of the Year Diana Keyes I look forward to an exiting new year. I really, really, really enjoyed my year as WCR president, and thank you for the opportunity to serve. RL
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