15 April Step Up. Lead. Make a Difference. by Jacky Mueck Membership, Professional Development 0 0 Comment 155 By Cheryl Abrams Davis 2024 President-Elect for Maryland REALTORS®. When I left my corporate job in 2006 to make real estate my full-time career, there were many aspects of our business that I didn’t know or understand, so I made the decision to get involved by signing up to be on a committee. I thought about my professional skillset and how my experience could help me provide input for the committee that I chose. I went to the Association’s website to look at the list of committees and volunteer. Since then, I’ve been serving on committees at the local, state, and national levels. People always ask me, “Why do you volunteer? Don’t you have enough to keep you busy?” Here are some of my leading reasons why I believe that volunteering is important and why I ask you, as your next President, to answer the call and volunteer. You contribute to the well-being of our REALTOR® community, and it makes a real difference. When you see the result of a committee’s collaborative efforts—the creation of a new form, initiative, project, or even impacting future legislation— you’ll feel a sense of pride and belonging. You meet some of the most incredibly talented REALTORS®. These relationships help you grow personally and professionally. You’ll be in rooms (and Zooms!) with people whose paths you most likely wouldn’t have otherwise crossed. You gain a better understanding and appreciation of our industry, and a broader perspective because of new skills and experiences. You play a role in the solutions that help move this association and industry forward. You hone your current skills and learn new skills to expand your professional profile. While you get a lot out of volunteering, here’s what your Association receives: - Ideas, skillsets, experiences, and perspectives that enrich the Association, aid in problem-solving, and are applicable to the programs and projects, as outlined by each committee and our Strategic Plan. - An expansion of reach to others in the industry. In your role of committee member, you also serve as an Association ambassador. - An engaged REALTOR® community that helps to raise awareness and builds support for the issues and causes that are close to the REALTOR® community. Volunteers are the core of our Leadership Team. As the future unfolds, we’ll need new volunteers to rise to leadership roles in our organization. Could that be you? The volunteers, serving on Maryland REALTORS®’ active committees, are creating a stronger, more responsive organization— especially important today. We need your help. Apply now! Thank you for helping to shape our industry! Maryland REALTORS® Standing Committees Below are quick overviews of each standing committee. To get a better understanding of each committee, view the committee descriptions. Outreach Communications/Public Relations: oversees and advises on the communications strategies of Maryland REALTORS® and all its channels: digital, website, print, video, webinar, social, and event. Community Involvement: responsible for the administration of Maryland REALTORS®’ Community Service Award and the William J. Neary Community Action and REALTOR® Excellence Award, while also making recommendations on the Association’s philanthropic and community efforts. Conference & Events Program Advisory Committee: provides input and development of Association events, including the Annual Conference. DEI Advisory Group: works to create an authentic, vibrant, and inclusive industry culture through education, engagement, leadership recruitment, and community outreach. Housing Opportunity Committee: encourages members and local associations to encourage housing opportunity and affordability in their work; advises on content for the consumer site, MarylandHomeownership.com. Business Development Commercial Alliance: provides a forum for commercial practitioners; develops the annual Commercial Symposium, INNOVATE. Global Business: Explores global business opportunities and relationships for members; offers the Certified International Property Specialist designation program to interested members. Education/CE Leadership Academy Advisory Group: creates, implements, and develops the Leadership Academy program. REALTOR® Institute GRI Advisory Group: administers courses for the GRI designation, recommending instructors, subjects, scheduling formats, and promotion. Governance Finance: formulates and makes recommendations about financial planning and budgeting for the Association. Real Property: advises Leadership with regard to real property owned by the Association. Legal/Arbitration Grievance: examines complaints of unethical conduct and requests for arbitration. Professional Standards: champions professionalism and develops programs on NAR’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Statewide Forms: reviews all Association statewide contracts and addenda regarding the sale of property to determine changes, additions, or deletions due to legislative action and/or industry practice. Legislative Issues Mobilization: evaluates issues funding requests presented by Maryland REALTORS® or local REALTOR® associations to determine whether they will effectively promote REALTOR® policy. Legislative: assesses the impact of bills facing the real estate industry based on the Maryland REALTORS® policy and legislative agenda and determines whether the Association will support or oppose those bills. Public Policy: develops and recommends Maryland REALTORS®’ policy on issues impacting the practice of real estate, homeownership, housing supply, and affordability, in both the legislative and regulatory arenas. AM24, Committees, Volunteer Share Comments are closed.