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SAMCAR Welcomes 2022 Leadership, Honors Volunteers at Installation
2022 SAMCAR President Jessica Eva and the Board of Directors were officially sworn into their term by special guest Installation Officer and National Association of REALTORS® Past President, Vince Malta, at SAMCAR's 2022 Installation ceremony on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at the Grand Bay Hotel in Redwood City. Also honored were SAMCAR's Past Presidents, Outgoing Directors and Committee Chairs, and award winners for 2021 REALTOR® of the Year, Affiliate of the Year, and Community Service Awards.
View photos from the 2022 Installation on Flickr
Jessica Eva is a REALTOR® with Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty in Redwood City, and has been an Association member since 2002. As a Director representing SAMCAR on the state and national level, she has also served on numerous committees locally including Finance, Strategic Planning, and Young Professionals Network (YPN), as well as on the Board of Directors.
Jessica encouraged attendees to "find your passion and get involved" in her inaugural address, in which she shared more about her own passions that inspire her to be involved in organized real estate and leadership. In addition to urgent concern for property rights and professional standards, Jessica highlighted several causes that motivate her to take action and provided opportunities for attendees to make a difference. First, she invited special guest, Ryan Weyandt, CEO of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance to discuss the discrimination that the LGBTQ+ community faces nationwide especially with regard to housing discrimination. Ryan and Jessica announced a formal partnership between SAMCAR and the Alliance, and launched a postcard campaign to encourage Senators to pass the Equality Act, connecting this with the ethical duty of Realtors to combat willful discrimination. Second, as the REALTOR® Code of Ethics Preamble begins with "Under all is the land," Jessica urged her colleagues to protect the earth as it is the foundation of the real estate that members of this group sell. Each attendee received a packet of milkweed seeds, the threatened food source for migrating monarch butterflies, from "Save our Monarchs" for planting to support monarch butterflies and signal the importance of sustainable development more broadly.
Among special guests at the inaugural ceremony were National Association of REALTORS® Past President Vince Malta, California Association of REALTORS® Director Melanie Barker, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance CEO Ryan Weyandt, and MLSListings Chief Executive Officer Dave Wetzel, as well as elected officials from throughout San Mateo County, including: Belmont Councilmember Charles Stone; Foster City Mayor Richa Awasthi and Councilmember Patrick Sullivan; Menlo Park Councilmember Ray Mueller; Millbrae Mayor Annie Oliva and Vice Mayor Gina Papan; Pacifica Councilmember Sue Vaterlaus; Redwood City Councilmember Jeff Gee; San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina; San Carlos Councilmember John Dugan; San Mateo Councilmember Diane Papan; San Mateo County Sherriff Carlos Bolanos and Undersherriff Mark Robbins; and San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa.
View Photobooth Gallery from Denon & Doyle
Congratulations to our 2021 Annual Award Winners!
REALTOR® of the Year Award
Jesse Gutierrez, REALTOR® and Broker of Vision Real Estate in San Carlos was named 2021 REALTOR® of the Year. Jesse has been a SAMCAR member since 1995 and has served on the SAMCAR Board of Directors including as Treasurer in 2017 and 2018, President in 2019, and Region 25 Chair in 2020. He also currently serves as SAMCAR's National Association of REALTORS® Director. Presented the award by past recipient Michael G. Verdone, Jesse was acknowledged for consistently giving of his time and talent to fulfill SAMCAR's mission and better serve members. From ongoing leadership commitments to ad hoc roles, Jesse helps propel important conversations forward and into action. He is a dedicated steward of association governance and finance as well. In the same way, he is a mentor to his fellow Realtors. For demonstrating such great concern for good governance, collegiality, and preparing for the future, Jesse is abundantly deserving of this award and SAMCAR is fortunate for his continued dedication.
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Affiliate of the Year Award
Steve Cresci, independent insurance broker, was named SAMCAR's 2021 Affiliate of the Year. Steve has been an Affiliate member of SAMCAR since 1995, had previously been awarded 2014 Affiliate of the Year, and continues to be one of SAMCAR's most dedicated and involved Affiliates. For over a decade, Steve has devoted practically every single Tuesday morning as the volunteer meeting coordinator for the Marketing Meetings, and he has adapted this role to Zoom meetings with the same laudable dedication. Past award recipients Michelle Velez and Toni Burrows presented Steve the award sharing details about his background, volunteer involvement in addition to SAMCAR, and the special ways he engages his fellow members including weekly Tuesday morning trivia questions. For helping SAMCAR adapt to unprecedented circumstances, and doing so eagerly, and keeping his fellow members informed and engaged, SAMCAR was honored to present Steve this award for the second time.
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Community Service Award
Carrie Du Bois, REALTOR® with Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty was honored with SAMCAR's 2021 Community Service Award. Carrie joined the board of REALTORS® in 1994 and has demonstrated an extreme involvement in our local community with an immense focus on our kids and their education. She has held leadership roles on the Sequoia Union High School District and San Carlos School Districts Boards of Trustees, San Mateo County School Boards Association, California School Boards Association, San Carlos Educational Foundation Board of Directors, San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women, and founded an advocacy for foster youth group called the Abigail Project. Past award recipient, Kirsten Hagen, presented the award to Carrie, noting that during the pandemic, she was instrumental in connecting SAMCAR with local elected leaders as new shelter in place orders were put in place. It was through some of those connections, Kirsten shared, that Realtors were deemed essential in certain circumstances which prevented a complete standstill to the local market and Realtors' livelihood.
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Directors who had completed their term were also acknowledged at the ceremony, including Olivia Edwards, John Prouty, and Elmer Martinez. Elmer Martinez was individually recognized for his year of service in the post of C.A.R. Region 25 Chair, a state-level role responsible for coordinating SAMCAR's state association delegates at the California Association of REALTORS® three annual business meetings. Outgoing 2021 President David Zigal was also acknowledged for his year of leadership service before the ceremonial passing of the presidential gavel to 2022 SAMCAR President Jessica Eva.
The 2022 SAMCAR Board of Directors are:
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Jessica Eva, President, Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty
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Marla Perego, 2023 President-Elect, Coldwell Banker San Carlos
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David Zigal, C.A.R. Region 25 Chair, David G. Zigal, REALTOR®
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Diane Viviani, Treasurer, Berkshire Hathaway HomeService
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Linda Crose-Andersen, Coldwell Banker Half Moon Bay
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Nestor Icaza, eXp Realty of California, Inc.
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Jeff LaMont, Coldwell Banker Burlingame
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Moises Pelayo, KW Peninsula Estates
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Sue Vaterlaus, RE/MAX Star Properties
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Frank Vella, SF HomeLife, Inc.
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Michael G. Verdone, Economic Concepts
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Suzan Wallace, Coldwell Banker Fahey Properties, Inc.
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Marianne Zanone Rush, Coldwell Banker San Carlos
Meet your Board of Directors
Special thanks to Jessica's sons James and Ricci Eva for leading the Pledge of Allegiance to open the program, DJ Kevin Hartman from Denon & Doyle for entertainment during the receptions and highlighting key parts of the ceremony with music, photographer Robert Barbutti for capturing moments from the event, SAMCAR's 2022 Corporate Sponsors for making this event possible, and to our master of ceremonies Annie Oliva for expertly leading a ceremony that was reverent and sincere while also light, happy and fun.
