2022 Local Association leadership

Capital Area REALTORS® Michael D. Oldenettel - President Debra Sarsany - President-elect Dominic Campo - Treasurer Jami Winchester - Immediate Past President

Egyptian Board of REALTORS® Mark Terry - President Paul Coons - President-elect Marianne James - Treasurer Ayn Bartok - Immediate Past President

Central Illinois Board of REALTORS® Kevin Gouchenouer - President Melissa Finkbiner - President-elect Tony Piraino - Treasurer Joe Doolin - Immediate Past President

Greater Gateway Association of REALTORS® Kris Schmitt - President Jean Lewis - President-elect Rick Swain - Vice President Elaine Rhodes - Immediate Past President

Champaign County Association of REALTORS® Stefanie Pratt - President P.J. Trautman - President-elect Jim Waller - Secretary-Treasurer Liz McDonald - Immediate Past President

Heartland REALTOR® Organization Tim Sebastian - President Karen Conley - President-elect Melissa Kostelnik - Treasurer Erin Dierks - Immediate Past President

Chicago Association of REALTORS® Antje Gehrken - President Sarah Ware - President-elect Drussy Hernandez - Treasurer Nykea Pippion McGriff - Immediate Past President

HomeTown Association of REALTORS® Bonita Willis - President Hillary Joy - President-elect Aaron Schwartz - Treasurer Todd Burghardt - Immediate Past President

Illini Valley Association of REALTORS® Christine Dahm - President Brian Phillips - President-elect Janelle McCarter - Treasurer Christine Schweickert - Immediate Past President

Kankakee-Iroquois-Ford Association of REALTORS® Millie Zigtema - President Rob Warmbir - President-elect Leanne Provost - Treasurer Brit-Anne Wilkening - Secretary Chip Chappell - Immediate Past President

Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS®

John LeTourneau - President

Debbie Pawlowicz - President-elect Tim Ryan - Treasurer Linda Dressler - Immediate Past President Mid-Illinois REALTORS® Association

Jessica Devore - President

Tammy Heard - President-elect Meenu Bhaskar - Treasurer Brandon Shaffer - Immediate Past President

Mid Valley Association of REALTORS® Mary Jo Gibson - President Nancy Sutton - President-elect Debbie Wright - Treasurer

North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS®

Steve Hudson - President

Kati Spaniak - President-elect Jude Offerle - Treasurer Brad Andersen - Immediate Past President Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS®

Andy Velkme - President

Peter Cotsirilos - President-elect Shari Haefner - Treasurer Myra Nimchaiyong - Secretary Bruce Heller - Immediate Past President

Oak Park Area Association of REALTORS® Catherine Simon-Vobornik - President Elissa Palermo - President-elect Julie Downey - Treasurer Stephanie Eiger - Secretary Jonathan Zivojnovic - Immediate Past President

REALTOR® Association of the Fox Valley Miguel Ángel Fernández - President Natalee Dismuke - President-elect Patricia Romke - Treasurer Justin Letheby - Secretary Lucas Albright - Immediate Past President

Peoria Area Association of REALTORS® Ryan Cannon - President Robin Simpson - President-Elect Bill McCarthy - Secretary/Treasurer Jason Catton - Immediate Past President

REALTOR® Association of Southwestern Illinois

Karen Sheesley - President

Sam Row - President-elect Ashley Barud - Treasurer Quad City Area REALTORS®

Kendra Mulcahy - President

Dennis Bell - President-elect David Gellerman - Treasurer Katie Sommers - Immediate Past President

Rockford Area REALTORS® Brad Marinelli - President Ginger Sreenan - President-elect Natalie Mulhall - Treasurer Jerry Gibson - Immediate Past President

Quincy Association of REALTORS® Bobette Cawthon - President Carol Shaffer - Treasurer

Three Rivers Association of REALTORS® Gibby Kirby - President Beth Stopka-Rios - President-elect Jim Ludes - Secretary-Treasurer Eddie Ruettiger - Immediate Past President

Scobey retires after 32 years leading local advocacy

For the last three decades, Mike Scobey, Illinois REALTORS® Director of Local Advocacy, has helped shape and grow the association’s successful local Governmental Affairs Directors (GAD) advocacy efforts in communities across the state.

When Scobey, who retired in midJanuary, joined Illinois REALTORS® in December 1989, the association was looking to expand advocacy resources at the local government level. Over the years, the GAD program was born and expanded statewide.

The goal was to monitor and lobby at the local level so that REALTORS® would have a voice in local issues affecting real estate while they were still being considered and not after something had passed, Scobey says.

The evolution into the RVOICE program in the mid-2000s, expanded that reach, providing issue analysis, consumer downloads and election resources that grew the association’s local grassroots lobbying efforts.

As he closes out his career with Illinois REALTORS®, Scobey says the GAD program reminds local government officials that REALTORS® are collaborators and should have a seat at the table when public policy affecting real estate is discussed in their municipalities.

In October during the association’s Fall Business Meetings, outgoing President Sue Miller honored Scobey with a Presidential Medallion Award, recognizing his years of service and work on behalf of the REALTOR® organization.

Scobey talks about the Illinois REALTORS® GAD program during an Insider Summit event in 2021.

Scobey with the late Chuck Wiercinski, a commercial REALTOR® member

Scobey’s first Illinois REALTORS® staff photo from December, 1989 Receiving a Presidential Medallion in honor of his service to the association in October, 2021

(L to R) Scobey, former Illinois REALTORS® Senior Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Julie Sullivan and Kyle Anderson

Local advocacy accomplishments over 32 years

1990: Began state association’s first local lobbying efforts on municipal issues; also helped launch one of the first REALTOR® issues mobilization political action committees in the country.

1991: Developed a grassroots contact network for state legislative outreach.

1992: Organized the first “Opportunity Race” program to support REALTOR®-friendly candidates for congressional and state legislative offices.

1995: Lobbied to stop the passage of a highly restrictive “For Sale” sign ordinance in Chicago.

1996: Organized grassroots advocacy effort to help pass referendum requirement for local transfer tax enactments.

1996: Worked to block a proposed increase in Cook County’s real estate transfer tax (from 50 cents per thousand of sale price to $7.50 per thousand).

1996: Began the local Governmental Affairs Directors (GAD) program with the hiring of two staffers assigned to the Chicago area. (The program would eventually have 10 staffers.)

1998-2003: Expanded the local GAD program to implement statewide coverage. Illinois became the first REALTOR® association in the nation to develop a program statewide.

2006: Launched the RVOICE advocacy program, creating resources to enhance local and state lobbying on behalf of property owners in Illinois. Coordinated public relations efforts to help pass landmark Eminent Domain reform legislation.

2007: Ramped up association’s voter outreach efforts on local referenda (home rule and real estate transfer taxes) and candidate support efforts.

2008: Coordinated association’s first set of “independent expenditure” programs in support of state legislative candidates. The following year would see similar activity at the municipal level.

2017: Helped launch Real Property Alliance, a not-for-profit group which works to inform Illinois property owners about pending state and local issues affecting them.