Broker's Edge: Speakers

February 22, 2024

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Meet the speakers for the 2024 Broker's Edge event in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Keynote Speaker:

Joe Rand

Chief Creative Officer, Howard Hanna | Rand Realty

Joe's Bio

Joe Rand has an extensive background as a business professional, public official, and community leader.

As a business professional, Joe is currently the Chief Creative Officer for Howard Hanna | Rand Realty, one of the largest companies in the New York tristate region with over 25 offices and 1,200 agents, closing over 6,000 transactions worth over $3 billion in volume in 2022. An industry thought leader, he has written two leading industry books – Disruptors, Discounters, and Doubters and How to be a Great Real Estate Agent – both of which were named by Inman Media as the most significant real estate books of their publication year. He has spoken at numerous industry conferences, including Real Estate Connect, the RIS Media CEO Summit, REALTOR® Triple Play, and the Women’s Council of REALTORS® national meetings. In his career, Rand has been honored by RIS Media with one of the inaugural industry Newsmaker Awards, recognized by Inman News as one of the Top 100 Real Estate Influencers, and recognized in the Real Estate Almanac from T360 Advisors in the Swanepoel Power 200 as one of the most influential people in real estate. Closer to home, he is also the 2020 recipient of the "REALTOR of the Year" award from the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® in New York.

As a public official, Joe was first appointed to a partial term on the Village of Nyack Board in 2021, at the height of the COVID pandemic. He was then elected to a full term in November 2021, and then appointed as Deputy Mayor in January 2023. As a member of the Board, Joe was the first chair of the Nyack Business Council, and raised over $40,000 from private funds to provide COVID-compliant event programming throughout 2021, including the first "Pride Promenade" to celebrate the community’s LGBTQ+ community. He was also part of major public policy initiatives to reinforce the Village infrastructure, enhance energy-efficiency, and raise new sources of non-property-tax revenues. He is currently running unopposed for Mayor of the Village, and will take office in January 2024.

Finally, as a community leader, Joe has been both a leading philanthropist in Rockland County and a major contributor to local nonprofit organizations. His non-profit service includes 10 years on the Board of SUNY Rockland, where he is currently Vice-Chair, and nine years on the Board of United Hospice, which he finished as Vice-Chair. He has also advised or been involved in committee work for Venture Together, the Edward Hopper Museum and Study Center, the Center for Safety and Change, Rockland Pride, and the Rockland Community Foundation. For his contributions to the community, he has been honored either personally or as a leader of his company by the following organizations: Habitat for Humanity (2023), United Hospice (Community Leadership Award) (2018), Rockland Pride Center (Inaugural LGBTQ Business Champion Award) (2017), Westchester Business Council (Hall of Fame Induction) (2017), Nyack YMCA (Community Service Award) (2017), Rockland Salvation Army ("Doing the Most Good" Award) (2014), Rockland Meals on Wheels (Community Outreach Award) (2014), Rockland Development Council (Corporate Leadership Award) (2013), and the Rockland Economic Development Corporation (Award of Distinction) (2011).

Joe is married to Linie Chang Rand, who is the Chair of the Center for Safety and Change, the leading service provider to survivors of gender-based and domestic violence. Together, they live with two children and three dogs in Nyack.

Additional Speakers:

Kim Allard

Broker/Owner, Century 21 Professionals

Kim's Bio

Kimberly Allard is the Broker/Owner of Century 21 Professionals in Braintree, Mass. and a faculty member at Dynamic Directions with Adorna Carroll. She has been licensed in the Commonwealth since 1998.

Most recently she served as one of 13 Regional Vice Presidents for the National Association of REALTORS® representing Region 1 which is VT, NH, ME, MA, RI, and CT in 2022.

She was awarded the Milton H. Shaw, Distinguished Service Award from MAR in 2022 She was the 2017 recipient of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) Real Estate Educator of the Year.

In 2017 She was inducted into the REALTOR® Political Action Hall of Fame, which at the time had been achieved by less than 750 of over 1.2 million members. She was awarded the 2016 Public Policy and Advocacy award from the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® In 2013, she was elected President of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® and still lends her time and talents to chair and serve on numerous NAR committees as well as serving on the National Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors since 2010.

In 2010 she was not only the REALTOR® of the Year for the South Shore REALTORS®, but was selected as the State REALTOR® of the Year for Massachusetts.

Since 2013, she has served as the Federal Political Coordinator for Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA).

She was elected as 2006 President of the South Shore Association of REALTORS® and received the Association’s Outstanding Service award in 2007. Kimberly is approved to teach real estate continuing education in Mass. and was appointed in 2016 by the Governor to serve as a commissioner for the Board of Real Estate Brokers and Salesperson for the Division of Occupational Licensure for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through 2022.

Craig Foley

Chief Sustainability Officer, LAER Realty Partners

Craig's bio

Craig Foley is a leading national voice on sustainability in the real estate industry. Craig’s combination of real estate and energy management skills give him a unique perspective about sustainable energy solutions and subject matter expertise on greening the MLS, high-performance home valuation and marketing, and the impact of climate change on the real estate industry. He is a LEED Green Associate and the chief sustainability officer for LAER Realty Partners. As a real estate broker, he has sold several high-performance projects in and around Greater Boston. He is also the team co-founder of REthink39 Group. REthink39 is devoted to lowering the 39% of U.S. energy consumption attributed to the built environment and believes they can be part of a solution with every transaction closed.

As a real estate consultant, he has partnered with a broad range of companies including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, Honeywell, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Elevate Energy, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Craig was one of five people in the U.S. to receive the EverGreen Award by the National Association of REALTORS® in 2013. His committee work at NAR includes chairing the Sustainability Advisory Group in 2019 and will be the 2022 chair of the Land Use, property Rights and Environment Committee. In 2020 Craig was honored to be asked to chair NAR President Vince Malta’s Advisory Group on Sustainability. He also has served on Fannie Mae’s Energy Advisory Council and the Energy Efficiency Task Force for Freddie Mac. Craig was also named a 2023 Newsmaker by RISMedia.

Burton Kelso

Chief Tech Expert at Integral

Burton's bio

Burton Kelso is the Chief Tech Expert at Integral, an IT Support and computer services company, TEDx, and national Keynote speaker, as well as a media tech expert who regularly appears on national and international TV and radio shows offering viewers easy tips on computers, technology, Internet lifestyle, and gadgets. As computers and their related gadgets become more and more part of our everyday lives, he’s here to help you get the most out of your devices. His vision is to remove the frustrations and complexity of computers and technology and open people up to a world of new ideas, experiences, and opportunities. He loves technology, he’s read all of the manuals, and he’s serious about making technology fun. safe, and easy to use for everyone!

Alex Lange

Vice President of Innovation and Strategy, National Association of REALTORS®

Alex's bio

Alex is Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at NAR. His team is charged with researching trends and emerging technologies that impact homeownership and expose leaders to an action-based approach to manage, harness, and leverage the constant change around them. Before NAR, Alex was the former CEO of Forbes Global Properties, CEO of UpstreamRE and President of Home Captain. A Certified Foresight Practitioner ("Futurist") and graduate of Harvard's General Management Program, Alex got his start in technology as a U.S. Army paratrooper before entering the private sector and later being included in the Global Top 1,000 Chief Technology Officers (Bloomberg, S&P, The Global Leaders).

Christina Pappas

President, The Keyes Company

Christina's bio

Christina Pappas is President of The Keyes Company in South Florida. She is a third-generation real estate broker and a Miami native. Christina started as a REALTOR® with her family’s company, earning Rookie of the Year in 2011. She quickly worked her way to District Sales Manager and in 2020 was promoted to Vice President, working alongside her father, Keyes CEO Mike Pappas, in carrying out the company’s strategic vision and overseeing its 50-plus offices and 3,500-plus Associates. She works closely in guiding the development, growth and capture rate of the firm’s family of services – mortgage, title, insurance, and property management. Additionally, Christina believes in giving back to her community and industry by serving as the co-chair of the executive board of the Young Leaders for United Way Miami-Dade, participating in the Dolphins Challenge Cancer event for over six years, serving on the National Association of REALTORS® Property Resource Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for the Broker Public Portal.

Christina has been honored local and nationally – named as an Influential Business Woman by South Florida Business Journal in 2022 and 40 under 40 award winner in 2021, an RISMedia Newsmaker 2018, 2021, and 2023, Up and Comer, and by RealTrends as an Emerging Leader in 2022. Christina just finished her term as the 2022 Florida REALTORS® President, the youngest elected president in the organization’s history.

Peter Ruffini

Broker/Owner, RE/MAX Connections

Peter's bio

Peter is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Connections, with three offices serving Massachusetts and Connecticut. He has been licensed, and a REALTOR®, since 1996.

Peter served as President of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® in 2014. He received the MAR Private Property Rights Award in 2019 and the MAR Milton H. Shaw Distinguished Service Award in 2020. He served as a Director for the National Association of REALTORS® for 11 years, was Chair of the NAR REALTOR® Party Member Involvement Committee in 2017, and is the incoming Vice Chair for the NAR State & Local Issues Mobilization Support Committee.

Peter has been a member of the Massachusetts Board of Registration for Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons for eight years and has served as Chair since 2022. Peter holds the following designations/certifications: CRB, GRI, CBR, CNE, ePRO®, BPOR, SFR®, PSA, SRS, RENE, AHWD, C2EX, and has completed NAR’s Fairhaven program.

Deanne M. Rymarowicz

Associate Counsel, National Association of REALTORS®

Deanne's bio

Deanne M. Rymarowicz joined NAR as Associate Counsel in July 2019. She focuses on NAR's Insurance Program, developing risk management resources, and general corporate law. Prior to joining NAR, Deanne served as General Counsel for the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® from 2005 to 2013. While there, she acted as panel counsel in more than 400 Professional Standards hearings and created risk management courses and tools to help guide the association’s members through the mortgage crisis, foreclosures and short sales. Deanne also previously served as counsel to the Nevada Real Estate Division as a Deputy Attorney General.

She has an extensive background in transactional and administrative law, focusing on corporate, insurance and mining tax law, as well as marketing and publishing. She received her law degree from Drake Law School, and graduated summa cum laude from Drake University with a B.A. in Broadcast News and International Relations. Deanne is a member of the State Bar of Nevada and is admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a Certified Toastmaster and a member of the Semester at Sea Alumni Association.

Jonathan Schreiber

Legislative and Regulatory Counsel, Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®

Jonathan's bio

Jonathan Schreiber is Legislative and Regulatory Counsel for the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. He focuses on legislative and regulatory advocacy for the Association and works on legal matters. Prior to joining MAR, Jonathan was a Senior Policy Analyst at Iron Mountain and a Legislative and Public Policy Manager for the Boston Bar Association. He is a graduate of the Boston University School of Law and the University of Connecticut.

Kevin Sears

2024 President-elect, National Association of REALTORS®

Kevin's bio

Kevin Sears (AHWD, C2EX), a REALTOR® from Springfield, Mass., is 2023 first vice president of the National Association of REALTORS®. He is Broker/Partner of Sears Real Estate, specializing in single-family brokerage and property management. He has served NAR in numerous capacities, including as a President’s Liaison in 2019 and as NAR Vice President of Government Affairs in 2017.

Kevin has been recognized as an RPAC Major Investor since 2004 and has been a “Golden R” investor and member of the President’s Circle since 2007. He has twice been inducted into NAR’s RPAC Hall of Fame. He also served as the long-time Federal Political Coordinator to Bay State Congressman Richard Neal (D-Springfield).

Kevin chaired an RPAC Disbursements Presidential Advisory Group in 2021. In addition, he served as Chair of the NAR RPAC Trustees in 2011 and 2015 and Chair of the REALTOR® Party Trustees for State and Local Campaign Services Committee in 2013. In 2016, he chaired the REALTOR® Party of the Future Strategic Planning Work Group. Also in 2016, he was NAR’s Vice President for Region 1, comprised of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® elected Kevin President in 2010. In addition to serving in leadership, Kevin has been a member of the MAR Board of Directors since 2000. In 2006, MAR named him REALTOR® of the Year and in 2015 he received the Milton H. Shaw Distinguished Service Award.

The REALTOR® Association of Pioneer Valley (Mass.) elected Kevin their president in 2005. He has chaired a number of the association’s committees and in 2006, the association named him their REALTOR® of the Year.

Kevin is also a champion for his community. In 2011, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick appointed him as Chairman of the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (the state’s real estate commission), a position he was reappointed to in 2016 by Gov. Charlie Baker.

In his hometown of Springfield, Kevin has been involved with the Rental Housing Association of Greater Springfield, the Forest Park Civic Association, the Springfield Rotary Club, the Cathedral High School Board of Trustees, the Chamber of Commerce, and is a Trustee of the Mason Wright Retirement Community.

Kevin received a B.A. in History from Providence College and earned his MBA from Western New England University.

Jennifer Wauhob

Team Leader, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene

Jennifer's bio

Jennifer Wauhob served as Vice President of Association Affairs, National Association of REALTORS® in 2023.

Wauhob has worked in the real estate markets of West Houston and Katy, Texas, for more than a decade and today leads a team of seven agents for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene in Houston. Wauhob was last year’s Chairman of the Houston Association of REALTORS®, representing over 50,000 NAR members at the local level.

Wauhob has been recognized as a "5-Star REALTOR®" by Texas Magazine for five consecutive years. A graduate of Texas Tech University, Wauhob is also an "Emerald Elite Award" recipient for Better Homes and Gardens, ranking her in the top 2% of agents in the national brand.

In 2014, the Houston Association of REALTORS® named Wauhob one of its "Top 20 Under 40 Rising Stars in Real Estate," and she was soon after listed as one of "11 REALTORS® to Watch" by the Texas Association of REALTORS®.

Lawrence Yun

Chief Economist, National Association of REALTORS®

Lawrence's bio

Lawrence Yun is Chief Economist and oversees the Research group at the National Association of REALTORS®. He supervises and is responsible for a wide range of research activity for the association including NAR's Existing Home Sales statistics, Affordability Index, and Home Buyers and Sellers Profile Report. He regularly provides commentary on real estate market trends for its 1.4 million REALTORS®.

Dr. Yun creates NAR's forecasts and participates in many economic forecasting panels, among them the Blue Chip Council and the Wall Street Journal Forecasting Survey. He also participates in the Industrial Economists Discussion Group at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. He appears regularly on financial news outlets, is a frequent speaker at real estate conferences throughout the United States, and has testified before Congress. Dr. Yun has also appeared as a guest on CSPAN's Washington Journal.

Dr. Yun received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park.