ShareORLANDO (November 13, 2022) – Chris McElroy, a Realtor® from Fort Collins, Colorado, received the National Association of Realtors®' 2022 Distinguished Service Award. NAR presents this honor annually to a maximum of two of its more than 1.5 million members. This year, two winners were honored and recognized during the 2022 NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience in Orlando, Florida.
NAR established the DSA award in 1979 to honor Realtors® who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and serve as leaders in their local communities. The award is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive from the organization. Recipients must be active at the local, state and national association levels but may not have served as NAR president.
"I'm privileged to recognize Chris McElroy for his tremendous efforts, community service and lasting impact," said NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith, a Realtor® from Plano, Texas, and a broker associate at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate in Dallas. "Chris embodies the Distinguished Service Award with his remarkable dedication to the real estate industry, NAR and the community at large."
Chris McElroy is a broker associate and partner with The Group Inc. Harmony office in Fort Collins, Colorado. He has been a member of NAR since 1976.
"I'm honored to receive one of this year's Distinguished Service Awards and be a part of this amazing group," said McElroy. "The essence of this award is service, and I'm passionate about making a difference in my community for each and every client I have worked with for more than 45 years in the real estate industry. I look forward to continued leadership through service."
McElroy's involvement with NAR goes back more than 40 years and includes chairmanship of the Federal Taxation Committee, Housing Opportunity Advisory Board, Research Committee, State and Local Issues Policy Committee, and the Public Policy Coordinating Committee. He currently serves on the Legal Action Committee. McElroy has twice been inducted into the Realtors® Political Action Committee Hall of Fame.
In 2007, McElroy was regional vice president for NAR Region 11 (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming). McElroy was named a "Hometown Hero" by 2003 NAR President Cathy Whatley for his work promoting the need for affordable housing. He also influenced the creation of NAR's popular "Little Book Series," starting with "The Little Blue Book: Rules to Live by for REALTORS®."
McElroy served as president of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® in 1994 and was named Colorado Realtor® of the Year in 2000. He served as a Colorado Real Estate Commissioner from 2011-2017. The Fort Collins Board of Realtors® gave him a Career Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the industry in 2018.
McElroy credits relationships – family, friends, clients and strangers – with shaping his outlook and creating the story of his life. For McElroy, it is important to give back to individuals, the community, and the real estate profession. He and his wife Teresa have three daughters – Megan, Kelley, and Katherine – and the family is deeply involved in the community, supporting the United Way, the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, Respite Care, the Food Bank, the Alzheimer's Association, RamStrength, Meals on Wheels, MADD, MS150 and more.
The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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