Arkansas Realtors® Association Announces New President, Board, Awards

Andy Meyers is sworn in by his father and past
ARA President Larry Meyers

Andy Meyers of Meyers Realty company in Hot Springs was named President of the 7,300-member Arkansas Realtors® Association at the business meeting of its 86th Annual Convention held September 13-15, 2010 at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers, Arkansas. Ceremonies were held during the Inaugural Banquet Wednesday evening. Meyers succeeds Mike Henry of Fayetteville, who will remain on the 2011 Executive Committee as immediate past president.

The installation of Meyers as the 2011 president and his father Larry W. Meyers serving as a past-president (1981) of the association creates the only father-son association presidents in the 85 year history of the Arkansas Realtors® Association. Meyers also represents a third generation of the Meyers family firm that was founded in 1961. In addition to working with his father at Meyers Realty for the last 20 years, Meyers is joined by his wife, Cindy, and his brother Darin.

Meyers’ Realtor® service includes serving as president of the Hot Springs Board of Realtors® and on 11 committees of the Arkansas Realtors® Association. He has also chaired the Professional Standards committee, served as a Director, District Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer, and is a graduate of the first Realtor® Leadership Academy.

“I have literally grown up in the Arkansas Realtors® Association and it has been my extended professional family,” stated Meyers.

Meyers is a graduate of Lakeside High School and holds a B.S.B.A. from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He is the father of two children, Max and Sophie, and an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Hot Springs.

New ARA officers take the oath of office.

From the same elections, other members of the 2011 Executive Committee are Dana Powell, Little Rock, President-Elect; Bill Olson, Batesville, Secretary-Treasurer; Rick White, Jacksonville, District 1 Vice President; Laurie Rushing, Hot Springs, District 3 Vice President.

Elected to three-year terms on the Board as Zone Directors are Velda Lueders, Conway; Keith Montgomery, North Little Rock; Jackie Keene, Fayetteville; Deanna Dial, Rogers; Nanette Wemhaner, Van Buren; and Paulette Richie, Little Rock. Elected to two-year terms on the Board as Zone Directors are Tom Jones, Rogers; Cindy Meyers, Hot Springs; and Sandra Kelley, Paragould. Elected to a one-year term was Sherry Bottoms of Dumas.

Elected to two year terms as Directors-At-Large are Terry Stambaugh, Harrison, and Drew Crawford, North Little Rock.

Elected as a National Association of Realtors® Director from Arkansas was Debbie Rawls, Paragould. David Alphin, Fayetteville, was elected to a three-year term as Past President Director and Mike Ford of West Memphis was elected to a one-year term as a Past President Director.



Ft. Smith Realtor Glee Cosner reacts
to being name 2010 Realtor-of-the-Year

 Glee Cosner, Fort Smith, was named Arkansas 2010 Realtor®-of-the-Year. This is a peer award granted to the one Realtor® who best exemplifies the Realtor® spirit. It is based on criteria set by the National Association of Realtors® and includes business accomplishments, community service, activity in the local, state and national Realtor® organizations, and adherence to the Golden Rule in all life situations.

Current ARA President Mike Henry, Fayetteville; 2009 Realtor®-of-the-Year Laurie Rushing; and 1981 ARA President Larry Meyers were inducted into Omega Tau Rho, the national honorary fraternity for Realtors®, in recognition of outstanding service to the real estate industry.

Bill Ladd of Russellville
accepts the ARA's
Distinguished Service Award

Bill Ladd of Russellville was honored with the ARA’s Distinguished Service Award. Ladd has been a leader on his local board for more than 30 years including serving as its President.

The Association also honored Arkansas Representative Mike Patterson and Senator Jim Luker for their work in the Arkansas Legislature over the last year.

The following Realtors® were presented as 2010 graduates of the Realtor® Leadership Academy: Jason Canaday, Harrison; Charlie Davis, Fayetteville; Charles Edwards, Rogers; Edward Loveless, Little Rock; Velda Lueders, Conway; Julia Matthews, Hot Springs; Holli Mayer, Rogers; Sarah Rector, Bryant; Kelli Small, Conway; Ron Stinchcomb, Prairie Grove; Judy Southard, Russellville.

First-place awards for Realtors® outstanding fundraising for Special Olympics Arkansas went to the Texarkana Board of Realtors® in the Small Board category; to the Fort Smith Board of Realtors® Association in the Medium Board category; and to the Metro Area Board of Realtors® in the Large Board category. The Texarkana Board of Realtors® received the award for highest increase in fundraising. The Johnson County Board of Realtors® received the award for raising the most funds per member.

The Special Olympics High Honor Award was given to the Fort Smith Board of Realtors® for overall involvement in Special Olympics Arkansas. The award is based on the volunteer involvement by the board members in Special Olympics overall, not solely on fundraising.

Volunteerism and fundraising for Special Olympics Arkansas has been the community outreach project of the Arkansas Realtors® Association every year since 1986 when it was implemented by then-President L. Wayne Camp of Mountain Home. Seven years ago an annual award was named in his honor that goes to the one person who has given significant, consistent service to Special Olympics Arkansas. The 2010 L. Wayne Camp award went to Penne McKinnie of North Little Rock.

The Arkansas Realtors® Association, with thirty-seven local Realtor® Boards and Associations statewide, is the State arm of the Chicago- and Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Realtors®. Members of the National Association, the State Associations and the local Boards and Associations are identified by the registered membership term, “Realtor®” and pledge adherence to the Realtors® Code of Ethics.