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May 6 , 2008 |
| 2008 State House Candidate Interviews There is still time to plan candidate interviews for this year’s State House races. The filing deadline for all candidates is Tuesday, May 13th. Candidates then have three days to decide if they would like to withdraw their name. Often times this happens when people file and then realize that their chances of winning are quite slim based on who the other candidates are or after spending several months trying, unsuccessfully, to raise money. Shortly after these deadlines have passed, MAR field staff will work with each local and their designated selection committee to mail each of the candidates a letter inviting them to an interview with the committee, which is established based on the prerogatives of each local association. Several factors are then weighed, including their voting record (if they are an incumbent seeking re-election), their overall philosophy on the role of government in real estate related matters, willingness to work with our industry on important policy issues, and the general likelihood of them being elected in November. The candidate interview manual has a wealth of information in order for the local association interview process to run smoothly. The designated local selection committees then make their recommendations of who to support and how much RPAC money to contribute to their campaigns. These recommendations are forwarded to the local board of directors, who, after approving or rejecting the committees’ choices, send them off to the state RPAC Trustees for consideration and disbursement of funds. Most of the time, the endorsements carry through to the general election and a second interview is not needed. However, on the somewhat rare occasions when a local association picks a candidate who loses in the primary, they are encouraged to meet with the winner and find common ground for support in the general election. The Michigan Association of REALTORS® is readily availably to aid in ensuring a smooth and painless election endorsement season. Please contact us at 1.800.454.7842 for any assistance. Online Registration Now Open for MAR's 2008 Convention & Expo Mark your calendar early, and register now for the MAR 2008 Convention & Expo. Online registration is now open for the Convention & Expo which is being held September 17-19 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. With exciting education opportunities, and a variety of fun networking opportunities, the Convention will “Tame the Change” and wow attendees for another year. Be sure to check out the newly launched 2008 Convention Web site, and spread the word to members. The site is packed with all you need to know about Convention including Program Schedule, Fees, Sponsor & Exhibitor information as well as Hotel Accommodations and Area Information. Early bird registration pricing ends September 5, 2008, so visit the Web site today, register online, and get ready to “Tame the Change” Fair Housing Events a Success, MAR Receives Award
In Grand Rapids on April 30, the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan hosted a workshop and luncheon with speakers Cat Cloud and Shanna Smith of the National Fair Housing Alliance. MAR was awarded the Fair Housing Award for Outstanding Effort by an Organization that has Furthered Fair Housing, for their collaborations with Michigan Fair Housing Centers as well as the National Fair Housing Alliance. MAR President Jeff Young accepted the award. Attendees at the luncheon heard topics ranging from the high cost of housing discrimination, to current fair housing cases, as well as how discrimination limits options for senior citizens, and key features to fair housing law. The Annual Fair Housing Symposium, presented by the Southeastern Michigan Coalition for Fair Housing in recognition of Fair Housing Month was was held at Shriners Auditorium in Southfield on April 25. The event was presided over by the coalitions president, Furhad Waquad. REALTOR® members were treated to a luncheon and speaker lineup featuring Fred Underwood - Director of Diversity & Community Outreach for NAR, Cathy Cloud - Senior Vice President of the National Fair Housing Alliance, and Nancy Haynes - Director of the Fair Housing Center of Grand Rapids. Click here for photos and full story. MAR is excited to now be accepting this year’s REALTOR® of the Year Award nominations. REALTOR® of the Year is the highest honor bestowed upon a Michigan REALTOR®. It stands for integrity, individual achievement and perhaps the greatest compliment: recognition from peers in the real estate industry. Each nominee should embody the following qualities:
To start the nomination process for your association, you can find the necessary form on the MAR Web site. All entries are to be sent directly to jrowell@mirealtors.com, with “ROTY Nomination” in the subject line. Please include a high quality photo with your nomination form. The deadline for submission is August 1, 2008. Also remember to submit your REALTOR® Active in Politics nomination. This award recognizes a member that has gone above and beyond the norm in serving the REALTOR® profession in the political arena. Each local should download and submit a nomination form,at the Convention Web site, and submit to stravis@mirealtors.com. All nominees will be honored at MAR’s 2008 Convention & Expo, held Sept. 17-19, at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. For more information visit the MAR Web site. Lindenau Receives President's Volunteer Service Award MAR would like to congratulate Judith Lindenau of the Traverse Area Association of REALTORS®, on receiving the President’s Volunteer Service award from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. In 2003, President Bush created the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, to find ways to recognized valuable volunteer contributions. The President’s Volunteer Service Award program was created as a way to thank and honor Americans’s who inspired others to engage in volunteer service. Judith has earned this award through her demonstrated commitment to helping form the Professional Association Management Companies in Georgia and Bosnia created in order to develop the network of real estate association partners with the capacity to provide continuing professional development assistance to their members. Her work has resulted in approximately 150 hours of volunteer service since the program's initiation in July 2007. On top of her many volunteer endeavors, Judith has been the Executive Vice President at the Traverse Area Association of REALTORS since 1978. She is the president of JWL Management Consulting, which specializes in association management consulting as well as Personal Coaching. She most recently developed a statewide MLS property database, the Michigan Property Data Query for REALTORS, which was released in 2007. Please join us in congratulating Judith in all of her community commitments, and her philanthropy.
MAR Calendar of Events
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The month of April came to an end, and once again Fair Housing events were a success in Michigan. Many events were held across the state, educating REALTORS® on the importance of fair housing in the industry today. 
720 North Washington Avenue • P.O. Box 40725 • Lansing,
Michigan 48901-7925 Copyright © 2005 Michigan Association of REALTORS® |
