S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

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S.E.C. Observer Editor

The Society Awards & Installation Banquet was held in Houston on January 22, 2019. The 2019 Executive Committee Officers were sworn in: Lance Warner, President; Steve Fithian, 1st Vice President; Joseph Crowley, 2nd Vice President; and Bryan Neal, Secretary/Treasurer. Congratulations to the 2019 Executive Committee!

One of the highlights of the banquet is always the awards ceremony, and the Counselor of the Year Award is our highest honor. The Society named some of our annual awards that recognize transactional excellence in memory of past members.

The Counselor of the Year award recipient for 2018 was Paul M. Winger. Congratulations, Paul! The COY is elected by the majority of their peers for demonstrating our motto, Service, Experience, and Counsel, and for having a record of continued service to the Society, which definitely describes Paul. And as a side note, he follows in the footsteps of his dad, Paul F. Winger, who was the recipient in 1997.

The Yvonne Nasch Award recipient for 2018 was Ronald J. Bowden—for the fifth time! Congratulations, Ron! Yvonne Nasch, S.E.C., was one of the most treasured members of the Society of Exchange Counselors. Yvonne died on May 25, 1979, when the DC-10 bound for Los Angeles on which she was a passenger crashed in a field seconds after takeoff from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, where she had attended an S.E.C. meeting. An award was created in her honor to recognize the S.E.C. Member who completes the most transactions with other S.E.C. Members, and it is in memory of her prolific career. Yvonne had the distinct honor of being the first woman in the United States to hold the S.E.C. and CCIM designations; she also held the RECI and GRI designations. Yvonne excelled in her private practice as a developer, Exchangor, investor, and speaker.

The Weaver Award recipient for 2018 was Roy Moore—for the fourth time! Congratulations, Roy! Cliff Weaver, S.E.C., died November 15, 1975, in Moorea, Tahiti, where he had been conducting an S.E.C. meeting. Cliff often said his entire professional life changed the day he met Dick Reno. Weaver always felt that a sense of humor was essential in business and the business of living. He was quick to laugh at himself. He wrote prolifically for the Reno Real Estate News Observer, and the articles he wrote 35 years ago are just as relevant today. His creativity and problem-solving skills were admired by all. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the real estate investment and exchange profession during an all-too-short life, an Annual Memorial Award was set up for Clifford Paul Weaver. The first trophy was awarded at the April 1976 con­ference at Las Vegas.

The Jack Hunt Excellence in Education Award recipient for 2018 was Gary Vandenberg. Congratulations, Gary! The S.E.C. Education Foundation established the Jack Hunt Award in December 2002 to honor Jack for his dedication to creative real estate education. Any candidate for the EDF Jack Hunt Award should meet the following general subjective standards to be considered as a recipient of the award: The candidate has, during their career, demonstrated “Vision, Dedication, and Service” with regard to the Society’s and the S.E.C. Education Foundation’s education mission. The candidate has gone above and beyond their normal volunteer duties as a Society member and deserves special recognition for their specific contributions to S.E.C. Education. The actions of a candidate have succeeded in advancing the education mission of the Society and its Foundation.  The recipient of the award must be a member of the Society of Exchange Counselors unless determined otherwise by the EDF Board. Gary certainly meets the standards required!