By Brandy Guthrie • 2017 President

This past year serving as your ABoR President has been a rewarding and eye-opening experience! I learned the importance of transparency, communication, and working as a team. With that said, I want to give a sincere thank you to the 2017 ABoR Board of Directors, the ABoR staff and volunteer committee members for their incredible hard work and community volunteerism. It takes a special type of person to serve and volunteer with an organization and it’s amazing to see how many ABoR members have done just that! From the fun happy hours, TREPAC events, and Realty Round Up, I can truly say 2017 was one for the books and I’ve had a great time!

With that said, I am confident in passing my role onto 2018 ABoR President Steve Crorey of Sierra Homes Realty. His passion for our community and its residents is incredible and I am excited to see how he impacts the Austin-area and beyond, in a remarkable way with your help!

I also want to say a special thank you to ABoR CEO, Paul Hilgers. Earlier this fall, Mr. Hilgers announced he will be leaving his position as Chief Executive Office (CEO) of ABoR, effective Dec. 31, 2017. Paul has served this Association with strong leadership for nearly five years and has implemented incredible change such as moving into our new headquarters and improving operational capacity. While working with him closely this past year, I can truly say Paul is a man of excellence and deserves praise for his resilient work ethic and love for ABoR staff and volunteers. Thank you, Paul, for all you’ve done on behalf of this Association. You will truly be missed.

As I sign-off as your President, I just want to leave you with a simple message. The holidays are right around the corner and while gift shopping, putting up décor, and travel plans are on the top of your to-do list, remember this is also the season of giving. So many families in our community need our help and I know when REALTORS join together to do good, amazing change happens! Not sure where to start? The ABoR Foundation is spreading the spirit of generosity to members of our community and you can help! Your donation to the ABoR Foundation, whether small or large, goes a lot further than you might think. $100 alone provides 20 meals and snacks to disaster relief victims. Whether you donate your time, goods, or a monetary donation, your generosity will go very far and is much appreciated! I challenge you this holiday season to grab a few colleagues, friends, and family members to spread joy and the spirit of giving within your community.

I wish you and your family a beautiful holiday!  RL