Speaking Notes Four minutes - for president-elect Chris Pennycook
CMHC / MREA Distinguished REALTOR® Award
Thank you, (insert name)
As your president-elect, I’m very pleased to make a special presentation today.
The MREA Distinguished REALTOR® Award recognizes an active member who demonstrates outstanding leadership and dedication to the real estate profession through board and association involvement and community service.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation sponsors this award. They are holding national meetings this week and are unable to attend our AGM. The nomination papers for this year’s winner came along with testimonials that articulate our winner’s outstanding character, competence and commitment to the REALTOR® community and well beyond.
The winner of the 2016 MREA Distinguished REALTOR Award, sponsored by CMHC, is Ray Brownlee, managing broker of Century 21 Westman dot com in Brandon.
Before Ray comes up to receive the honour, I’d like to tell you a few things about him.
Ray Brownlee is a household name to many in the Wheat City.
He’s been in the business since the 70s and is a good friend of our association, and one who first became involved in volunteer leadership in the mid-90s.
Over the years Ray has served in various capacities on the Brandon Real Estate Board and is a past president of the board.
Ray served as a MREA director in 1994.
From 2002-2004, he was on the Membership Category task force. In 2002, Ray gave his time as a volunteer on the Rural MLS® task force. As a committee member, and later the chair of the Real Estate Advisory Committee, Ray demonstrated expertise and support for the profession in many ways.
He started working with the Real Estate Advisory Committee in 2006, has served continuously since then, and is our 2016 chair. Concurrently, Ray volunteered on the MREA Education Committee, from 2008-2009.
All of these efforts to support your association add up to countless hours of Ray’s personal time and energy. He gives of himself in so many ways.
In addition to his commitment to the real estate community, Ray supports Easter Seals, Special Olympics, The Society for Manitobans with Disabilities and the Canadian Diabetes Association.
He is a stalwart encourager, helping others to get involved and support Brandon Area REALTORS® and MREA fundraising efforts.
All of the testimonials we received about Ray spoke about a humble man who demonstrates constancy and selflessness in helping others.
Martie Kruger arrived in Brandon in 2009 without a job and without a safety net. She needed a guiding light to show her the way into real estate and she found that light in Ray.
Martie says, “Ray guided, trained and supported me, with lots of patience, through this very difficult career and life change, as a new immigrant. He was always, and is still always, available as a mentor and a friend, as a highly accomplished REALTOR® and broker. How lucky can one be? To have that in a manager. I don't think Ray is aware of how big a role he played in my life. Unwittingly, he taught me how to adapt to a new culture, and to life in Canada.”
Longtime Brandon REALTOR® Marg Trollope says Ray is always ready to listen and offer quiet insights.
“Ray has always looked for the best in others and always gives his best! He keeps well abreast of local and national activity in real estate markets and he's up-to-date on laws and rulings. He is well-educated and has always encouraged his agents to be well educated, doing whatever he can to make education available to them,” says Marg.
Don Hawking, past MREA president, and a former long-time partner of Ray’s had this to say:
“Ray has a high standard of doing things right and is the most trustworthy, honest partner I have ever had in business. His passion is to see agents succeed in the profession and will do what it takes to help make that happen. He has said that he gets a “rush” from seeing people excited about the business and doing well in it. Continually educating both his agents and himself on real estate issues and changes.”
As a loyal REALTOR® who loves his family and his community, and consistently makes himself available - day or night - for anyone who needs a hand, we should all be thankful to have a friend like Ray in our REALTOR® community.
I would now like to ask Ray Brownlee to please come forward and accept this well-deserved award.
On behalf of all the members of the Manitoba Real Estate Association, thank you, Ray, for setting an excellent example of what it means to be a distinguished REALTOR®. Please accept this award with our great respect, admiration and thanks.
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