February 26, 2009 Issue
Emily Bish named REALTOR of the Year
Pictured from left to right, Avery-Watauga Association of REALTORS Hope Harvey, Tim Holland, Emily Bish, Laurie Phillips and Carole Cox celebrate Bish’s recognition as 2009 REALTOR of the Year. The announcement came at the February 24 meeting of the association.
Emily Bish was recognized as REALTOR of the Year when real estate professionals gathered at the Broyhill Inn in Boone on Tuesday, February 24, for a general membership meeting of the Avery-Watauga Association of REALTORS. The announcement came from last year’s recipient, Tim Holland.
According to Holland, Bish has been in the association since the mid-1990s. She began as an office manager and later became broker-in-charge and an owner/partner of The Sterling Company in Banner Elk. Bish has been active with the association’s Community Action Committee, working with the annual Easter basket and Christmas giveaways. She has also been active with the association’s high school scholarship program in Avery and Watauga counties.
Bish is a graduate of ASU with a degree in community and regional planning. She has been very involved as a fundraiser in the political arena, works with and supports the Hunger Coalition, Crossnore School, Grandfather Home for Children and the local animal shelters. Holland said in doing his research, he discovered Bish quietly adopted a local family about 10 years ago, providing for the holidays and helping with food and clothing.
Bish has been heavily involved in the association working with zoning issues, the recent defeat of the transfer tax in Avery County, the Multiple Listing Service committee, a bylaws rewrite, the Professional Standards Committee and as current chairperson of the REALTORS Political Action Committee.
She also served as the local association’s president in 2007. Her goal was to improve communication between the board and the membership. She developed the Town Hall and Broker-In-Charge meetings to bring information to the membership in a smaller setting in each geographic area, pushed for participation in the Hot Topics classes and sent out numerous updates in an effort to keep members informed.
Nominations for the Realtor of the Year come from members of the association. The award goes to a member who has demonstrated multiple years of activity with the local association, the state association and in the community.
The local organization of Avery-Watauga Association of REALTORS is composed of more than 650 members in Watauga and Avery counties and the surrounding area who maintain a marketplace where buyers and sellers can safely transfer property under the guidance of a professional held to standards of excellence. For more information, click to www.awaronline.org.
Officers of the group include Carole Cox, president; Hope Harvey, president-elect; Cheryl Fox, treasurer; Dara Barnes, secretary; Marc White, MLS chairperson; and Chris Coley, past president. Local directors include Fred Blair, Jason Eldreth, Jesse Hicks, Jamey Hodges, Janeene Ross and Jerry Starnes. State directors include Patrick Morgan and John Volpe. Laurie A. Phillips serves as executive officer.
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