CONTENT

Table of ConTenTs

Welcome!

Letter from the President

CRS REALTOR® of the Year

Council News

REALTORS® Conference & Expo Annual CRS Conferences

Why Join CRS

CRS is Involved!

2011 Fashion Show Photos

2012 Calendar of Events

2012 List of Officers

Suggestions, ideas, letters and columns are wel-come, however, we cannot be held responsible for unsolicitied contributions. All rights reserved.For more information, Contact Sierra NV CRS.

Welcome!The Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter Newsletter is available four times a year.

Mission statementThrough education and networking, the Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter strives to attract and to retain members and maximize professional performance to serve our clients with excellence.Our objective is to create strategies and actions that point toward our mission statement.

Vision statementWhere do we want to go?Create a desire for agents to earn their designation and be a part of our Chapter that provides superior net-working and educational opportunities.

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an Incredible Year - an Incredible Journey!

It was quite an honor accepting the CRS Chapter of the Year Award at the National Association CRS Convention in Anaheim. I was surrounded by my CRS friends from around the nation – I felt like a princess at the ball. As I reflect back on the year, it has been a whirlwind! I’ve realized this year that I have a true passion for our CRS Chapter. I was asked if I was going to step down as President after my cancer diagnosis on December 23rd, my

response was “can I at least have a chance to see if I can do it”. My goal had been to lead our Chapter to excellence and just because we have always done it that way only makes me want to look beyond. Leading the Chapter helped me focus on moving forward, not wallowing in the fact that I had the big dreaded “C”. I wanted to make sure we had excellent events that would excite our members and expose other REALTORS® to why they should strive to become one of the best in the industry – a CRS agent. Just last night, an agent told me to tell her if we were bringing in another great CRS speaker because she loved the Chris Bird class on Wealth Building. We are planning at least two more CRS classes this next year with big discounts to our Chapter designees – we want to bring you great member benefits. We have some terrific ideas for our luncheons that will be on the Thursday’s on the even months so mark your calen-dars. We are always looking for your input on what topics our members want – our vision is to create a desire for agents to earn their designation and be a part of our Chapter that provides superior networking and educational opportunities. Thank you to each one of you who took time out of your day to attend an event this past year and especially for your support as presi-dent and through my cancer journey. I hope to see you at every event in 2012 as I lead you in one more year as your President. Live life to the fullest and wishing you a healthy new year! God Bless

Donna Clark, CRSSierra Nevada CRS President, 2011/2012

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTw

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CRs of the Year avis Cherry, CRs

LOCAL REALTOR®, AVIS CHERRY, RECEIVES TOP HONOR FROM COUNCIL OF RESIDENTIAL SPECIALISTS

The Council of Residential Spe-cialists Sierra Nevada CRS Chap-ter, recently named REALTOR® Avis Cherry as CRS of the Year. Avis has been a REALTOR® for over 12 years and is currently with Coldwell Banker Best Sell-ers in Carson City. Avis brings a wealth of experience to her pro-fession, and is a devoted and ac-tive member of the community. In addition to being a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and a two-time president of the Sierra Nevada Chapter of CRS, she also is a graduate of the prestigious Nevada Association of REAL-TORS® Leadership Program. Her dedication to her clients and the community, as well as her high level of professionalism make her an ideal candidate for this prestigious award.

Avis Cherry, 2011 CRS REALTOR® of the Year

CRS President 2009-2010

Congratulations to Donna Clark and the Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter! What a great honor and an exciting time for you!!

As your RVP (and former recipient of this award in 2009), I know what it takes to achieve this level of success. Donna is your President and leader and much of the credit goes to her and all her efforts on behalf of the Chapter, but it takes a team to make it all work! Congratulations to all the Sierra Nevada officers, committee chairs, members, and sponsors, and supporters!! Your efforts have been spectacular and you all deserve the honor for what your Chapter has earned!!I’m proud of all of you, proud to be your RVP, and looking forward to another successful year for Sierra Nevada in 2012!! Best wishes to you all and thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do for Sierra Nevada Chapter and for CRS! You rock!!

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Sue Trautner, CRSRegion 11 RVP

Sell-a-bration will deliver an exciting mix of interactive education, networking and social opportunities that fo-cus on what matters most: your bottom line. Learn fresh ideas, systems and strategies that will have an immedi-ate impact on your business. And if you are working toward your CRS Designation, you will earn 16 credits* by attending all three days of this event.

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COUNCIL NEWSRealToRs® Conference & expo annual CRs Conferences

The 2011 National Assn of REALTORS® Annual Convention was held in Novem-ber in Anaheim, with CRS Council Meet-ings held at the same time as the Con-vention. Attending the CRS Meetings this year were 2011-2012 Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter Officers President Donna Clark, President-Elect Cyndy Brown, Secretary Christina Rice and Bonnie Dailey, CRS Regional Vice President for Region 9. Our officers had several op-portunities to meet with our Regional

Vice President, Sue Trautner from San Antonio, TX. We received a lot of good advice and ideas for improving member benefits from Sue as well as checking to make sure we are on track with our Chapter business. One of the great benefits our officers receive for their service to the Chapter is to attend the Mid-Year CRS meetings in Washington, DC, and the annual CRS/NAR Convention that is at different lo-cations around the country. Think about getting involved and meeting the best of the best agents around the country.

The networking opportunities from the top CRS Leaders throughout the country are enormous. Many referrals are passed along at these meetings because they know the attend-ees are all top CRS agents. There were a number of educational offerings as well, free to those attending the meetings. The committee meetings were filled with information and decisions made at the National level, to be brought back to the Chapters.

One of the highlights of the Conference was the installation of the Chapter Presidents, the 2012 Regional Vice Presidents, and the Council officers: 2012 Council President Mark Minchew from Austin, TX, President-Elect Mary McCall from Tampa, FL, and 1st Vice President Ron Canning from Cincinnati, OH.

Our most exciting announcement was the award of the Me-dium Chapter of the Year to our Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter. There are 3 categories given to the Chapters of the Year. Small Chapters are 20-150 members, Medium Chapters are 151-300 members, and Large Chapters are 301+. With 57 Chapters now (4 new Chapters were formed this year), to receive this award is a huge honor! We are very proud to have achieved this goal. Our Sierra Nevada Chapter was awarded Small Chapter of the Year in 2008 when Victoria Williams was President.

If you want to get in on the fun and excitement of being a Chapter Leader, contact one of our Chapter officers and we’ll tell you how you can get involved!

ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS and have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Hope you will be able to come to our first meeting in February for 2012!

Cyndy Brown

ManY THanKs To oUR fasHIon sHoW sPonsoRs!

PlaTInUM sPonsoRsPrimelending

Metlife Home loans first Centennial Title Company

GolD sPonsoRsWestern Title

Rea Inspections eagle Home Mortgage

Ticor Title of nevada,Inc Re/MaX Premier Properties

Homefolio academy Mortgage

Umpqua bank

sIlVeR sPonsoRs Reno / sparks association of RealToRs®

northern nevada Title Company Greater nevada Mortgage services

first american Title Company TeK Inspections

Mt. Rose Insurance - Mark ashworth Design lab - linda anderson

DoM PeRIGnon Dickson Realty • Re/MaX Realty affiliates

Keller Williams Group one Reno • Greenstreet RealtyIntero Real estate services • better Homes & Gardens Mason McDuffie • Keller Williams Group one sparks

Chase International

A Certified Residential Specialist is a REALTOR® whohas earned certification from the Council of Residential Specialists by completing a rigorous course of advanced training, and by meeting significant experience require-ments.

Less than 4% of all REALTORS® in the US can call them-selves Certified Residential Specialists (CRS). That’s because just one in 25 REALTORS® has the extensive experience, the unique commitment and the hours of advanced training necessary to call themselves a Certi-fied Residential Specialist.

4 Reasons to work with a CRs Designee:

1. Experience & EthicsTo earn the Certified Residential Specialist Designation every REALTOR® must have a significant mix of experi-ence and volume of real estate transactions. Every Certified Residential Specialist is required to maintain membership in the National Association of REALTORS® and to abide by its strict Code of Ethics.

2. A Focus on Home Buying and SellingTo help make your home buying and selling process more rewarding, every Certified Residential Specialist must have a proven track record in the business, as well as advanced education in related areas like finance, technology & marketing.

3. Technological ExpertiseThe training available to Certified Residential Specialists includes a strong focus on technology and its applica-tion in the real estate business.

4. An Ability to Maximize Profits and Minimize CostsEvery Certified Residential Specialist is trained to help you understand your local market, screen prospective buyers and sellers, negotiate in your best interest and, ultimately, help you enjoy a successful home purchaseor sale.

WHY JOIN CRS?w

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sIeRRa neVaDa CRs WelCoMes the new Designees for 2011.

Kurt Carlstedt, CRsChase International

Roy C. McMichael, CRsKeller Williams Group One, Inc

Kelly nichols, CRsRE/MAX Affiliates - Reno

Joan andrews, CRs Coldwell Banker Select, Sparks

Crystal barstad, CRsERA - Realty Central

Terry Christensen, CRsDickson Realty - Caughlin

sandy Davis, CRsStefani & Associates elizabeth shorrock, CRsRE/MAX Realty Affiliates

a sPeCIal CRs THanK-YoU

first Centennial Title is a Platinum Sponsor for our Chap-ter. They are also a tremendous support for the CRS Fashion Show. Not only did these women from the title company sell raffle tickets; Dana McCuan created the slide show, Margo McGee coordinated the Fashion Show Ticket Sales and Eileen Jackson, MetLife Home Loans collected the raffle prizes. Ty Kirkpatrick from TeK Inspections did a fabulous job with the music and operating the slides for the Fashion Show. When you see him, be sure to say “thank you” or call 746-4990. Homefolio, did a sensational job photographing our show, to thank them call 925-980-7381

Pictured from left to right; Jacquie Seyler, Rose Echevarria, Desiree LeBleu and Margo McGee

The Sierra Nevada Chapter of the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS) was named Chapter of the Year in the medium category on Nov 12 during the National Asso-ciation of REALTORS® Conference in Anaheim, California.

The Chapter of the Year award is given annually to CRS Chapters in three categories - small, medium and large, in recognition for their outstanding efforts to advance the Council’s mission and further the organization’s goals and objectives at the Chapter level.

Under the leadership of Chapter President, Donna Clark, CRS, the Chapter expanded its educational program-ming and increased the number of sponsorships to help defray the costs of its events. A CRS two-day class presented in March drew the Chapter’s largest atten-dance in several years. The Chapter hosted a success-ful fashion show, which raised $4,500 to benefit RAVE Family Foundation and the Salvation Army Toys for Tots drive. It’s “Choose Wisely, Choose a CRS” advertising campaign reached thousands of consumers, and the Chapter raised the profile of CRS in the community, by participating in a local breast cancer walk.

“Sierra Nevada CRS is honored to receive this award. Our Chapter has worked hard to educate REALTORS® and help our community. We are thrilled to have had such a successful fashion show to support Susan G Komen. It is especially important to me with my recent breast cancer battle, “ said Donna Clark.

The Council of Residential Specialists is a not-for-profit affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS® comprised of more than 34,000 members. It awards the CRS Designation to experienced REALTORS® who have completed advanced professional training and demonstrated outstanding professional achievement in residential real estate.

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AWARDSsIeRRa neVaDa CRs

WIns CHaPTeR of THe YeaR!

CRs 204 WealTH bUIlDInG featuring Chris bird

CRS IS INVOLVED!w

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Passionately Pink a Huge success! Sierra Nevada CRS Fashion Show “Passionately Pink” was a huge success with over 550 in attendance. Susan G Komen was chosen as the charity this year and Kathy White CRS Fashion Show Chairperson presented a check to Cindy Lain, a board member of Susan G Komen, Northern Nevada Chapter. The Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter proudly gave $6275.00 to this year’s chosen charity.

The show featured marvelous fashions and the CRS chapter and affiliate models looked stunning as Isha Casagrande, personal shopper for the Summit Mall, styled our models in fashions from the stores at the Summit Mall. Ms. Casa-grande along with our fellow REALTOR® Mark Ashworth kept our program moving and our audience entertained. We opened the fashion show with “Pinkie McNipple and the Mammogram Nags” singing a parody song about mammograms and during the program had a delightful dance number by Galena High sophomore, Kristina Ellis to the theme of Pink Panther.

Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter honored two surprised recipi-ents, Margo McGee with First Centennial Title as Affiliate of the Year and Sharon Hay Queen of Fashion Shows for her chairmanship of 4 fashion shows years 2006-2009.Our raffle prize chairman, Eileen Jackson with MetLife

Home Loans made the over 40 raffle prizes look beautiful with our main raffle prize being a pink Tibetan lamb vest donated by William Furs.

Those in attendance were able to give generously to the Toys for Tots. Marine Gunnery Sergeants, Ben Stryffeler and Chuck Evers guarded the toys around the Christmas tree and accepted monetary donations for this great organization.

Sierra Nevada CRS Chapter wants to thank our Platinum, Gold, Silver, Dom Sponsors, all those that donated raffle prizes and all the many volunteers that worked so hard on the fashion show to make this an amazing success. We ap-preciate and thank you for your gener-ous and continued support and we hope to see you again next year December 7, 2012.

Kathy White, CRSFashion Show Chairman

affiliate of the YearMargo McGee

First Centennial Title

specialaward to

sharon HaySharon Hay, CRS,

Dickson Realty received the

“Queen of Fashion Shows”

Award for chairing the

Fashion Shows 2006-2009.

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2011 FASHION SHOW

2011 FASHION SHOWw

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2012 sIeRRa neVaDa CRs CalenDaR

luncheons (First THURSDAY of the even Months)

atlantis Hotel Casino11:30 – 1:30 Lunch will be served at 11:45 am

feb 2 april 5

June 7

aug 2

oct 4

Dec 7

We will be announcing our upcoming luncheon speakers on www.SierraNevadaCRS.com

folloW Us

www.Facebook.com/SierraNevadaCRS

Would you like to go to CRs sell-a-bration January 19th and 21st. We are giving away a free registration! What a great way to kick off the new Year! This year’s event is in arizona – go to http://www.sellabration.com for all the details. This offer is for sierra nevada CRs Chapter members only! To enter our drawing go to our facebook – sierra nevada CRs Chap-ter and just write why you want to go. Hurry – we need to do the drawing next Monday so you have time to book your flight.

January 19-21, 2012

Arizona Grand Resort, Phoenix, AZ

2011 CRS Chapter Officers

aVIs CHeRRY, CRsPast President Coldwell Banker Best Selleracherry@carsoncityrealestate.net(775) 741-3344

2012 sIeRRa neVaDa CRs offICeRs

Donna ClaRK, CRsPresidentDickson Realtydonna@donnaclark.net(775) 747-8874

CYnDY bRoWn, CRsPresident-ElectKeller Williams

cyndy@cyndybrown.com(775) 772-3253

aMY lessInGeR,CRsTreasurerRE/MAX REALTY Affiliatesamy@thelessingerteam.com(775) 787-3629

CHRIsTIna RICe, CRsSecretary

Coldwell Banker Best Sellerchristina@nevadastyle.net

(775) 220-6281