Each year, the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches (RAPB) celebrates the New Year with the installation of the incoming leadership team. This year’s installation celebration honored Incoming President Matt Halperin’s second passion through an elegant, golf theme hosted at the beautiful Wycliffe Golf & Country Club.
As 300-plus supporters settled in, Past President John Mike took the mic to welcome guests. Next, George Yocum, Halperin’s close friend of 28 years and a Realtor from Berkshire Hathaway in Las Vegas, installed the new president, along with the officers and directors. After being sworn in, Halperin laid out his blueprint for success in 2015.
“I want to ask the [board of directors] to keep three things in mind as they address issues that come to the board room,” he said. “If they answer [‘yes’ to] these questions, then I know they’ll make the right decision: Is the issue in the best interest of our members? Is it in the best interest of our association? And, just as important, is it in the best interest of the communities that we serve each and every day? If we keep these three things in mind, 12 months from today, as we install Judy Ramella, our president-elect, I know that each and every one of our board members will make a positive influence in our members’ lives, in our association and in the communities we work.”
While it is clear that the focal point of the installation was to celebrate new leadership, it was also an event that celebrated the history of the industry’s leadership. Thirty-two past presidents from local boards and the Women’s Council of Realtors attended, and there was plenty of wisdom shared and past stories remembered. These groups of leaders, past and present, were invited to each drop a golf ball in a bucket signifying their well-wishes to the new president.
Then, RAPB’s Immediate Past President Barb Kozlow took the stage to reflect on her year as president and thank everyone for their support throughout 2014. Kozlow ended the ceremony by passing the gavel to Halperin, signifying the beginning of his presidency.
Congratulations to RAPB’s 2015 Leadership Team: President Matt Halperin, President-Elect Judy Ramella, Southern Vice President Ann DeFries, Northern Vice President Kathy Slusser, Treasurer John Slivon, Past President Barb Kozlow, RCA Representative Carol Bernton, and Directors Martin Cohen, Tylon Fraley, Tim Harris, John Kern, Jeffrey Levine, Jarrod Lowe, Carlos Melendez, Patty Renna, Ben Schachter and Donn Wonderling.
RAPB would also like to thank the event sponsors who made the installation celebration possible: the Keyes Company, All My Sons Moving & Storage and Minuteman Press.
ABOVE: Past President Barb Kozlow passes the gavel to President Matt Halperin.
