Gerry O’Connell: The New Hampshire Association of Realtors announces the 2016 state Realtor of the Year.
Gerry O’Connell, a Newmarket resident and Realtor with KW Commercial at Keller Williams Coastal Realty in Portsmouth, has been selected by the New Hampshire Association of Realtors as its 2016 Realtor of the Year, an award given annually for outstanding volunteer service to the real estate industry.
The announcement was made during a Sept. 20 ceremony at the NHAR annual convention, held at the Radisson Hotel Manchester Downtown.
O’Connell has been a New Hampshire Association of Realtors director since 2014 and was one of nine members to train under renowned real estate instructor Roger Turcotte in the inaugural NHAR Leadership Academy this year, a training program that led to O’Connell’s being elected as the 2017 NHAR President-Elect.
In addition to being a nine-year NHAR Honor Society member for broad involvement in the Realtor community, O’Connell also serves as the chair of NHAR’s Green Symposium Task Force, which is in the process of coordinating the first New England-wide real estate forum focused on green building and construction. That event is scheduled for March 28, 2017 in Nashua.
At the local level, O’Connell has served as President of both the New Hampshire Commercial Investment Board of Realtors (CIBOR), and a member of its board of directors since 2010. He has taken an active political role as well, as chair of the CIBOR Public Policy Committee, regularly advocating the commercial real estate industry at meeting with state officials and through testimony at legislative hearings. He has also chaired the CIBOR education committee.
O’Connell is equally active in his community, having served as President of the Newmarket Business Association and Chairman of the Newmarket Advisory Heritage Committee as well as a member of the Newmarket ZBA, the Rochester Economic Development Committee, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Gerry simply carries himself in a manner that personifies the Realtor ideals of integrity, professionalism and the spirit of the Golden Rule,” said 2016 NHAR President Al Michalovic. “He believes sincerely in the way those ideals are described in our Code of Ethics, and most importantly what that authenticity means for buyers and sellers with whom he works.”
O’Connell was one of 14 local board Realtors of the Year for 2016, and he is the 57th member of NHAR to be named State Realtor of the Year.
Article Submitted by Dave Cummings, NH REALTORS
Photos Provided by Dave Cummings, NH REALTORS and Bob Marchewka, President NHCIBOR 2016
Above: Gerry is about to hug Sunapee Region Board’s Laura Hallahan (2010 ROTY) after hearing his name called Tuesday. (Dave Cummings)
Above: Gerry at podium accepting the award. (Bob Marchewka)