Nearly 200 Realtors, Affiliates and friends of our community attended our 2019 August Membership Luncheon at Burritt on the Mountain. A sell-out crowd witnessed a packed agenda, which included a presentation from Guest Speaker Valerie Garcia, announcements from Realtors in Action and ARPAC, as well as the unveiling of our 2019 Realtor and Affiliate of the Year!
Charlie Thorne, last year’s award winner, announced Craig Paulus as the 2019 Affiliate of the Year Thursday afternoon. In his introduction, Charlie echoed the words in Craig’s nomination, which cited the togetherness and camaraderie that surfaces in our association, even in the toughest of times. Craig was joined by his family as he accepted his award and spoke about our strength in numbers, and what it truly means to say that “we’re all in this together”. Over a span of 13 years, Craig has ensured the success of HAAR luncheons, orientations and other events — no matter how big or small — through sponsorships, relentless legwork, and his energizing and thoughtful outlook on the industry.
A HAAR and Alabama Association of Realtors Past President, Sid Pugh was announced as our 2019 Realtor of the Year by 2018 ROTY Kathy Mann. In her introduction, Kathy described Sid’s extensive resume, which was built through his service locally in North Alabama as well as throughout the state. She spoke of his mentorship of other Realtors, which recruited her into a career of service with HAAR. As he accepted the award with generations of his family at his side, Sid discussed the power of service both within and outside of our industry. He shared his outlook that, the more that one is willing to serve, the more that person receives at the end of the day.
HAAR congratulates our 2019 Realtor of the Year, Sid Pugh, and our 2019 Affiliate of the Year, Charlie Thorne. Their service to our organization and community cannot be overstated.