Fall 2020 Leadership and Advocacy Conference

Monday, Dec. 14 — 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CST
Attendees: All members // *Times below are approximate

9:00-9:05 — Welcome: Alexander Bynum, 2021 President

9:05-9:30 — Leigh Brown: “Recruiting and Maintaining Major Investors”

Leigh Brown is a member of NAR President Charlie Oppler’s 2021 leadership team, serving as Vice President of Advocacy. She is one of the top-selling REALTORS^® in the Charlotte, North Carolina market. With the 2020 launch of One Community Real Estate^®, Leigh continues her mission to support and develop REALTORS^® who are both leaders and advocates in their own communities while still striving to serve buyers and sellers as their REALTOR^® advocate. She’s in the RPAC Hall of Fame times 2. And she is so much more than that.

9:30-10:00 — GAD Panel (Host: Angela Shields, CEO)

Jamie Horbach, GAD, Iowa Association of REALTORS^®
Leslie Cantu, TREPAC Director, Texas REALTORS^®
David Stark, Public Affairs Director, Bay East Association of REALTORS^®

10:00-10:30 — Elected Officials

1) U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (Host: Travis Close, President-Elect)

Representative Fleischmann has served as the U.S. congressman for Tennessee’s 3^rd district since 2011. The district is based in Chattanooga and includes other parts of East Tennessee, including Oak Ridge. He moved to Chattanooga in the 1980s and founded his own law firm. He is a former President of the Chattanooga Bar Association. He and his wife, Brenda, have three sons, and live in Ooltewah, east of Chattanooga.

2) State Representative & House Majority Leader William Lamberth (Host: Alexander Bynum, President)

Leader Lambeth is a member of the Tennessee House for the 44th district, encompassing parts of Sumner County. He served as Assistant DA for Sumner County and now practices law as a private attorney in Gallatin. He was first elected to the legislature in 2012. He and his wife Lauren are the parents of two children, Allison and Pierce.

3) Edmund Ford Jr., Shelby County Commissioner (Host: Sue Turner of Memphis)

Dr. Ford was elected to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in 2018 to represent the constituents of District 9, which includes Southwest Memphis, Westwood, West Junction/Walker Holmes, and Whitehaven. He is a former Mathematics Instructor for Shelby County Schools and is now the Senior Financial Literacy Coordinator for the City of Memphis. He served as a Memphis City Councilman from 2008, as Vice-Chairman in 2012 and 2016, and Chairman in 2013. He is a dedicated public servant and leader.

10:30-11:00 — Shannon McGhan: “NAR Update”

Shannon is the Chief Advocacy Officer for the National Association of REALTORS^®. She is responsible for managing Federal Legislative and Political Affairs and Political Representative teams. She provides strategic advice on public policy issues impacting NAR and helps direct its Independent Expenditure and Public Advocacy programs. Her background includes serving as staff director for the House Financial Services Committee, counselor to the U.S. Treasury Secretary, and communications roles for three members of House Leadership. Shannon brings two decades of experience working with or for the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government. 

11:00-11:20 — Peter Kelly: “RPAC Basics” (Host: Carol Lott of Memphis)

Peter Kelly is Director of RPAC Technology and Online Fundraising for the National Association REALTORS. He will share insights on a topic that is especially vital now that many of us have pivoted to online and virtual connections.

11:20-11:40 — Leslie Rouda Smith: “Why We Do What We Do? The Importance of RPAC and Advocacy!”

Leslie is 2021 President-Elect of the National Association of REALTORS^®. A REALTOR^® for 35 years from Plano, Texas, Leslie is a broker associate at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate in Dallas, where she specializes in residential, ranch and country real estate along with her husband Brian and their children, Kristin and Austin, all of whom are REALTORS^®.

11:40-12:00 — Tennessee Elections and TNPC Program (Host: Angela Shields, CEO)

— Russ Farrar, Addison Russell, Matt Russell, Ramsey, Farrar and Bates
— Jennifer Farrar, GAD, Tennessee REALTORS^®

Tuesday, Dec. 15 — 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. CST
Attendees: 2021 State- and local-level committee chairs and vice chairs

Welcome & Remarks: Alexander Bynum, 2021 President

Guest Presenter: Adorna Carroll

In addition to being a real estate broker/owner of a medium-sized firm, Adorna Carroll is President of Dynamic Directions, Inc., which trains today’s agents for tomorrow’s business. Adorna trains all over the U.S. and Canada. In addition to facilitating strategic planning, leadership training and leadership academies for local/state associations, she also teaches advanced designation and certification courses for agents, broker-owners, team leaders and managers.

Q&A with Adorna Carroll

Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks: Alexander Bynum