From left to right: Jonathan Lowe, Governmental Affairs Director, Chris Garrett, First Vice President, Angel Shields, CEO, Will Sliger, President-Elect, Governor Bill Lee, Maria Lee, First-Lady, Drew Myers, Policy Representative (NAR).

WASHINGTON (October 30, 2024) – On Tuesday, the National Association of REALTORS® hosted a reception for the Republican Governors Association in Washington, D.C., featuring Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. Will Sliger, the Tennessee REALTORS® 2024 President-Elect, had the honor of introducing him to the audience. During this event, our leadership took the opportunity to meet with Governor Lee and express their gratitude for his commitment to the real estate community.

Will Sliger was joined in Washington, D.C., by the First Vice President, Chris Garrett, Angela Shields, CEO, Jonathan Lowe, Governmental Affairs Director, and several of the NAR leadership and staff members including Shannon McGahn, Chief Advocacy Officer, and Drew Myers, Policy Representative.
Events like this provide Tennessee REALTORS® with the opportunity to engage with Tennessee lawmakers, build relationships, and share our expertise on real estate matters.

“Opportunities like this give us the platform to showcase our role as realtors in the economy and in our communities, and demonstrate to Governor Lee the value and importance of his support,” said Will Sliger. “NAR’s strong connections with governors nationwide enhances our ability to support our members across our local and state REALTOR® associations. We were delighted to host Governor Lee through our collaboration with the RGA, and we truly appreciate his leadership as Chairman,” shares Drew Myers, Policy Representative for the National Association of REALTORS®.

Governor Lee has played an integral part in helping Tennessee REALTORS® advance private property and homeownership rights in Tennessee. His dedication to supporting families and quality education has led to championing several victories for Tennessee REALTORS® this past year, including an initiative led by the Governor that allows developers to use third-party inspectors to satisfy the permitting requirements, meeting a dire need to speed up the permitting process and reduce costs associated with construction, resulting in more affordable housing.

We are grateful for Governor Lee’s support of realtors through his work deeming real estate services essential in Tennessee during the COVID pandemic and his commitment to the future of the real estate industry by providing funds to the TN Real Estate Commission to pay for high school seniors across the state to take their real estate pre-licensing course at no cost to the student.

Throughout his five years as governor, Governor Lee has demonstrated a deep understanding of economic development and the power of a strong workforce and quality education. He recognizes the role that realtors plays in the economy and our communities, and he provides us with the support and a platform to amplify our impact.

Many of you know that East Tennessee, along with five other states, was greatly impacted when Hurricane Helene made landfall. Nine counties in Tennessee experienced unprecedented flooding and destruction. In this time of need, Governor Lee quickly called for action, declaring a state of emergency in Tennessee. With this declaration, the thousands of Tennesseans who had their lives turned upside down knew that help was on the way. This allowed us to deploy the REALTORS® Relief Foundation and provide affected families with rental, mortgage, or displacement support. We’ve already sent out over $50,000 in assistance and are currently processing an additional $50,000 for families in need, and we are expecting to help even more families with applications coming in daily.

Governor Lee and his wife are people of strong faith, and this faith is exemplified in the way he serves and leads our state with integrity, service first, and humility. We are grateful to have his continued support.