TREEF is governed by a 15-member, all-REALTOR Board of Trustees, who serve staggered three-year terms on the Foundation’s Board. The Foundation’s Executive Committee is composed of the: President, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President. Annually, the Foundation Trustees also elect a non-voting Trustee of Counsel, typically a past president of the Foundation who meets with the Trustees and is available for special assignments and/or consultation to any of the Trustees or TREEF officers. [Trustees are not elected as representatives of any particular association, geographic area, or constituency …they are ALL elected as statewide custodians and fiduciaries of the Foundation’s mission, programs, and assets.]
TREEF was originally established in 1968 under Tennessee REALTORS® President Bob Freeman, and the Foundation was officially chartered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt educational foundation in 1973.
By an amendment to the Tennessee REALTORS® Bylaws, the authority to conduct educational programs for Tennessee REALTORS® has been delegated to TREEF. Tennessee REALTORS® has no Education Committee; instead, TREEF serves as the “educational arm” of Tennessee REALTORS® …BUT it should never be confused with (or thought of as) another committee. As a chartered nonprofit foundation, TREEF has higher purposes and a special mission to fulfill.
TREEF typically has three regular business meetings a year (a planning session in late autumn, a meeting at the Tennessee REALTORS® Spring Conference in March, and one at the Tennessee REALTORS® Annual Convention). Frequently, in advance of the Tennessee REALTORS® Annual Convention, the Trustees will also have a conference call meeting a couple of weeks prior to the Annual Convention, as well as other conference calls as needed during the year. The TREEF Trustees serve as moderators and/or assistants at education sessions for both the Tennessee REALTORS® Spring Conference and Annual Convention.
Trustees are nominated by a TREEF Nominating Committee – a four-member committee (two members appointed by the Tennessee REALTORS® President, and two members appointed by the TREEF President, one of whom is TREEF’s Immediate Past President who serves as Nominating Committee Chair). The TREEF Nominating Committee proposes a slate of Trustees to be elected or reelected to fill terms that are expiring. The Tennessee REALTORS® Directors ratify the proposed slate of Trustees. Officers are elected during the Tennessee REALTORS® Annual Convention by the voting foundation members.