The National Association of Realtors (NAR) installed its 2017 officers at its recent board of directors meeting.

Bill Brown from Oakland, California was installed as president. Brown has been active in real estate for 36 years and is the founder of Investment Properties, a division of the family real estate business started by his father, William H. Brown, in 1964, which focuses on the sale of apartment buildings to both institutional and private capital investors.

Brown was NAR’s 2016 president-elect and has served in numerous positions at the local, state and national levels, including as an NAR director since 1991, the 2004 chairman of the Realtors Political Action Committee Trustees. In 2008, he was the California Association of Realtors president and was honored as Realtor of the Year; he served on CAR’s executive committee six times. Brown was elected president of the Oakland Association of Realtors in 1984.

Elizabeth Mendenhall was named president-elect. She has been a Realtor for 20 years and is CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty in Columbia, Missouri. Mendenhall is a sixth-generation Realtor and currently serves on the executive committee and board of directors. In 2010, Mendenhall served as president of the Missouri Association of Realtors, and in 2003, she served as president of the Columbia Board of Realtors and was named their Realtor of the Year.

John Smaby was named first vice president. Smaby has been in the industry for 37 years; he is a broker at Edina Realty, where he specializes in residential real estate. Smaby has held numerous positions nationally and with the Minnesota Association of Realtors. In 2013, Smaby received the Ed Anderson Political Achievement Award and in 2014 was named Realtor of the Year.

Thomas Riley, a Realtor from Bedford, New Hampshire was installed as treasurer. He has been a Realtor for more than 35 years and is president of Riley Enterprises Inc., specializing in residential and commercial real estate and property management. In 2015, Tom served as NAR’s vice president for Region 1, serving the New England states. Riley was president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors in 2011.

Mabél Guzmán was named vice president. Guzmán, a Realtor for more than 20 years, is a broker in Chicago. She served on several committees and groups. Guzmán served as a member of the Illinois Realtors Board of Directors from 2009 to 2011. In 2014 and 2015, she received their President’s Medallion for Outstanding Service. Guzmán was elected president in 2011 of the Chicago Association of Realtors. In 2012, she was named their Realtor of the Year.

Kevin Sears was also named vice president. Sears, a Realtor for over 20 years from Springfield, Massachusetts, is broker/partner of Sears Real Estate, specializing in single-family brokerage and property management. Sears has served NAR in numerous capacities, including as NAR’s 2016 vice president for Region 1 (New England). The Massachusetts Association of Realtors elected him president in 2010 and he has been a member of their board of directors since 2000. In 2006, MAR named Sears Realtor of the Year.