MAGGIE TOMKIEWICZ
New MAR president

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors installed its 2005 elected officers last Thursday and appointed a seven-person Search Committee to find a replacement for the group’s outgoing senior full-time staffer.

Elected as president was Maggie Tomkiewicz of New Bedford. Tomkiewicz, broker owner of M. MacDonald Real Estate in Dartmouth, has held several leadership posts at MAR. Before becoming president-elect in 2004, she served as secretary-treasurer for two consecutive years. She also served as chairman of the association’s Finance Committee in 2002 and 2003, and as the southeast region vice president from 2000 to 2001.

Also elected were David Wluka of Sharon as president-elect and Doug Azarian of East Sandwich as secretary-treasurer.

MAR also named the members of a Search Committee that will be seeking a replacement for John Fridlington, who is leaving his post as MAR’s executive vice president for a similar post at the Florida Association of Realtors. The members include 2004 President Judy Moore, Tomkiewicz, Azarian, former MAR presidents Peter Casey, David Drinkwater, Paula Savard and Gil Woods, who has also served as president of the National Association of Realtors.

Fridlington will be leaving his position at the end of this month. In the interim, Steve Ryan, MAR’s general counsel, will serve as acting executive vice president.

“We have so enjoyed working with John,” said Moore, who was responsible for appointing three people to the search committee. “He’s just done so much for our association and positioning so we’ll hopefully be able to attract the kind of individual we’re looking for.”

Moore said the group has undertaken a national search and has already received several resumes. The committee will be reviewing the association’s strategic plan as well as job description to determine what kind of qualities it is seeking in candidates.

At the installation dinner last week, MAR also presented David H. Bradley with the Milton H. Shaw Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented every year to a member or staff executive who has demonstrated leadership abilities and volunteered to serve on association committees and participate in MAR activities.

Bradley, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Weston, has been a member of the MAR board of directors for the past eight years and has served as a director in the past. He was MAR president in 1985 and has participated in more than a dozen committees over the last 30 years, including the Finance, Strategic Planning and Executive committees.

Also elected at the dinner were the association’s regional vice presidents. They are: Gary Rogers of Waltham for Greater Boston; Keith Bradley of Chatham for Cape Cod and the Islands; Donna Brooks of Leominster for the central region; Mark Hutchinson of Melrose for the northern region; Ron Rusin of Fall River for the southeast; Joseph Delaney III of Westwood for the southern region; and Tini Sawicki of Amherst for the western region.