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BOSTON (November 5, 2018) – JoAnne Poole, a Realtor® from Glen Burnie, Maryland, has received the National Association of Realtors® 2018 Distinguished Service Award. The honor is presented yearly to no more than two of NAR's 1.3 million members. Winners were recognized at the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Boston.
NAR established the award in 1979 to honor Realtors® who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and who serve as leaders in their local communities. It is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive; recipients must be active at the local, state and national association levels but must not have served as NAR president.
“It is a privilege to present this award to JoAnne Poole, someone who has not only served the industry so well, but also who has made a significant impact in her local community in multiple ways,” said NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall, a sixth-generation Realtor® from Columbia, Missouri and CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty. “Every Realtor® is lucky to have her as a colleague, and I am honored to recognize her efforts with this award.”
Poole has been a Realtor® for 31 years and is the Branch Office Manager for Berkshire Hathaway Homesale Realty, specializing in single-family brokerage, in the Baltimore area.
“I am honored to be named recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, not only because it honors my work in the profession, but because it recognizes the importance of community involvement,” Poole said. “As Realtors®, we strive to make our communities a better place, and I am thankful to be in a profession that truly does make a difference.”
An active NAR member, Poole has held many leadership positions throughout the Realtor® organization during her three-decade tenure, including serving as vice president in 2014. In 2016, Poole served as regional vice president for region 3, covering Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. In 2014, Poole served as the chair of the Public Advocacy Advisory Group and as chair of the Housing Opportunity Committee in 2012. Poole was inducted into the Realtors® Political Action Committee Hall of Fame in 2012.
Closer to home, Poole has been a member of the Maryland Association of Realtors® since 1987, serving as president in 2005. Poole has served on the board of directors since 1997 and was board chair in 2005. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, served as chair of the Election Process Workgroup in 2017, chair of the Election Process PAG in 2016, chair of the Leadership Advisory Committee in 2012, and chair of the Nominating Committee in 2006.
Poole has held leadership roles in multiple local associations in her region. In 1997, Poole served as president of the Anne Arundel Association of Realtors®, was the recipient of the Realtor® of the Year and, in 1994, was the Distinguished Sales Associate of the Year Recipient. Poole was also a member of the Prince George’s Association of Realtors® Professional Standards Committee in 2017 and is currently a member of the Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® Professional Standards Committee.
Poole has been an exceptional asset to her community, making significant contributions beyond her real estate practice. She is an active and involved member of the Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Severn, Maryland. Through the years, she has supported the church by serving on committees and in leadership positions, including chairperson of Finance, chairperson of Church Council and currently as the chairperson of Staff Parish Relations Committee.
Poole also supports charities in her community on a regular basis, including the REALTORS® Relief Foundation, Maryland Food Bank, Helping Up Missions, St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital, Sunshine Kids Foundation and Disabled Vets.
The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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