Committees

The Community Service Committee gives GCAAR members the opportunity to meet, network and work together on projects that benefit the greater community. With staff, the committee coordinates community service activities and recognizes members who contribute to the community.

Activities

• The 2021 Community Service Committee will focus on supporting the work of our strategic charitable partner(s). 

• The committee will work with staff to increase participation and awareness of community service events among the general GCAAR membership.  

• The committee will also devote time to awareness of the GCAAR Good Neighbor Award.

• Members must attend meetings and participate in at least one volunteer activity supported by GCAAR.

Contact staff liaison:  Bryan Frantz
Chair: Samuel Medvene
Vice Chair: Dan Cumberland, Jr. 

The mission of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee is to identify opportunities for conversation and education, establish expectations of diversity, and promote the practice of inclusion within our membership base and industry.

Discrimination has no home here.

Activities

The committee will focus its efforts in these areas:

Personal growth:

• GCAAR will create safe spaces for education and conversation centered around diversity and inclusion.
• Continue the History and Power of Real Estate series
• Provide resources to navigate and best engage in challenging conversations
• Support, promote, and collaborate with NAR multicultural groups to strengthen resources and opportunities for our members

Business development:

• Demonstrate that diversity is good for business and establish expectations.
• Promote and offer the At Home with Diversity certification to our members
• Raise awareness about paths to homeownership for traditionally excluded communities
• Seek opportunities to partner with governmental and non-governmental organizations supporting homeownership programs for traditionally excluded communities

Contact staff liaison:  Katherine Gordon
Co-Chair: Dale Mattison
Co-Chair: Tiffanyanne Tomlinson

The mission of the Forms Committee is to review the association's current forms and make recommendations for revisions. Forms should only be opened for review in response to legislative or regulatory requirements, or significant changes to either market conditions or to industry best practices. REALTOR® members must demonstrate extensive experience with GCAAR forms as evidenced by transaction counts over the past three years, or in the case of the broker/manager or team leader/trainer, the number of transactions processed in the office or by the team. Prior experience on another GCAAR committee is preferred, but not required.  

Activities

• Members must attend monthly meetings. “Homework” between meetings includes extensive reading, proofing and/or editing forms.

Contact staff liaison: Katalin Peter and Zachary Trupp
Chair: Jeffrey Ganz
Vice Chair: Susan Ader

The Grievance Committee is the Grand Jury for ethics complaints and arbitration requests. The committee reviews filed documents and determines whether to forward cases to the Professional Standards Committee for hearings.

Activities

• Chairperson will ensure that all members are fully engaged and participating in the discussion of case reviews.  

• Have one or more meetings dedicated to additional training using NAR’s Professional Standards Training & Information Resources.

• Members must attend monthly meetings for a three-year term. “Homework” between meetings includes reading and analyzing cases filed and attending the professional standards training seminar in January.

Contact staff liaison: Elizabeth Butler
Chair: Dana Hill
Vice Chair: Andrew Hill

Professional Standards Committee members sit on hearing panels for cases involving Code of Ethics violations, as well as contractual and specific non-contractual disputes. In order to serve on the Professional Standards Committee, a member must have served on the Grievance Committee for three (3) years. 

Activities

• Increase the number of trained Chairpersons for ethics and arbitration hearings. Currently, there are 30 members on the committee and only 8 members are trained as Chairpersons.  

• Maintain regularly scheduled quarterly meetings that focus on additional training using case studies from the NAR Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual, and exercises in NAR’s Professional Standards Training & Information Resources. 

• Review current professional standards documents (ethics citation program, disciplinary guidelines, etc.) for possible revisions and updates.

• Members must attend quarterly training meetings and serve on hearing panels as necessary.

Contact staff liaison: Elizabeth Butler
Chair: Mark Butterfield
Vice Chair: Leslie Dembinski

The Property Management Committee comprises industry specialists who review the association’s current recommended property management forms and make recommendations on revisions. The committee creates new forms as needed (determined by market conditions and changing regulations and standards).
 
The committee also encourages new standards and protocols for the betterment of the members’ property management businesses based on best practices of the experts in the field of property management.

Activities

• Assign one or two members to provide updates to the committee on local and legislative issues regarding property management issues in Montgomery County and DC.  

• Maintain subcommittees to review and update forms, checklists and rental guides for Montgomery County and DC.

• Members must attend monthly meetings. “Homework” between meetings may include reading, proofing and/or editing forms.

Contact staff liaison: Katalin Peter & Evan Loukadakis

Chair: Risha Williams

Vice Chair: Scott Sachs

GCAAR’s Public Policy committee discusses the impact of proposed legislative and regulatory changes on real estate business and the housing market and recommends support for or against proposed legislative and regulatory changes. The committee focuses its advocacy efforts on those issues of greatest and most direct impact to GCAAR’s REALTOR® community as a whole.

Activities

• Members must attend monthly meetings, participate in county or state task forces and attend hearings. 

Contact staff liaison: Zac Trupp and Katalin Peter
Chair: Barbara Nalls
Vice Chair: Vilruza Iranpur

Activities

• Members must attend quarterly meetings (no call-ins). Members are required to participate and promote REALTOR® Party fundraising efforts with GCAAR members. Members may also be asked or invited to attend political events in the community.

Contact staff liaison: Katalin Peter
Chair: Avi Adler

The Young Professionals Network (YPN) Committee solicits and secures sponsors for quarterly events. Members are responsible for selecting topics, speakers and locations for each event. YPN helps young real estate professionals excel in their careers by giving them the tools and encouragement to become involved in four core areas:  

Activities
Members must attend quarterly in-person meetings, monthly call-in meetings, and GCAAR YPN-related events.  

See what YPN is up to on their page.

Contact staff liaison: Kayla Neiderer
Chair: Tiffanyanne Tomlinson
Vice Chair: Paul Basto