The January Business Conference was a whirlwind of activity for me and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you. Missouri REALTORS®, the largest trade association in the state, had our FIRST-EVER Hybrid Business Conference. During the January Business Conference in St. Louis, we hosted in-person meetings with a fully virtual attendance option. Our goal was to make the experience as engaging for those joining on-line as it was for those who were there in person. Masks were required and the promotion of recommended social distancing was always was top of mind. In fact, all governance meetings were set with one person per six-foot table. Our partnership with In-House Physicians allowed us to coordinate daily temperature checks of conference participants and have medical staff on-site.
We kicked off the week with acclaimed former-FBI agent and author Joe Navarro, speaking about non-verbal communication and cues during the Opening General Session. He is the author of the best-selling book “What Every BODY is Saying.” He was a BIG hit with our members, and we look forward to hearing from him again at a future event.
On Thursday afternoon, following our annual Candidate Forum, we hosted the Emerging Issues Forum. We heard from NAR General Counsel Katie Johnson on the DOJ Agreement regarding MLS Rules, pending lawsuits and other important information for your business. Dr. Jessica Lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights with NAR, filled us in on emerging economic and demographic trends in real estate. What a great, interactive session!
Thursday night was Inaugural Night. The night when all officers of the organization are sworn in. John Mayfield as President-Elect, Andrea Sheridan as Treasurer, and Jeff Kester as Immediate Past President were installed by Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe. We are grateful for the honor of his attendance. The Missouri Women’s Council of REALTORS® also swore in their esteemed 2021 leadership team. I had the honor of being installed as the 2021 President of Missouri REALTORS® by a dear friend and mentor, 1974 Missouri REALTORS® President and 1998 President of the National Association of REALTORS®, R. Layne Morrill. Mark Smith, the Chief of the Clayton Police Department, formally presented me with a plaque and replica antique Clayton police baton with my DSN etched on it. It was in recognition of being the first female police officer at the department in 1984. It was a complete surprise coordinated between my husband and the Chief. It took my breath away. Friends and family were present, and it was an evening of celebration for all in attendance. The Installation was live streamed as were our other sessions. You can view the program and recording of the evening and all conference sessions here. I am installed towards the end of the video, but all of it is worthy of watching. In my humble opinion.
We wrapped up the conference on Friday morning with our Board of Directors meeting. Congratulations to Derek Schriewer who joins the Leadership Team as Treasurer-Elect and Michael Jacques who will fulfill our vacant National Director position this fall. I am proud of the business our association conducted during this meeting.
I hope the event photos from last week tell the rest of the story. As always, these are available for your download and use. I look forward to working with the Leadership Team and members across our great state this year. We will continue to advocate on behalf of our members and consumers in protecting the American Dream of home and property ownership.
Sincerely,
Janet Rodriguez Judd
President, Missouri REALTORS®