Florida Realtors® Honors Award Winners at Convention: Wendell Davis Named 2011 ... - MarketWatch (press release)

Winners are honored as the greatest individual lifetime contributors to their local Realtor board, community, state association and the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Realtors In fact, 16 years ago, he led the task force that paved the way for the merger of four local associations to become NEFAR, and his proven leadership prompted members to choose him as the association's inaugural president in 1996. On the national level, Davis has been an active member of NAR for many years, serving on its Board of Directors since 2001. On the political front, he spearheaded the effort in 2010 to protect Florida's economy by defeating Amendment 4, the anti-growth measure that would have required voter approval for all changes to local comprehensive land use plans. Davis is just as dedicated to his community as he is to his profession: He is a current Clay County commissioner and served as chairman in 2010. He took part in Florida Realtors' trade mission to the UK in 2008 and served on its inbound trade mission work group in 2010. Mike has served on numerous committees for Florida Realtors, and will chair its state convention in 2012. In his spare time, Mike gives back to his community. The award acknowledges the winner's previous three years' contributions to the community, local, state and national Realtor associations. In 2006, he was honored as his local association's Realtor of the Year. On the local, state and national level, Barbar has served on or chaired numerous committees. She was honored by RAGFL as its Realtor of the Year in 1987 and was named its Humanitarian of the Year in 2003. Bruck shared her time and professional expertise with the state association, too. She was recognized as Florida Realtors' Humanitarian of the Year not once - but twice - in 2000 and 2008. She was elected to the Coral Springs Commission in 2006, a seat she still holds today. But Bruck is best known for her 27 years of volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem for the State of Florida, where she represents abandoned, neglected and abused children. That year, MacDonald and his children visited an after-school program in a low-to-no-income housing project suffering from poverty and crime; what he saw there inspired him to become personally involved. After that 2002 Kids Konnection visit, MacDonald helped to substantially grow the organization and how it helps children in desperate need. For the past nine years, he has led the way in fundraising for the program; he's also been chairman of its volunteer board for the past several years. Children now benefit from tutoring, sports, recreation, hot meals and a variety of activities designed to help them dream beyond their circumstances and achieve success. Since the 1996 founding of Metro Kids Konnection, juvenile arrests in the community have dropped 79 percent, according to organizers. Before Metro Kids Konnection existed, almost none of the children made it to high school, much less graduation - and less than 60 percent were even promoted to the next grade. Today, more than 93 percent of Metro Kids participants are promoted. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 115,000 members in 64 boards/associations. Jeff Reeves 4 blue-chips stocks ripe for valuable spinoffs 3. China manufacturing gauges point to pickup Lagardere leads fall for European stocks European stock markets drop Thursday as investors take money off the table following three days of gains. More information on NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges.