Realtor® Jean Crosby Honored with Distinguished Service Award

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Realtor^® Jean Crosby of Rockford, Illinois, has received the National Association of Realtors^® 2015 Distinguished Service Award, an honor presented to no more than two of NAR's more than one million members. Recipients were announced at the REALTORS^® Conference & Expo in San Diego.

NAR established the DSA in 1979 to honor Realtors^® who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and who serve as leaders in their local communities. The award is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive; recipients must be active at the local, state and national association level, but must not have served as NAR president. NAR President Chris Polychron presented the award to Crosby.

"It is a privilege to present this award to Jean Crosby, someone who has not only served the industry so well, but also someone who has made a significant impact in her local community in so many ways," said Polychron, executive broker with 1^st  Choice Realty in Hot Springs, Arkansas. "For more than 30 years, Jean has spent her career in real estate assisting others in their professional endeavors and fostering an environment of community. We Realtors^® are lucky to have her as a colleague, and I am honored to recognize her efforts with this award."

Crosby has been a Realtor^® for 32 years and is partner and owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby Starck Real Estate, where she prides herself on creating a positive work environment for agents from all walks of life.

"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," Crosby 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."

Through her decades of service, Crosby has held a number of leadership positions within the Realtor^® organization. Crosby served on NAR's Board of Directors and as a regional vice president for Region 7, representing Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin; in 2011, she was inducted into the Realtors^® Political Action Committee Hall of Fame. Crosby has also led several NAR committees, serving as chair of the Legal Action and Business Issues Policy Committees, as well as vice chair of the Amicus Brief Advisory Board. In addition, she has been a member of many NAR committees, including the Finance, Strategic Planning and RPAC Trustees Fundraising Committees. Crosby was also elected national president of the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers.

Closer to home, Crosby is also heavily involved in her state and local Realtor^® associations. She served as Illinois Association of Realtors^® president in 1999, where she assisted in writing the Illinois Real Estate License Act and played a major role in other regulatory and legislative issues. At the state level, Crosby has chaired the Audit Committee, Professional Standards Committee, Affinity Working Group and Nominating Committee, among others. She was named Realtor^® of the Year in Illinois in 2002 and received the state's Distinguished Service Award in 2010. In addition, Crosby is a past director of real estate for the State of Illinois' licensing authority, a position in which she oversaw nearly 80,000 real estate licensees.

On the local level, Crosby served as president of her local association in 1995, where she also received recognition as Realtor^® of the Year, and spent several years on the Rockford Association of Realtors^® Board of Directors. She recently held a seat on the Heartland Association of Realtors^® Board of Directors and currently chairs the Realtor^® of Year Working Group.

Outside of real estate, Crosby spends much of her time volunteering and is on several community committees. She's held many roles within the Rockford and Belvidere Chambers of Commerce and spent more than two decades as a Junior League of Rockford member, where she is a past chair of public affairs and member of the board of directors. Crosby also sponsors a fundraiser for Sunshine Kids, a charity that helps children cope with cancer, and assisted with the Winnebago Medical Society's annual Charisma fundraiser. In addition, Crosby is a Goodwill partner and has volunteered at the YWCA's annual Christmas tree auction fundraiser and "Putting on the Pink" fundraiser for women with cancer.  She has been nominated to serve on the 2016 Rockford Chamber of Commerce board of directors. 

The National Association of Realtors^®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing over 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the "News, Blogs and Videos" tab on the website.

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SOURCE National Association of Realtors

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