The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® installs its 2026 Leadership Team
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) has installed its 2026 Leadership Team. C.A.R. President Tamara Suminski, a Southern California real estate broker, will lead the team. Serving with Suminski are President-elect Mark Peterson, Treasurer Nikki Coppa and Chief Executive Officer Phil Hawkins. The 2026 officers begin their official term this week at the close of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®' (NAR) Conference and Expo held in Houston, Texas.
C.A.R. President Tamara Suminski
Serving as 2026 C.A.R. President, Suminski is the broker and co-owner of BEACH Real Estate Group, located in Manhattan Beach, serving Greater Los Angeles. A third-generation real estate practitioner, Suminski has been a REALTOR® for over two decades, dedicated to improving the real estate experience through continuous innovation and the highest standards of service.
Suminski earned an MBA from Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School with a concentration in Leadership and Managing Organizational Change. Prior to joining the real estate profession, she was a successful hotelier, perfecting the art of delivering exceptional customer service. Suminski firmly believes in continuing education; she holds 16 designations and instructs these courses throughout the United States and globally. She is co-owner of Innovate Success Strategies, which offers consulting, training, keynote and strategic planning for real estate organizations and individuals.
As an industry expert and international industry trainer, Suminski is a sought-after speaker. She has developed and shared courses and keynote sessions with fellow REALTORS® on such topics as Leadership, Negotiation, Political Advocacy, and Relationship Selling, to name a few. She is a frequent guest emcee, speaker and facilitator at state and national conferences, including C.A.R.'s WomanUP!®, Broker Conference and REimagine!®, as well as the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®' (NAR) NXT and Leadership Summit. She has traveled to Australia and New Zealand to speak at real estate conferences.
Suminski is among an elite group of real estate professionals who graduated from NAR's Leadership Academy and has since been Chairwoman of this prestigious group. She was inducted into the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) Hall of Fame in 2020 and the RPAC Hall of Fame in 2021. Suminski was named 2010 REALTOR® of the Year for her professionalism and commitment to the real estate industry at South Bay Association of REALTORS®, where she served as 2014 President. Suminski currently serves as Federal Political Coordinator to California Congressman Ted Lieu.
When she's not serving her clients, Tamara can be found enjoying the surf and sand, traveling or spending time with son, Sebastian, and partner in all things, Chris.
C.A.R. President-elect Mark Peterson
Southern California REALTOR® Mark Peterson serves as 2026 C.A.R. President-elect. Peterson, also Broker & CEO at RE/MAX Masters in La Verne, Calif., has deep passion for his work in providing exceptional service and guidance to his clients for the past 40 years. In addition to serving his clients, Peterson also is active with his local, state, and national associations of REALTORS®.
At the local level, Peterson was 2004 President of the Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS®, where he served on various committees, including Personnel, Budget & Finance, Local Government Affairs, and Board of Directors.
At the state level, Peterson has served as a State Director for the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® since 2001. He has served on such C.A.R. committees as Federal, Strategic Planning and Finance, Taxation & Government Finance, MLS Policy, Real Estate Business Services, Public Policy Forum, CREPAC Trustees, and Global Real Estate Forum, as well as the Investment Subcommittee. He also was an Assembly Key Contact and Federal Political Coordinator.
Peterson also has served on numerous committees at the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR), including NAR Board of Directors, NAR Director Forum, Federal Taxation, Multiple Listing Issues and Policy, and Conventional Financing and Policy.
C.A.R. Treasurer Nikki Coppa
San Diego County REALTOR® Nikki Coppa serves as the 2026-2027 C.A.R. Treasurer. Coppa also is Broker of Record and Chief Compliance Officer for 700 frontline REALTORS® across Century 21 Affiliated's 14 offices throughout Southern California. She began her career in organized real estate in 1999, focusing on residential real estate. In 2004, Coppa began volunteering with the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® (PSAR), where she served on local committees and spearheaded initiatives to strengthen member education and success, including growing a 10-person pitch session into the largest weekly marketing session in San Diego County.
Coppa served as PSAR President in 2011 and was honored as PSAR's REALTOR® of the Year in both 2007 and 2011. In 2022, she received the Distinguished Service Award. She also regularly engages with local elected officials on issues such as land use, private property rights, and rent control.
At the state level, Coppa has been a C.A.R. Director since 2008. She has held leadership roles on several closed committees, including Chair and Vice Chair of the Standard Forms Advisory Committee, Chair and Vice Chair of the Defense Strategy Advisory Committee, and Vice Chair of the Strategic Planning & Finance Committee (SPF). She has also served as a member of SPF and the Executive Committee. Her work has centered on developing high-quality forms for members, addressing and preventing litigation risks, advancing professional development, and shaping public policy. Coppa has met with members of the California State Legislature to advocate for housing and insurance issues. As a C.A.R. Certified Forms Trainer, she travels statewide to teach form usage and risk mitigation strategies.
At the national level, Coppa chaired the 2020 NAR Risk Management Issues Committee and has served eight years as an NAR Director. She proudly represents California and ensures member voices are heard at the highest levels. Coppa has met with members of Congress to advocate for California's top policy priorities.
C.A.R. Chief Executive Officer Phil Hawkins
Phil Hawkins joined the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® as chief executive officer in September 2024, overseeing the Association's objectives, business development, strategic planning and legislative policies, and creating products, so that real estate professionals can remain at the center of the real estate transaction and succeed in today's rapidly changing real estate market.
Hawkins previously served as Chief Executive Officer for the Pacific West Association of REALTORS® (PWR), one of the largest local real estate associations in California. At PWR, Hawkins oversaw all aspects of the association, including professional standards, education, political advocacy, finance, charity foundation, community involvement, communications, and Multiple Listing Services. He joined PWR in 1998 as Vice President of Government Affairs, representing the interests of the association in matters involving local, state, and federal governments. He was named Executive Vice President of Government Affairs in 2008 and then became the association's CEO in 2015.
At the state level, Hawkins has served on numerous C.A.R. committees, including Real Estate Business Services (REBS), REALTOR® Party of California (RPC) Coordinating, RPC Fundraising & Member Mobilization Advisory, Association Executive, CREPAC, C.A.R. Mission Task Force, and Housing Affordability Fund. At the national level, he served on NAR's Association Executive Committee from 2014-2024 and is an NAR Presidents' Circle and RPAC Hall of Fame member.
Leading the way…® in California real estate for 120 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with 190,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
SOURCE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)
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