CAR’s 2013 leadership team begins term

The California Association of Realtors recently announced that its 2013 leadership team is now in place.

Leading the team is CAR President Don Faught, a second-generation Realtor and a managing broker in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Serving with Faught are President-elect Kevin Brown, Treasurer Chris Kutzkey and State Secretary Joel Singer. The officers for 2013 began their official term in mid-November at the close of the National Association of Realtors Conference and Expo in Orlando, Fla.

Second-generation Realtor Don Faught has been a licensed broker for more than 25 years and a CAR director since 1997. He is vice president and managing broker with Alain Pinel Realtors located in Pleasanton. Prior to serving as CAR president, Faught served as president-elect in 2012 and CAR treasurer in 2010 and 2011. He also has served on numerous CAR committees at all levels, including chair of the Federal Issues Committee and chair of the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee. Faught has served as an NAR director since 2002 and is a member of NAR’s Finance Committee.

As president, Faught hopes to engage Realtors throughout the state in grassroots campaigns to make sure that the real estate industry’s voice is heard in Washington and Sacramento.

He also plans to address other industry concerns such as the code of ethics, professionalism, and questionable business practices. Additionally, Faught believes Realtors must support local associations of Realtors and find creative ways to communicate, educate, and most importantly, enforce the rules and standards that define Realtors.

Serving as president-elect is Kevin Brown, a Realtor for more than 30 years who has served in myriad leadership positions for CAR and local associations of Realtors. His first position was membership committee chair for the Oakland Association of Realtors in 1986. Since that time, he has also served as a Federal Political Coordinator to the 9th Congressional District for the National Association of Realtors, chair of CAR’s Legislative Committee, chair to the Bay East Association’s Local Government Relations Committee, and president of the Oakland Association of Realtors. Brown also was the recipient of the Realtor of the Year award in 1996 for the Oakland Association of Realtors.

Chris Kutzkey is a native Californian and second-generation Realtor practicing in Northern California.  Returning as treasurer, Kutzkey will chair the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, for which she previously has served as both member and vice chair. She has served in leadership positions at all levels for more than 20 years. Kutzkey brings a strong resume of hard work and well-deserved awards to her position.

In addition to serving as CAR treasurer in 2012, she also has served on NAR’s Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, been the recipient of CAR’s Outstanding Committee Chair Award and was honored several times as her local association’s Realtor of the Year. Additionally, Kutzkey served two terms as president of her local association of Realtors, two terms as the treasurer for her local association, and as a director for California Regional Multiple Listing Services Inc., (CRMLS).  She holds numerous professional designations including GRI and CRB and has won various industry awards, including CAR Director for Life. She is an ongoing major donor to the Realtor Party.

CAR CEO Joel Singer has held the association’s top staff position since November 1989 after serving as CAR’s chief economist and heading the association’s public affairs department. He was instrumental in developing Real Estate Business Services Inc., CAR’s for-profit subsidiary, and serves as its president. He also is president and chief executive officer of zipLogix. Singer joined CAR in 1978.