Balloting for 2009-2010 members of the MAAR Board of Directors will take place at the Annual Meeting and Election on Thursday, September 4. Members who cannot attend can download an absentee ballot and submit it either in person or by mail (fax copies are not accepted) no later than noon on Thursday, September 4. Candidates for board positions are:

Steve Guinn, SIOR, CCIM, is vice president and division manager for Highwoods Properties. He is a graduate of Baylor University where he received a BBA. He is a CPA, and he recently achieved designation as a LEED Accredited Professional from the US Green Building Commission (USGBC.) Since 1997, he has completed in excess of $300 million in investment sales transactions and received the Commercial Council’s Pinnacle Award as Memphis’ Top Office Sales Broker in 2002 & 2004. He has been active in MAAR since 2001, serving on the C&I Services Committee, the Governmental Affairs Committee, and as the 2008 president of the Commercial Council. Steve is currently serving as vice president of the local SIOR chapter and will become president in 2010. Steve is active on the board of directors for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and is a member of Lambda Alpha Honorary Land Economics Society and the Downtown Kiwanis Club. Steve and his wife of 26 years, Pam, live in East Memphis and have three children.

Ron Riley, CCIM, is the asset manager with In-Rel Management with more than 10 years of real estate experience. Ron is responsible for overseeing 3 million square feet of office and retail property in four markets: Memphis, Nashville, Clarksville, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala. Locally In-Rel Management owns the Clark Tower, Lynnfield Office Park, Poplar Towers, Lipscomb & Pitts Building, and 2400 Poplar. He holds his principal broker’s license, is a CCIM designee, serves on the board of directors for the MAAR Commercial Council and is also a past board member for the Community Forum. He and his wife, Kelly, have 2 daughters, Sydney and Bailey, and both attend Briarcrest. Hobbies include golf, traveling, and reading.

2009-2010 Director

Willie Lyons, CRS, GRI, has been affiliated with Lawrence Johnson REALTORS® since 1988. He currently holds the position of managing broker at the company’s Raleigh office. A native Memphian, he attended SSCC and was a graduate of Memphis School of Commerce. He is active in MAAR activities and has served on both the PR and Equal Opportunity committees. His community service includes volunteer efforts with Youth Villages, Habitat, and MAAR Adopt-a-School programs. He is 2005 graduate of Leadership TAR. Willie and his wife, Jeanette, are members of Middle Baptist Church-Whitehaven, and have seven adult children between them. He enjoys all sports and long vacations with his wife.

R. Darnell Tate, CRS, GRI, is principal broker/co-owner of ERA Legacy Realty. He is licensed in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas and has been a member of MAAR and licensed since 1985. He is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Club, RPAC, and has served on several other MAAR committees over the years. Through his company he has received the President’s Circle, Beyond Excellence, Leadership Team, and ERA Best of the Best awards. He is a past president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). He has served on the City and County Joint Board of Appeal for over 25 years. R. Darnell is a member of Grace United Methodist Church, is a retired fire fighter, and has served six years with the Marine Corps Reserves. He and his wife Diane, who is also a REALTOR®, have been married 37 years and have two grown children. His most enjoyable past time is fishing; when he gets a chance to go.

2009-2010 Director

Michael Green, ABR, CRB, GRI, is a broker with John Green &Co., REALTORS®. He has been a full-time REALTOR® and an active member of MAAR since 1998. He is currently serving a second two-year term on the MLS Information Network Committee, is past chair of the MLS Features Review Task Force Subcommittee, has served on the MLS Technology Task Force Subcommittee, and is past corresponding secretary of the Multi Million Dollar Club. Michael is currently serving as chairman of the Collierville Chamber of Commerce. He also served as vice chair of member services for the Collierville Chamber and past chair of the Collierville Business Expo Committee. Michael is an alumnus of Leadership Collierville. Earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace, he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1997. Michael and wife Ashley reside in the historic district of Collierville and have just welcomed their first child Cannon into the family. The Greens are members of Germantown Baptist Church.

Debbie Sowell, ABR, CBRM, GRI, SRS, is a native Memphian and graduated from the University of Memphis with a bachelor's degree in interior design. She received her license and 1995 and is currently a partner and the principal broker of Revid Realty and Property Management. Debbie is active in her community as President of the Cooper- Young Community Association. She shares a home in Midtown with her husband Chris McHaney and their son Owen.

2009-2010 Director

Betsy Kelly, ABR, CRS, is a broker with Hobson Co. REALTORS®, licensed since 1985. She is a member of the MLS Information Network Committee, has served as a panel chair and chair of Professional Standards, and has been an instructor for MAAR’s Professional Conduct and Code of Ethics course. Betsy also has served on the Education Foundation’s Board of Trustees, is a Life Member of the Multi Million Dollar Club, and served on MMDC’s Board of Governors. She is a graduate of UT Knoxville and spent a number of years as a newspaper reporter and freelance writer before starting her real estate career. She has been active in numerous community activities and in Calvary Episcopal Church, where she chairs volunteers for its adopted school, Carnes Elementary. She is married to Ed Kelly, an investment banker; they are the parents of three daughters and the grandparents of one particularly delightful three-year-old granddaughter, May.

Denise Martin is assistant broker with Prudential Collins-Maury, REALTORS®. Denise received the 2007 Presidential Award for her work as the 2007 Chairman of RPAC. She has served on RPAC for four years and on the Governmental Affairs Committee since 2006. She also served on the Affordable Housing & Housing Initiatives Committee, as a MAAR Ambassador, and on the Multi Million Dollar Club’s (MMDC) Board of Governors. In 2002, Denise was recognized as one of “50 Women Who Make A Difference” by Memphis Woman Magazine. Denise volunteers with Down Syndrome Association of Memphis where she serves on the Buddy Walk Committee. Denise and her husband, Phil, reside in East Memphis with their Border Collie named Josie.

2009-2010 Associate Director

Pennie Barclay, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, has been with Prudential Collins-Maury, Inc., REALTORS®, since becoming licensed in 1999. She is an active member of MAAR, having served for six years on the Member Services Committee, serving as chair in 2004. Pennie has served on other MAAR committees and the TAR Convention Committee. She currently serves on the Education Committee and is serving her third year as a MAAR Ambassador. Pennie is a life member of the Multi Million Dollar Club and a regular supporter of RPAC. She has received her company’s Rookie of the Year, Presidential, and Inner Circle awards. Nationally she has earned Prudential’s President’s Circle, Leading Edge Society, and National Honor Society awards. Pennie and her husband, Bob, have three grown sons, four grandchildren, and KoKo, their beloved Lhaso Apso.

Randy Jefferson, ABR, GRI, is with Hobson Co. REALTORS®. A REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® since 1995, he was the 2007 MAAR REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® of the Year and is a Multi Million Dollar Club life member. He currently serves as Education Foundation treasurer and on Professional Standards, RPAC, and Benevolent Fund committees. He has served on the Grievance, PR, Education, MMDC Nominations, and he chaired Governing Documents. Active in the community, Randy has served on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs, Phoenix Club, Rebel Club, The Botanic Garden’s Avant Gardeners, and Carnival Memphis. Randy has also been a volunteer at Calvary Street Ministries and was a missionary in Honduras in 2005.

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