Board of Directors

Illinois REALTORS^® is overseen by a leadership team of a 28-member Board of Directors, which includes four officers: the president, president-elect, treasurer and immediate past president. Each member is elected to serve a three-year term.

Officers

Debbie Prodehl

President

AHWD, C2EX
Managing broker and director of risk management
Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group
Shorewood

Biography

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Debbie Prodehl

REALTOR® Debbie Prodehl, of Homer Glen, is the 2027 President of Illinois REALTORS®. She is a broker-owner and the director of risk management for Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Prodehl, AHWD, C2EX, has been working in her family’s business since 1991, assisting buyers and sellers during her first 15 years, and serving in leadership roles during the last 20. She oversees compliance for her company as director of risk management, and she works daily with her management team, training, mentoring and guiding their agents. Her home office is located in Shorewood.

She is a past president and was the 2016 REALTOR® of the Year for the Three Rivers Association of REALTORS®. She is now a member of the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® and has served multiple terms on its Board of Directors.

At the state level, Prodehl has served on multiple Illinois REALTOR® committees and chaired the Finance Committee, the Illinois General Assembly and Statewide Independent Expenditures Committee twice and the Business Issues/License Law Forum Committee twice. She has served multiple terms on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors and graduated from the Illinois REALTORS® Leadership Development Program in 2017.

She is a longtime contributor to the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) and in 2019 was inducted into the RPAC Hall of Fame. In 2017, she was named a Presidential Medallion recipient for service to Illinois REALTORS®.

At the national level, Prodehl chaired the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Regulatory Issues Forum in 2024 and has been a member of NAR’s Public Policy Coordinating Committee, Membership Policy and Board Jurisdiction Committee, Federal Technology Policy Committee and Broker Involvement Council. She has served multiple terms on NAR’s Board of Directors.

Prodehl is a member of the Women’s Council of REALTORS®, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and the Asian Real Estate Association of America.

Sarah Ware

President-elect

AHWD, C2EX, CIPS
Ware Group Realty
Chicago

Biography

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Sarah Ware

REALTOR® Sarah Ware, of Chicago, has been installed as the 2027 President-elect of Illinois REALTORS®. She is principal and designated managing broker of Ware Group Realty in Chicago.

Ware, AHWD, C2EX, CIPS, began her real estate career in 2006. She is a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® (CAR) and served as its 2002-2023 president. She was honored with CAR’s President’s Award in 2015, CAR’s REALTOR® Achievement Award in 2016 and was named its local REALTOR® of the Year in 2025.

Ware has served on multiple Illinois REALTOR® committees and has chaired the Finance Committee, Business Issues Forum twice, Leadership Development Working Group and the Housing Opportunity Working Group. She has served multiple terms on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors and in 2016 graduated from the Illinois REALTORS® Leadership Development Program. She was honored as the 2026 Illinois REALTOR® of the Year earlier this year.

Ware is a longtime contributor to the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) and was inducted into the RPAC Hall of Fame in 2021 for an aggregate lifetime investment of at least $25,000. She is the State Legislative Contact for Sen. Robert Peters of Chicago, 13th District. Ware also served multiple terms as a director on the Cook County Land Bank Authority.

At the national level, Ware was the 2024 Housing Issues Liaison for the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). She has served multiple terms on the NAR Board of Directors and has chaired the Multicultural Partners Advisory Group, Housing Opportunity Committee and Smart Growth Advisory Board.

Ware earned a bachelor’s degree from Governors State University. She serves on the Thresholds Board of Directors, Chicago Bungalow Association Board of Directors and is a past president of the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.

Brandon Shaffer

Treasurer

ABR, AHWD, C2EX, PSA
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Central Illinois REALTORS®
Bloomington

Biography

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Brandon Shaffer

REALTOR® Brandon Shaffer, of Bloomington, is the 2027 Treasurer of Illinois REALTORS®. He is the deputy managing broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Central Illinois REALTORS® with offices in Bloomington-Normal.

Shaffer, ABR, AHWD, C2WX, PSA, has been a REALTOR® since 2014 and has held a number of leadership roles at the local, state and national levels. He is a member and past president of Mid-Illinois REALTORS® Association and was honored as its local REALTOR® of the Year in 2020.

At the state level, he has served on multiple Illinois REALTORS® committees and has chaired the Grievance Committee, Business Issues Forum, Local Government Affairs Committee, Leadership Development Working Group and the Strategic Planning Committee. He is a past chair of the Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF) Board of Directors and has served multiple terms on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors. He graduated from the Illinois REALTORS® Leadership Development Program in 2016.

He is a longtime contributor to the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) and in 2022 was inducted into the RPAC Hall of Fame. His REALTOR® advocacy includes serving as a State Legislative Contact (SLC) for state Sen. Sally Turner.

At the national level, Shaffer is on the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Board of Directors, has served multiple terms on the Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee and this year is the vice chair of NAR’s Smart Growth Advisory Board. He is currently in NAR’s 2026 Leadership Academy.

Shaffer earned a bachelor’s degree in travel and tourism and a master’s degree in international organizational leadership from Columbia Southern University. In his community, he serves on the board of directors and as a trustee for the Carle Hospital Center for Philanthropy.

Jeff Kolbus

Immediate Past President

AHWD, C2EX, ePro, GRI, SRS
President
RE/MAX Traders Unlimited
Peoria

Biography

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Jeff Kolbus

REALTOR® Jeff Kolbus, of Peoria, is the 2027 Immediate Past President of Illinois REALTORS®. He is president of RE/MAX Traders Unlimited in Peoria.

Kolbus, AHWD, C2EX, ePro, GRI, SRS, began his real estate career in 1994. He is a member of the Peoria Area Association of REALTORS® (PAAR) and served as its president in 2002.

Kolbus has served on multiple Illinois REALTOR® committees and has chaired the Finance Committee, Public Policy Forum, REALTORS® Political Action Committee, RPAC Trustees, Business Issues-License Law Working Group and Technology Working Group. He’s served multiple terms on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors and in 2014 graduated from the Illinois REALTORS® Leadership Development Program.

Kolbus is a longtime contributor to the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) and was inducted into the RPAC Hall of Fame for 2023 with an aggregate lifetime investment of at least $25,000. He serves on the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) RPAC Participation Council and Board of Directors.

Kolbus has been active in his local community, serving in volunteer and leadership roles with the Home Builders Association of Greater Peoria, Downtown Development Corporation of Peoria, St. Francis Medical Center Foundation, Children’s Hospital of Illinois Community Advisory Board and St. Vincent de Paul Parish. He is a past commissioner for the city of Peoria’s Planning Commission, Zoning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Kolbus earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. He lives in Edwards with his wife, Wendy, a third-generation REALTOR® in the Peoria area. They are the parents of two adult sons, Michael and Nick.