Several Illinois REALTORS® have been appointed to leadership positions for 2019 with the National Association of REALTORS®.

In all, four Illinois REALTORS® will chair committees, four will serve as vice chairs and four members have been appointed as presidential liaisons to other countries. One Illinois association executive will chair a committee.

Mike Drews, former Illinois REALTORS® president, will serve as 2019 Region VII vice president. Drews, of Aurora, has served on or led numerous committees at the state and local levels.

Those selected include chairs:

• Tommy Choi, chair, YPN Advisory Board. Choi is president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and is with Weinburg Choi Realty, Keller Williams in Chicago. He will be a 2019 member of the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors.
• Maurice Hampton, chair of the Global Business Councils Forum. Hampton is with Centered International Realty in Chicago, and is treasurer of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®. He will serve on the state association’s Board of Directors in 2019.
• Kyle Killebrew, of Springfield, is chair of the Emerging Business and Technology Forum. Killebrew is with The Killebrew Team with The Real Estate Group.
• Sarah Ware, chair of the Housing Opportunity Committee. Ware, of Chicago, is with Ware Realty Group. She will be on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors in 2019.

Jim Haisler, CEO of the Heartland REALTOR® Association, was named as Chair of the Association Executives Institute Advisory Board.

Vice chairs named by NAR include:

• Matt Difanis, 2018 Illinois REALTORS® president, who will be vice chair of the Professional Standards and Procedures Advisory Board and Professional Standards Committee. Difanis, of Champaign, is with REMAX Realty Associates.
• Matthew Farrell, of Chicago, will be vice chair of the Real Property Operations Committee. He is with Urban Real Estate in Chicago, and is a past president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®.
• Nykea Pippion McGriff will be vice chair of the REALTOR® Party Member Involvement Committee. She will serve on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors in 2019. She is from Chicago and is with Dream Town Realty.
• Chris Read of Woodstock, will chair the Conventional Financing and Policy Committee. She is a trainer and principal at CR Strategies LLC. She has served on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors.

Presidential liaisons named by NAR for 2019

In addition to committee appointments, several Illinois REALTORS® were named to international liaison positions with NAR. The roles will have them forge real estate industry ties with countries around the globe.

• Jana Herdova, will be president liaison to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic. The Naperville REALTOR® is with Regency Inc. REALTORS®. She serves as Consulate General Liaison for the Czech Republic for Illinois REALTORS®.
• Jim Kinney will be president liaison to the United Kingdom and Ireland. Kinney, vice president of luxury sales for Baird and Warner in Chicago, is a former Illinois REALTORS® president. He is Illinois REALTORS® Consulate General Liaison for the United Kingdom.
• Vicky Silvano with Century 21 SGR in Chicago will be president liaison for the Philippines. She has been a NAR director and served as 2018 Global Liaison for NAR. She is Consulate General Liaison for the Philippines for Illinois REALTORS®.
• Paul S. Xumsai will be president liaison to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. He is with Century 21 SGR in Chicago.