2011 NAR President Ron Phipps talks to association executives and incoming local board presidents at the annual Illinois REALTORS® Leadership Forum held in Chicago on Sunday. Aug. 21, 2016.

The incoming class of local association leaders got a chance to network and learn about the year ahead as they gathered on Sunday in Chicago.

Each year local association executives and their incoming presidents gather for a day of training in advance of the National Association of REALTORS® Leadership Summit. This year, the event was keynoted by Ron Phipps, who served as president of the national association in 2011.

Illinois REALTORS® President-elect Doug Carpenter addresses incoming local association leaders at the Illinois REALTORS® Leadership Summit.

The event was kicked off by Illinois REALTORS® President-elect Doug Carpenter, who talked about the effort to build bridges with consumers through REALTOR® outreach.

“Using our collective consumer data and homeowner data we can create a viable network of informed and engaged consumers to expand our local, state, and national influence,” he said. “This network plays into the second trend, More state-by-state strategies versus starting and expecting all things to be done at the federal level.”

Phipps, from Warwick, R.I., talked to those at the meeting about volunteer leadership.