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REALTOR® Deborah Ahrens qualified for the REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) Hall of Fame.
“I feel RPAC investments protect real estate as we know it, not only for those of us practicing in the business but also for our clients,” said Ahrens. “RPAC is also a way of helping to elect local and state and federal advocates who are protecting the American Dream of homeownership and the mortgage interest deduction.”
Ahrens, of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Elite Properties in Edwardsville and Dolan Realtors in Union, Mo., was one of nine Illinois REALTORS® honored during a virtual ceremony April 23. Ahrens and seven of her colleagues qualified for Hall of Fame induction by the end of 2019 with $25,000 in lifetime aggregate investments during their careers.
In 2019, Ahrens was a Sustaining Golden R investor. She has been a Major Investor nine years and President’s Circle for three years.
“I invest in RPAC because my first broker highly encouraged investing,” said Ahrens. “At the time, I didn’t understand why. But the longer I am a REALTOR®, the more benefits I see – not only for the industry but for the general public, too.”
She started her career as a REALTOR® in Kansas City, Mo., earning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1981 and REALTOR® of the Year in 1987. In 1992, she was the Missouri WCR Member of the Year. In April 1996, she got her Illinois license, joined the Greater Gateway Association of REALTORS® (GGAR) and later served on GGAR’s RPAC and awards committees.
Other inductees included:
- Nicholas H. Apostal, a broker for Keller Williams Chicago-Lincoln Park;
- Matthew Farrell, managing partner and designated managing broker for Urban Real Estate in Chicago;
- Dallas Hancock, retired after serving as the association executive for the Peoria Area Association of REALTORS® for more than 34 years;
- Michael Maloof, president of Jim Maloof Realty, Inc. in Peoria;
- Mark Massey, broker for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Elite Properties in Edwardsville;
- Georgia Pierini, broker for Baird & Warner Residential Sales in Glenview; and
- Deborah Prodehl, Eastern Region Vice President for Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group of Homer Glen.
In addition, an Illinois member of the RPAC Hall of Fame reached the $50,000 milestone in lifetime aggregate investments: Greg St. Aubin, senior vice president of governmental affairs, Illinois REALTORS®.
Illinois REALTORS® annually recognizes new inductees in Springfield before they are officially inducted into the National Association of REALTORS® RPAC Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. The names of all nine REALTORS® will be placed on the Hall of Fame Wall at the Illinois REALTORS® headquarters and the national ceremony will be scheduled in the future.
(This is the first in a series of articles about nine Illinois REALTORS® members who in 2019 reached significant milestones in lifetime aggregate RPAC investments.)
