Illinois REALTORS® local Government Affairs Director (GAD) Neeley Erickson was selected as Vice Chair of NAR’s GAD Advisory Committee today at the 40th National Association of REALTORS® GAD Institute in Spokane, Wash.

“Neeley is the first Illinois REALTORS® GAD ever elected to the position of Vice Chair of the GAD Advisory Committee,” said Illinois REALTORS® Director of Local Advocacy Tom Benedetto. “In this position, she will have increased influence over advocacy priorities, strategy and programming, and she will ascend to chair of the group in 2025.”

Erickson has served as the local GAD for the NorthWest Illinois Alliance of REALTORS® and the Heartland REALTOR® Organization. She has helped those local REALTOR® associations apply for and obtain NAR grant money for community projects. In her new national role, she will be able to help other locals achieve similar success through collaboration with NAR.

“As vice chair, my primary focus will be to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where every voice is heard, and every idea is valued. I believe that our strength lies in our diversity, and by working together, we’ll advance our shared goals and uphold the principles vital to our industry,” declared Erickson.

Several other members of the Illinois REALTORS® Governmental Affairs team served as panelists during the conference, including Benedetto, Senior Director of Advocacy Programs Gideon Blustein and local GAD Ron Deedrick, who is also a member of the NAR GAD Advisory Committee. Institute sessions during the two-day event included regulatory topics related to mass transit planning, zoning, RPAC fundraising, affordable housing, polling and electing REALTOR® Champions.

“The Illinois REALTORS® GAD program is candidly one of the most respected in the nation,” said Deedrick. “Our GAD team is constantly evolving and just because we are admired, that does not mean we should rest. We can learn national trends and better hone our understanding of the GAD world.

“Networking with GADs across the country provides our Government Affairs Team direct access to best practices,” said Erickson. “Illinois REALTORS® active participation in this national conference, and ‘GAD Nation’ as a whole, also improves local outcomes for our members.”