More than 20 Illinois REALTORS® gained valuable political campaign training recently from a program developed by the National Association of REALTORS® and the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) on the basics of running a successful campaign. The day-long academy held at the Inland Real Estate offices Aug. 17 in Oak Brook. covered key topics including “Why Run For Office,” campaign planning and budgeting, fundraising, research and targeting and voter contact. Professional political campaign consultants with Cornerstone Solutions facilitated the program, staffed by local IAR Government Affairs Directors (GADs) Mike Scobey, Conor Brown and Tom Joseph.

“There is a need to educate elected and appointed officials on issues that affect real estate and are important to the industry,” said Mike Scobey, Assistant Director of Advocacy and Local Issues. “Having elected officials who are also friends of real estate means better protection of real estate issues and individual property rights.”

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REALTORS® taking part in the program included current candidates such as Will County Board candidates Steve Engel, Victor Zack and Kent Heisner, as well as REALTORS® from downstate Illinois, Chicagoland and the Quad Cities.

Said Gary Clayton, IAR CEO: “REALTORS® and community service go hand-in-hand and here we have IAR members who want to take their spirit of community service to another level and run for public office. I commend them for giving back to their local communities and their desire to create better communities for the people who live in them.”