Jami Winchester, Kevin Fritzsche, Fawn Waller and Drussy Hernandez will be among 19 local Illinois association REALTORS® of the Year (ROTY) honored April 13 at the 2026 REALTOR® of the Year Dinner in Springfield. Register to attend now.

The ROTY award recognizes members who have done exceptional work to advance their association and the real estate industry.

Winchester is the Capital Area REALTORS® ROTY. She led Capital Area as its president and has served on several local committees. She generously gives both her time and financial resources to those in need and to the Springfield community.

Fritzsche is the Central Illinois Board of REALTOR® ROTY. A REALTOR® for more than 30 years, he is a former Central Illinois president and has served on numerous local and state committees. He is active in his Mt. Zion community.

Waller is the Champaign County Association of REALTORS® ROTY. She has served her local association in a variety of roles including chairing its Governmental Affairs Committee and serving on the Board of Directors and other committees.

Hernandez is the Chicago Association of REALTORS® ROTY. She served as CAR’s president in 2024 and is a past Managing Broker of the Year and RPAC Major Investor. She has distinguished herself through unwavering advocacy for professionalism and private property rights.

Winchester, Fritzsche, Waller and Hernandez will join 2026 Illinois REALTOR® of the Year Sarah Ware, principal and designated managing broker of Ware Group Realty in Chicago, and other local ROTYs at the President Abraham Lincoln DoubleTree Hotel for the dinner.

The ROTY event is sponsored by the Illinois REALTORS® to support the Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF).

(This is the first in a series of articles featuring 19 local REALTORS® of the Year in 2026.)