The Realtors Association of Edmonton presented its highest honour, the Realtor of the Year Award, to Charlie Ponde, an associate at Realty Executives North Star.
Ponde has been a Realtor since 1992. He was a member of the association’s Board of Directors from 2004-2010, serving as the president in 2009. Ponde has also held seats on numerous committees.
He currently serves as a director for the Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) and as the chair of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation.
Throughout his career, Ponde has been dedicated to not only his professional career, but also to being actively involved in the community, says the association. He held a seat on the Realtors Community Foundation for several years, serving as the foundation’s president in 2000.
In addition, life memberships to the association were awarded to three active Realtors for their commitment to the real estate industry. They are:
- Sheldon Johnston. A member since 1988, he has served on the association’s Board of Directors, the Real Estate Council of Alberta and the Real Estate Insurance Exchange. Johnston is the broker/owner of Liv Real Estate in Edmonton.
- Bill Tarrabain. A member since 1990, he has sat on numerous committees and focus groups throughout western Canada. Tarrabain currently serves as the president of Realty Executives Western Canada.
- Past president Greg Steele. While serving his time as president, in 2014, he served as chair of the Audit Committee. Steele is an associate with Re/Max Excellence in Edmonton.
Other awards presented:
- Rookie of the Year – Brittany Collard, Realty Executives – Devonshire
- Young Professional – Travis Hawryluk, Re/Max Real Estate
- Broker/manager Leadership – Sheldon Johnston, Liv Real Estate
- Volunteer of Distinction – Sid van der Meulen, retired
