On November 28, Ken Dekker, Ottawa Real Estate Board president, announced to members the departure of CEO Janice Myers. The announcement states she is moving on as the new CEO of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), effective January 2, 2024.
Dekker continues, “If you have had the privilege of meeting Janice, you’ll be sad to see her go. I know I am. It’s a great consolation to know, though, that she won’t be far.”
A release from CREA announced today that Myers has accepted the role of CEO. Larry Cerqua, CREA chair, comments:
“We are delighted to welcome Janice as our new CEO, after an extensive search process. Janice is a dynamic, values-driven leader with a diverse background of experiences and an excellent track record of delivery in real estate board and association leadership. CREA’s board of directors believes she is a great fit for the organization, with the right combination of skills and experience to lead it through its next phases.”
Myers brings over 20 years of experience in leadership of real estate boards, having started in 2001 as executive director of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board. Throughout her career, she’s dedicated over 25 years to the not-for-profit sector.
“As the new CEO, I am proud to build on recent successes, ensuring CREA remains at the forefront of promoting a resilient and transparent real estate ecosystem, fostering trust among stakeholders, and contributing to the sustainable growth of the Canadian real estate markets,” states Myers. “Together, we will strive to create a future where housing is a fundamental human right, the interests of our members are protected, the needs of home buyers, sellers, and businesses are met with integrity, and the Canadian real estate industry continues to thrive.”
CREA’s release also notes that Myers’ influence goes beyond her executive roles, as she was recognized as one of the 50 influential women leaders in Canada in 2019 by the Real Estate Professional magazine. As well, her current role as vice chair of World Animal Protection Canada shows her dedication to broader causes.
Myers will replace interim CEO Debra Cowan, who will return to the CFO position. Michael Bourque stepped down as CEO this fall, after over five years in the position.
Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.
Maybe Janice will let OREA know who owns the MLS system and tell them to stop threatening its owners ( the Realtors). Hopefully she will not get involved with the political mess with OREA andTREB. Congratulations to Janice Myers on her outstanding past and her new Accomplishments going forward.