Veneris Illinois REALTOR® of the Year

Contact:
Mary Schaefer
217/529-2600

John Veneris Named 2009 Illinois REALTOR® of the Year

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – John Veneris, CRB, CRS, of Clarendon Hills was named the 2009 Illinois REALTOR® of the Year. A REALTOR® of the Year banquet will be held in Veneris’ honor on September 15, 2009, at the Westin Hotel in Lombard.

The REALTOR® of the Year award is presented to the one member of the Illinois Association of REALTORS® who best exemplifies the professional qualities of a REALTOR®. The award recognizes leadership and service in civic, community and charitable causes, as well as activity in the REALTOR® Association.

“John is a consensus builder and a dedicated leader who creates a team environment in the real estate office and on every committee or task force on which he has served. He has been at the forefront when it comes to issues related to leadership development, technology, REALTOR® political action and advocacy,” said Pat Callan, president of the Illinois Association of REALTORS®.

With a career that spans 31 years, Veneris is the broker-owner of Realty Executives Pro/Team in Downers Grove. He is a past president of the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® and was named REALTOR® of the Year for that association in 1992. Veneris has served on many local association committees over the years, including chairing the Lock-Box Conversion Task Force in 2007 and the MLS Committee. He was a director of the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce and has been an active fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

During his 17 years of active state involvement, Veneris served as president of the Illinois Association of REALTORS® in 2005 and has played a leadership role in many of IAR’s major association initiatives. He has held leadership roles as chair of the IAR Advisory Council, Strategic Planning Committee, Nominating Committee, Technology Working Group, Political Affairs Committee as well as the Finance, Leadership and Executive committees and has been a member of numerous task forces and working groups.

Veneris has served on IAR’s Public Policy and Government Affairs Member Involvement Group and the Major Donor Working Group. He has led advocacy efforts by example, being a three-time “Golden R” contributor for the REALTORS® Political Action Committee – and as an elite member of the National Association of REALTORS® RPAC Hall of Fame.

Veneris currently serves on the IAR Board of Directors, Strategic Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Executive Committee as well as the RPAC Trustees and Public Policy and Government Affairs Member Involvement Group. He also serves as the chairman of the IAR Advisory Council, representing the past presidents of IAR.

Active nationally since 1992, Veneris currently serves as a member of the National Association of REALTORS Board of Directors. In 2008, he served as NAR Regional Vice President for District 7 representing the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. He has served as a member of several committees for NAR including as chairman of the NAR Conventional Finance and Lending Committee and Subprime Lending Working Group. In 2009, Veneris is a representative member of the Public Policy Coordinating Committee, Nominating Committee and Political Involvement Committee.

He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago and lives in Clarendon Hills with his wife Dee.

The Illinois Association of REALTORS® is a voluntary trade association whose 53,000 members are engaged in all facets of the real estate industry. In addition to serving the professional needs of its members, the Illinois Association of REALTORS® works to protect the rights of private property owners in the state by recommending and promoting legislation that safeguards and advances the interest of real property ownership.