01/24/2025
I most certainly was not expecting to receive this today.
But looking back on how it all started is wild to me.
In 2023, my friend, Jamie Haywood, who was the Education Chair of KCAR, asked me to do some VA education for KCAR members and strongly encouraged me to join KCAR. When I did join, I soon found out my friend and someone I served with was the KCAR CEO, Andrew Magallanez. Soon after that, The Affiliate chair of KCAR,
Vickie Lawrence, asked me to join her at the Affiliate meetings to help out the association.
At the end of 2023, Andrew and Vickie asked me if I would be the 2024 Affiliate chair of KCAR, I was hesitant to agree only because I had just joined the Kitsap County Association of Realtors and didn't know much. Vickie assured me that it's not that intimidating and she would be there to support at any time. And she was.
Becoming the Affiliate chair lead me to do my first paid speaking event to talk about Veteran/Military advocacy in the real estate industry in front of hundreds of realtors at their Spring Conference.
Shortly after, I got certified as an instructor for WA Realtor Association and certified under the NAR. This has opened doors to other associations in WA who are having me come to teach to their individual associations to spread more advocacy about Veteran and Military housing.
These were all during some very rough years for me, personally. It can be hard to see the goodness within all the bad until you've reflected.. But it's also a special thanks to these people who kept me up and kept me moving the needle, even when I didn't.
