Barry Kramer Installed as 2018 HGAR President
John Jordan | January 23, 2018
Renee Zurlo to Lead HGMLS for Third Term
HARTSDALE—A capacity crowd of more than 250 friends and colleagues was on hand for the 2018 HGAR Installation Dinner highlighted by veteran Realtor Barry Kramer taking the oath of office as 2018 President of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc.
The event, which had a festive Broadway theme, was the culmination of a whirlwind several months for Kramer, who back in November was bestowed the association’s top honor as the HGAR 2017 Realtor of the Year.
The 2018 HGAR Installation Gala was held on Jan. 18 at the Scarsdale Golf Club. In addition to the installation of Kramer, the owner of Westchester Choice Realty Inc. of Scarsdale, the program also featured Renee Zurlo of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty taking the oath of office for her third term as president of the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service, Inc., as well as officers of both HGAR and HGMLS being sworn into office for 2018.
Both ceremonies were poignant with Kramer being installed by former longtime association Chief Executive Officer P. Gilbert Mercurio. Joining Kramer on the stage for his installation was his partner at Westchester Choice Realty and husband John Crittenden. Friend and HGAR Chief Operating Officer Ann Garti installed Zurlo. HGAR Chief Executive Officer Richard Haggerty officiated over the installation of both the HGAR and HGMLS 2018 Board of Directors.
In their acceptance speeches both Kramer and Zurlo hinted there would likely be some big news for the organizations in 2018.
“I am honored to be your 2018 HGAR President and I thank you for your trust in me to serve this association,” he said. Kramer entered the real estate field in 1997 and has been involved in a host of HGAR committees and initiatives and has served in a host of capacities for NYSAR. In addition, he is a board member of Westchester Residential Opportunities and a past chairman of the Westchester County Human Rights Commission.
Kramer noted that NAR in 2018 has challenged its leadership and membership to “Own it.” He added, “I intend to ‘own it’ by advancing our mission and HGAR’s vision to help our members thrive.” Kramer related that HGAR would continue to advocate for a host of legislative reforms and proposals, including the implementation of the First Time Homebuyer Savings account program. He also promised to reach out to other national and regional real estate organizations for their input in key real estate and consumer issues and will track the impacts of the recently enacted federal tax reform law on the local real estate market.
HGMLS President Zurlo joked about taking on a third term of office, but related, “I am truly honored to start year three as your HGMLS President.” She added that the vision for the organization should be “to do our very, very best to stay relevant, to stay ahead of the curve and to provide the best products in order to continue to best serve our members and subscribers. As we know technology moves quickly and we need to stay educated and position ourselves to remain the best source of data out there…”
She added that the MLS industry has seen its share of mergers and acquisitions, and HGMLS must continue to explore any opportunities for growth that might exist.
“We are going to be very busy this year so stay tuned,” Zurlo, a regional manager for Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, said. “I think we have some very exciting things on the horizon. I am not going to elaborate now. It’s like a cliffhanger. I want you to stay tuned and stay interested.”
The multi-talented Broadway entertainer Richard Skipper was the master of ceremonies for the gala. Carol Kope recited the Pledge of Allegiance and Donald Arace offered the inspiration. The program also included speeches by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Rockland County Executive Ed Day, NYSAR President C.J. DelVecchio and New York State Senator and Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, who bestowed a state proclamation honoring Kramer’s installation as HGAR President.
HGAR Recognition Committee Chairperson Terri Crozier acknowledged the association’s top 2017 award winners. In addition to Kramer as Realtor of the Year, HGAR recognized Affiliate of the Year Stephanie Liggio; President’s Award Winner Pamela Jones; the Albert P. Schatz Legislative Advocacy Award winner Clayton Livingston; Extra Mile Award honoree Debra Budetti; Spirit Award winner Robert Shandley; Matt Rand, the Stephanie Crispinelli Humanitarian Award winner and Up and Coming Award honorees Aimee DeCesare and Angie Primus Gilford.
The 2018 slate of officers for HGAR will also feature: President Elect Ronald Garafalo, Regional Vice President/Westchester-Putnam Clayton C. Livingston, Regional Vice President/Westchester-Putnam Myriam Ramos, Regional Vice President/Orange John R. Olivero, Regional Vice President/Rockland Jennifer Mallory, Secretary/Treasurer Gail Fattizzi, Immediate Past President Dorothy Botsoe and HGMLS President Renee Zurlo.
The 2018 slate of HGMLS officers will also include Vice President Chirag Shah, Treasurer Nancy Kennedy, Secretary Jeffrey Farnell, Immediate Past President Leah Caro and HGAR President Barry Kramer.
The sponsors of the 2018 HGAR Installation Gala were: O’Donnell & Cullen Property Tax Consultants (Centerpiece Sponsorship); Citibank, Dolgetta Law, PLLC and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (Director Sponsorships); Palisades Federal Credit Union (DJ Sponsorship); Homebridge Financial Services, Inc., Judicial Title Agency, LLC, Mark’s Inspections, Prime Lending and Showingtime (Cast Sponsorships); Allan Block Agency, Inc., Korth & Shanahan Painting and Carpentry, McAvey Moving Company Inc. and Valley National Bank (Stage Crew Sponsorships).
Editor, Real Estate In-Depth