Greetings from the Ocean State! This letter is a personal request for you to consider me as the Candidate for the Presidency of the National Association of Realtors for the Year 2011. Officially, I am a future candidate for the position of First Vice President in 2009. Region 1, New England, has identified me as their candidate.

For over 25 years, New England has taught and mentored me in the arts of effective leadership. The opportunity that I seek is one way of sharing the result of that training with the region and the National Association of Realtors.

The National Association of REALTORS Campaign & Election Process Guidelines provide for the Regions selection of the next Presidential candidate. Specifically pages 3 and 5 acknowledge the right of an aspirant to announce his/her candidacy and to campaign.

The National Association of Realtors is a great center of higher learning in leadership. Among the lessons: leadership is an adventure; leadership is tangible; leadership is collaborative; leadership is adaptive; leadership promotes change; and true leadership is inspirational.
My vision, while not original, is one of collaborative leadership that includes three elements:

1. Identifying each Realtor?s talent, potential and value.
2. Unlocking that potential with courage, passion and commitment.
3. Employing the resulting loyalty and mutual support to energize and unite our Association.

This letter is a direct request to you: Please choose me as the 2009 First Vice President, with the 2011 President of National Association of Realtors being the ultimate summit.

Gratefully,

Ronald L. Phipps, CRS GRI

Warwick, Rhode Island was a 2003 Regional Vice President for the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). He was a 2006 Presidential Liaison for Housing and Diversity. He is currently serving on the 2007 Executive Committee. In 2004, Ron was the Presidential Liaison for Information, Education and Conventions. Among Ron most recent accomplishments was Operation Home Delivery, NAR’s and Habitat International’s joint venture to build 54 homes in the Gulf Region for Katrina victims.

A REALTOR since 1978, Phipps specializes in residential brokerage. He holds the professional designations of Graduate, REALTOR Institute (GRI), and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS). He Graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Ma in 1979.

Phipps chaired NAR's President's Advisory Group (PAG) for of the Virtual Office Websites (VOW) work group and has served as a national director since 2000. In 2002, he also chaired NAR's PAG's on MLS Rules and Regulations and was a member of NAR's PAG's on Buyer Brokerage. Phipps was the chair of NAR's MLS Policies Committee 2001.

Phipps was president of the Rhode Island Association of REALTORS in 2000. He was also president of State-Wide Multi-Listing Service (MLS), Inc. in 1993. Phipps was named the Rhode Island's "REALTOR of the Year" by his peers in 1995.

He was one of ten finalists in the NAR "Good Neighbor Awards" in 2001 for his volunteer work with the D.A.R.E. Bike Safety Program which, with corporate sponsors, distributed helmets to kids for free. He is an avid traveler, art buff and triathlete. He has completed the 2000 Florida Ironman, the 2000 Boston Marathon and Fourteen Save the Bay Swims.