George P. Richards, principal broker of Chapman-Richards & Associates Inc., is the Salt Lake Board of Realtors "Realtor of the Year."
Richards was honored Friday night at the annual banquet of the 2,220-member Board of Realtors at Little America Hotel. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the board, the real estate industry and the community.
Other Realtors honored at the banquet were Melvin E. Thayne, founder andassociate broker for Thayne & Associates, who received the President's Award. Robert Plumb, founder and partner of Plumb & Company, was named Salesperson of the Year, residential category.
Scott H. Wilmarth, an agent for Cold-well Banker Commercial Real Estate Services, was named Salesperson of the Year, commercial category. L. Scott Marsh, an agent with Gump & Ayers Real Estate, was named Rookie of the Year.
"As Realtors, we are proud to recognize these members of our industry who have contributed so admirably to our profession and to the community," said Douglas P. Richards, president of the Salt Lake Board.
"These individuals have earned the respect of their peers. They have served with clear professionalism. We feel it an honor to draw attention to the outstanding contributions they have made."
Richards, a graduate of the University of Utah, is a past president of the board and has served on local, state and national Realtor committees. He is past president of the Sandy Chamber of Commerce and received the chamber's Distinguished Service Award in 1990. He served on the Primary Children's Hospital Planned Gifts Committee and as an assistant district commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America.
Thayne was recognized for his outstanding service and contributions to the real estate industry and to the community. During his 30 years in the industry, he has served in numerous positions, including president of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors, president of the Utah Association of Realtors and regional vice president of the National Association of Realtors. He currently serves on the Utah State University National Advisory Board.
Plumb, a 12-year veteran of the Salt Lake real estate industry, has served on the Salt Lake Board of Realtors' Professional Standards Committee and has participated in training courses for new agents.
Wilmarth represented a number of national firms in Utah last year, including Discover Card Services, Sears Payment Services, Alta Health Strategies, Price Savers Corp. and Aztec Technologies Corp. A University of Utah graduate, he has served as a member of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors Commercial-Industrial Task Force for Multiple Listing Service Information.
Marsh received his real estate license in 1989 and qualified for the Million Dollar Club in his first year of business. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of California-Riverside and his master of fine arts from the University of Utah.
Also at the annual meeting, new members of the board's 1990 Million Dollar Club were named. Forty-six Realtors qualified to receive the honor for their first year, 33 for their second year, 36 for their third and 39 for their fourth year. A total of 144 qualifiers in 1990 specialized in residential sales; 34 in commercial.An additional 25 Realtors qualified to become lifetime members of the Million Dollar Club by qualifying for five years.
"Salt Lake area Realtors who qualify for the Million Dollar Club have proven that they can meet a challenging level of property sales," said Richards, who noted that only 14 percent of the board's membership have qualified for the Million Dollar Club.
New lifetime members of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors Million Dollar Club are:
Residential: Larry Bailess, Gump & Ayers Real Estate; William L. Bailey, ERA National Realty; Phil Craig, RE/MAX Executives; Freda Cronquist, GRI, CRS, Realty Brokers Preference; Courtney Klekas, Gump & Ayers Real Estate; Gary W. Lar-son, Coldwell Banker Premier; Fred Law GRI, CRS, Mansell & Associates; Susie Martindale, Mansell & Associates; Curtis McDougal, GRI, McDougal/Olsen Realty; Maire Ro-sol, GRI, CRS, Gump & Ayers; Gary Shiner, Shiner & Co. Real Estate; Trudi Stark, Coldwell Banker Premier; Tom Swallow, Realty Pro Metro; Nancy Taufer, Wood Realtors; Helen Thornton, GRI, CRS, Gump & Ayers; William A. Wegener, GRI, CRS, RE/MAX Professionals; Barbara Woodbury, Coldwell Banker Premier.
Commercial: James Berry, CCIM, Coldwell Banker Commercial; Russell K. Booth, CRB, CCIM, Mansell & Associates; Howard Kent, CCIM, Salt Lake Investment Co.; Robert L. Mills, Commerce Properties Management; Kevin L. Mortensen, Kevin L. Mortensen Real Estate; Geoffrey D. Smart, Commercial Properties Management; Scott Wilmarth, Cold-well Banker Commercial.