The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board has elected realtor Karen Singbeil of Sicamous as its new president.
Singbeil was installed, along with 11 directors representing the Central Okanagan, North Okanagan and Shuswap zones, at OMREB’s annual general meeting Wednesday.
She replaces outgoing president Rob Shaw of Vernon, who will stay on the board as past president.
Singbeil is an associate broker and has been a realtor for 17 years who has lived in the Shuswap since 2004. She has been an OMREB member for nine years and has served as a director since 2009, holding the membership and professional standards portfolios in 2010 and 2011, acting as zone media contact for two years and sitting on the finance committee since 2011. She was also the director of finance and a member of the executive committee for the past year.
“This is a challenging and exciting time to become president,” she said. “I am very proud to represent the professional realtors of the Central Okanagan, North Okanagan, Shuswap and Revelstoke. I look forward to working with our members and our board, helping to further our professionalism through continuing education. I fully support the many initiatives undertaken by our members to help attain a higher quality of life in our communities.”
As president, Singbeil says she is looking forward to continuing to raise the profile of the OMREB board locally and within the province, while working with governments and other stakeholders to enhance housing opportunities for families in the board area.
“I am hopeful that relatively low mortgage rates and moderate home prices will continue to allow more first-time buyers to enter the market this year, and will encourage investors to develop more rental opportunities for those who are not in a position to buy.”
Darcy Griffiths of Royal LePage Downtown Realty (Vernon) was installed as vice-president of the board.
An OMREB Member for 22 years Griffiths first served as a director in 2008 and held the education portfolio. She was elected again in 2010, acted as North Zone media contact for one year in 2010, and has held the communications portfolio for the last three years.
The rest of the new OMREB includes: Kent Jorgenson (RE/MAX Kelowna), Scott Mayne (Points West Realty Group, Kelowna), Cliff Shillington (RE/MAX Kelowna), Tanis Read (Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty), Christopher Miller (Royal LePage Kelowna), Joe Pearson (RE/MAX Vernon), Don Gilowski (Royal LePage Downtown Realty, Vernon), Steve Lewis (Royal LePage Access Realty, Salmon Arm), Tara Gallant (Royal LePage Access Realty, Salmon Arm).
The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board is comprised of 1,012 member realtors and 93 real estate offices in the Southern Interior.
The board area covers the Central Okanagan, North Okanagan and Shuswap, from Peachland to Revelstoke.