Happy fall ! It is the season for football, pumpkins, and beautiful weather.
Welcome to the new format of our new website . The VPAR website has been revamped and is much more efficient for our members. You can register for classes and events, pay bills, and find many other resources to help you with your business on the VPAR site. There is also a blog which is full of timely real estate related updates and details on upcoming VPAR happenings. We are transitioning The Realtor Update to our blog section. Please give us feedback on our new look. I thank our CEO Jim Wetzel for his hard work redesigning the VPAR website. This is one of the many projects that Jim has taken on since coming to VPAR. Jim has settled in quickly in his new role and is doing a great job. Thanks to VPAR staff members Cindy Anderson and Jo Daly for all their efforts and hard work.
REALTORFest
Fall continues to be a busy time at our Association. Our annual trade show and signature event RealtorFest was held on September 23rd at its new location at the Marriott at City Center in Newport News. Congratulations to Chair Lindsay Pennington, Vice Chair Sheila Dann, Staff Liaison Jo Daly, and all of the RealtorFest Committee for a great event! Thanks also to all our sponsors and vendors.
I want to highlight a few of our upcoming events in October:
Election Week Happenings at VPAR:
Monday, October 20th
Please come out and vote at the VPAR Election on Monday, October 20th. Be a part of choosing your future leadership team. You can find information about our candidates on our blog. Many of the candidates will be stopping by your offices in the coming weeks to say hello.
After you vote be sure to stop by at our October Social at Schooners from 5pm to 7pm. It is co- sponsored by the Member Relations Committee and the PYPN (Peninsula Young Professionals) .
Tuesday, October 21st
Join us the next morning at VPAR for the General Membership Breakfast at 8:30am to hear the election results and for a great program called “We are the R! One City, One Future: VPAR and the Newport News Comprehensive Plan”. The program will be facilitated by REALTOR® Michael Carpenter, Chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Citizens Advisory Committee for Newport News, and VPAR Legislative Consultant Susan Gaston, a member of the Committee. Come share your valuable feedback and be a part of the comprehensive planning and visionary process with the City of Newport News Planning Department. Your support and feedback to the City is so valuable and demonstrates once again how VPAR reaches out to serve the communities that we all call home !
Annual Brokers Retreat
Friday, October 31st
All managing and associate brokers please mark your calendars for the VPAR Annual Broker Enhancement Retreat on Friday, October 31st from 9:30am to 2:00pm at 
Founders Pointe in Carrollton, VA. Our guest speaker Nobu Hata, Director of Digital Engagement, National Association of REALTORS® will moderate a panel discussion Serve, Attract, Retain: Best Practices on Building a Future-Proof Brokerage It promises to be a great day of training and networking for all.
I look forward to seeing many of you next week at the VAR Conference in Virginia Beach. We are lucky to have this event nearby so come out and see all that the “VAR’s Real Show” has to offer on October 8th and 9th. Have a great fall, and see you around VPAR!
Kimi Dornan, 2014 President
Virginia Peninsula Association of REALTORS®