Committee Descriptions and Composition

Leadership strives for geographic diversity in committee appointments

Association Headquarters & Staffing Needs Committee

Composition: Chair, and four members; two must be Past Presidents, one is the current Treasurer. Other than Treasurer, members serve one four year term. Due to staggered terms typically there is only one appointments made to this committee each year.

Description: The Committee is responsible for making recommendations regarding the needs of the physical building of the Association and working with the Executive Vice President in regards to staffing and employee benefits programs.

Commercial Industrial &Investment Committee

Composition: Chair and Vice Chair, four to five members appointed each year depending on rotation and term limits. Those appointed serve a three year term. Term limitation of two, three year terms. Nineteen members.

Description: The mission of the Committee is to serve REALTORS® who buy, sell, lease, manage or appraise commercial, industrial and investment real estate by working with PAR to promote, educate, legislate and communicate Commercial business to members. The CI&I Committee meets a minimum of three times a year, primarily at the regularly scheduled PAR Business Meetings. CI&I meetings usually include an informational presentation in addition to conducting the actual business of the committee. The business of the committee includes discussing topics of import to this segment of the real estate industry and, where required, making recommendations to the PAR Executive Committee. The committee is occasionally called upon by Specialized Practice Issues Subcommittee to review and provide input on proposed legislation or regulations. The CI&I Committee includes representation from the Commercial Overlay Boards, the Institute of Real Estate Management, the Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS® and the Certified Commercial Industrial Members. Please note the following:  the composition of this committee will likely change to one year terms, no term limits with approximately 20 members if the bylaws change passes in September 2010.

Convention Advisory & Marketing Group

Composition: Chair, Vice Chair, approximately 35 members.

Description: The Committee promotes participation at the Triple Play convention by person-to-person outreach to members in local districts. The committee also recruits volunteers to moderate educational sessions and serve as ambassadors at the convention. The Committee meets three times a year during the regularly scheduled PAR Business Meetings. If the need arises for any additional meeting, members would meet by conference call.

Credentials Committee

Composition: Chair, Vice Chair, approximately 15 members.

Description: The Committee is responsible for the certification and registration of

Directors and Alternate Directors and act as tellers at meetings of the Board of Directors. The Credentials Committee meets during the January at the Business Meetings. However, members of the Committee are required to be in attendance during all three sets of Business Meetings to assist in certifying and registering the Directors. The Committee is also responsible for distributing the Member Response Systems (MRS) to the certified Directors Wednesday morning prior to the beginning of the Board of Directors Meeting. If the need arises for any additional meeting, members would meet by conference call.

Data Mining Services Committee

Composition: Chair and Vice chair elected by Trustees, 13 Trustees, one from each District, and the current chairs of the Legislative Committee, REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC), REALTORS® Issues Mobilization, and Business Services for Real Estate (BSRE) or a member so appointed by those committees/board. This committee has some additional qualifications, click here for details. Those appointed serve a three year term. Term limit of three consecutive, three year terms. In 2011 there will be one appointed from Districts 1, 4 and 7.

Description: To enhance and promote the objectives of PAR by providing survey research and related consulting services to members, Local Associations, and others who seek to use these services for political, marketing and other purposes. Members of the committee are called Trustees. They will approve all services for Survey Research, Data Retrieval, preparation and distribution of Survey Results and other advisory services provided in conjunction with any request or service. The committee meets several times a year, normally at the PAR Business Meetings.

Equal Opportunity/Cultural Diversity Committee

Composition: Chair, Vice Chair, approximately 25 members.

Description: The mission of the Committee is to promote and support equal opportunity and cultural diversity among practitioners and consumers in real estate in the Commonwealth. Members are currently redefining the goals of the committee based on a new strategic plan. In general this involves: 1) advancing the objectives of and developing an inclusive association by involving a diverse representation of members; 2) providing professional development, knowledge and support to real estate professionals and; 3) promoting the preservation of the right to own, transfer and use real property. The committee meets three times a year during the PAR Business Meetings and periodically viaconference calls. Members are frequently called upon to serve on a subcommittee to fulfill a specific objective.

Finance Committee

Composition: PAR Treasurer serves as Chair. Those appointed serve a three year term. Term limitation of two, three year terms.

Description: To oversee the finances of the Association and the investing of its funds.

Grievance Committee

Composition: Chair, Vice Chair and three members are appointed each year. Those appointed serve a three year term. Term limitation of two, three year terms.

Description: The Committee promotes awareness and education about the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and related enforcement processes. The Committee also serves as a pool of potential panel members for ethics complaints and arbitration requests that may be directed to the state level. Meetings are held (in conjunction with the PAR Professional Standards Committee) three times a year at the scheduled PAR Business Meetings. Most meetings involve discussions about specific aspects of the Code of Ethics driven by topics suggested by the Committee and/or yearly changes to the Code. Members of the Committee should be experienced current or past members of local Grievance and/or Professional Standards Committees.

Purpose: The Legal Action Fund provides assistance to PAR, Member Associations/Boards, and individual members when they are involved in legal actions that have a significant impact on the practice of real estate. Meetings are generally held during the scheduled PAR Business Meetings, but Trustees meet via conference call when necessary to respond to time-sensitive requests.

Purpose: The mission of the Committee is to systematically review legislative and regulatory initiatives for their impact on Pennsylvania’s real estate industry. The Committee meets during the PAR Business Meetings to review, discuss, and recommend specific positions on legislation and regulatory initiatives. Along with staff, Legislative Subcommittees identify issues which are forwarded to the Legislative Committee for consideration. Subcommittees are: Business Issues, Land Use and Local Issues, and Specialized Practice Issues. Terms are for one year and are appointed by the President.

Description: In general, legislative subcommittees are the “working groups” that review legislation and regulatory initiatives, and make recommendations for support or opposition of specific issues to the Legislative Committee. Specifically, the Business Issues Subcommittee reviews legislation and studies issues that have a broad impact on the industry as a whole (i.e. licensure, taxation). Members of the subcommittee are voting members of the Legislative Committee; terms are for one year and are appointed by the President. The subcommittee meets via conference call prior to each regularly scheduled PAR Business Meeting and at other points during the year as necessity requires. Subcommittee members are also asked for input on issues via email communication from staff.

Description: In general, legislative subcommittees are the “working groups” that review legislation and regulatory initiatives, and make recommendations for support or opposition of specific issues to the Legislative Committee. Specifically, the Land Use and Local Issues Subcommittee reviews legislation and studies issues that concern property rights (i.e. eminent domain, urban renewal). Members of the subcommittee are voting members of the Legislative Committee; terms are for one year and are appointed by the President. The subcommittee meets via conference call prior to each regularly scheduled PAR Business Meeting and at other points during the year as necessity requires. Subcommittee members are also asked for input on issues via email communication from staff.

Description: In general, legislative subcommittees are the “working groups” that review legislation and regulatory initiatives, and make recommendations for support or opposition of specific issues to the Legislative Committee. Specifically, the Specialized Practice Issues Subcommittee reviews legislation and studies issues of concern to particular segments of the industry such as appraisers, commercial practitioners, and property managers (i.e. landlord and tenant issues, wage attachment).

Members of the subcommittee are voting members of the Legislative Committee; terms are for one year and are appointed by the President. The subcommittee meets via conference call prior to each regularly scheduled PAR Business Meeting and at other points during the year as necessity requires. Subcommittee members are also asked for input on issues via email communication from staff.

Description: The Pennsylvania REALTORS® Education Foundation (PREF) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. Although it is not a PAR Committee, PREF uses the PAR Committee selection process to help identify REALTORS® who are interested in serving on the Foundation’s Board of Directors. PREF’s mission is to “enhance the professionalism of real estate licensees in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by funding and supporting industry research and the development of timely, relevant and practical educational tools and projects.” The PREF Board of Directors does the “heavy lifting” for the Foundation by meeting at least three times a year, usually at the regularly scheduled PAR Business Meetings, and by participating in task forces or work groups to further the goals of the Foundation. Current Foundation programs include: a scholarship program for REALTORS® pursuing designations, grants-in-aid to college students preparing for a career in real estate, a fellowship program for Association Executives or Support Staff pursuing the REALTOR® Certified Executive (RCE) designation, the “It’s Your Move” program, and others.

Description: The Committee promotes awareness and education about the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and the process involved in its enforcement. It also serves as a pool of potential panel members for the Association's Ethics and Arbitration Hearings. A Member Association, prior to referring an ethics complaint or arbitration request for review to this Association, shall exhaust all efforts to impanel an impartial tribunal to conduct either the original hearing or the appeal or procedural review.

REALTORS® Issues Mobilization Committee

Composition: Chair and Vice Chair are elected by the committee, four to five members are appointed each year depending on term limits occur. Those appointed serve a three year term. Term limitation of two, three year terms. In 2011 appointments will be made from Districts 6 and 7 with two (2) at large appointments.

Description: The Committee is a standing committee involved in providing funding to conduct public advocacy campaigns. The Committee is comprised of one member from each district, four at-large members, the immediate past chair, and the Pennsylvania member of the NAR Issues Mobilization Committee. The Committee meets during regularly scheduled PAR Business Meetings, and via conference call between meetings as necessity requires. Terms are for three years and are appointed by the President. The chair, vice chair, and treasurer are elected by members of the Committee.

Description: This Committee is involved in providing funding for political candidates at the national, state and local levels.

Description: The Feedback Panel is a standing subcommittee of the Standard Forms Oversight Committee. The main purpose of the Panel is to facilitate member feedback on standard forms issues. The Panel is larger than the Oversight Committee by design, with the intent of providing ideas and comments about standard forms from those who are not involved with standard forms issues on a regular basis.

The Panel meets three times per year during the PAR Business Meetings to provide suggestions and improvements to the content of new forms, changes to existing forms, or concepts for new forms. The Panel does not officially recommend action to the Oversight Committee, though the insights of the Panel are considered when the Oversight Committee makes forms decisions.

Description: The Committee is charged with the creation and improvement of PAR’s standard forms. It is the responsibility of the Committee to ensure that all of PAR’s standard forms remain legally compliant and continue to fill the needs of the members and marketplace. The Committee meets three times per year during the PAR Business Meetings to review, discuss and make decisions about the content of new forms, changes to existing forms, or concepts for new forms. When necessary, the Committee will meet by conference call to follow up on issues discussed at the Business Meetings.

As of 05/27/10