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Jon Coile, President and CEO, Champion Realty, Inc.
Jon Coile is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Champion Realty, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate and part of HomeServices of America, Inc. Champion is a multi-office regional brokerage based in Annapolis, Maryland, with Mortgage, Title and Insurance company subsidiaries.
Coile got into real estate in 1988 and became a multi-million dollar agent selling 24 homes in his first year. In 1991 he became a partner in Champion Realty and held many positions in the company including Branch Office Manager, New Homes Director, IT Director, General Manager, and ultimately President and CEO.
He is currently the Chairman of the Board of MRIS, the MLS provider for the Mid-Atlantic region; Secretary/Treasurer of The Realty Alliance; a member of the NAR MLS Policy Committee; and has served on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Association of REALTORS®.
Coile was listed in the Swanepoel Power 200 of the Most Powerful and Influential People in Residential Real Estate in 2013. He has spoken nationally on topics including future trends in real estate, technology, investing, and mortgage lending. He holds the Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) designation; an Aviation World Speed Record from Fédération Aéronautique Internationale; and received an Eric Hoffer Award for his nautical memoir, Adventures in the Ditch. Coile graduated from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business with a degree in Marketing.
Helen M. Devlin, Senior Legislative Representative, National Association of REALTORS®
Helen Devlin has been working in the government affairs division of the National Association of REALTORS® in Washington, D.C. for over ten years. She is NAR’s Senior Legislative Representative working as the primary liaison between the Association and the Congressional delegations of six states, including Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Missouri.
Prior to joining the staff at NAR, Helen worked for 14 years for different Members of Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives. She served in several capacities including Legislative Assistant, Legislative Director, and Chief of Staff.
Helen grew up in Louisville. Kentucky. She received Bachelor degrees in both Communication and Political Science from Hanover College in Indiana and a Masters in Public Administration from George Mason University in Virginia. Helen currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and two children.
David Eisenhower, Historian
David Eisenhower, grandson of general and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is an historian and the Director of the Institute for Public Service at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. He serves as a senior research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communication and is a fellow in the International Relations Department at the University.
In February 2002, Eisenhower was named editor-in-chief of the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s ORBIS journal. He has lectured widely to audiences across the United States on the Presidency, foreign relations, and World War II.
Eisenhower graduated from Amherst College in 1970. After serving three years in the United States Navy as an officer aboard the guided missile cruiser Albany in 1976, he earned his Juris Doctor from the Law Center at George Washington University. From 1981 to 1987, he was a lecturer in political science at the University of Pennsylvania.
Eisenhower is the author of Eisenhower: At War, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history in 1986. Time magazine named it one of the five best nonfiction books of 1986. Eisenhower is also the author of numerous magazine articles and book reviews on the subjects of politics and history. His most recent book, co-authored with wife Julie Nixon Eisenhower, is Going Home to Glory, which chronicles the post-Presidency years of his grandfather.
Eisenhower is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates. In 1991, he was named a Fellow of the Society of American Historians. He is on the Board of Advisers of the Nixon Center and a member of the board of Directors of the Eisenhower Foundation at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.
Terry Hankner, President of Comey & Shepherd
Terry Hankner is the Broker/Designated REALTOR® of Comey & Shepherd REALTORS® in Cincinnati, Ohio. Comey & Shepherd has five company-owned offices and six licensed offices with a total of 530 agents and commanding the second highest market share in Greater Cincinnati at 19%.
Comey & Shepherd’s claim to fame is the highest per person productivity in the area with an average of 18 transaction sides per agent per year. Hankner has served as the Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS® President, the Ohio Association of REALTORS® President, and a Regional Director of the National Association of REALTORS®, as well the Chair of the Ohio Real Estate Commission.
Johnny Isakson, U.S. Senator
Johnny Isakson is a lifelong businessman who is serving in his fifth decade of public service to the state of Georgia.
As a business leader, Johnny served as president of Northside for 20 years, presiding over the company’s growth into the largest independent residential real estate brokerage company in the Southeast and one of the largest in America.
As a public servant, Johnny served 17 years in the Georgia Legislature in both the House and Senate, and as chairman of the Georgia Board of Education. In 1999, Johnny was elected to the U.S. House for the first of three terms before winning his U.S. Senate seat in 2004. He was re-elected to the Senate in 2010.
Johnny brings commonsense leadership to Congress through his bipartisan efforts to address federal spending, reduce the debt, create jobs, and reform burdensome federal regulations.
Johnny is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Medicare and Social Security and which plays a critical role in the debate over cutting spending and reducing our nation’s debt. He is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness with jurisdiction over a wide range of issues relevant to trade and U.S. competitiveness. Additionally, he serves on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, as well as the Senate committees on veterans’ affairs and the Select Committee on Ethics.
Ralph W. Holmen, J.D., Associate General Counsel of the National Association of REALTORS®
Ralph Holmen is Associate General Counsel of the National Association of REALTORS®. For over 36 years he has counseled NAR, state and local REALTOR® associations and members on a wide variety of real estate and association law issues, including antitrust, federal election law, First Amendment issues, not-for-profit taxation, land use and environmental law, and others. He has authored or co-authored numerous amicus curiae briefs filed in the U.S. Supreme Court as well as other courts, addressing land use and environmental law, fair housing, commercial speech restrictions, and other issues of concern to the real estate industry.
Mr. Holmen received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, and a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University of Chicago.
Kevin Levent, President of Better Homes & Gardens Metro Brokers
Kevin Levent is the president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, a full-service real estate brokerage in the greater Atlanta marketplace. Kevin joined the company almost 30 years ago as a sales associate and assumed his present role 18 years ago, while purchasing the majority of the company. Metro Brokers has 1,800 sales associates working from 25 office locations throughout the region, and operates a unique business model with centralization of processes driven by technology. Kevin enjoys talking about technology as it is a core competency that Metro Brokers is proud of, employing five engineers/developers to produce the systems that are the basis of the company's success and a major attraction to the firm. Metro Brokers owns its other core businesses of Mortgage, Insurance, Title and Pre-License School.
Jack O’Connor, Broker-owner & Founder of The Denver 100
Jack O’Connor started his real estate career in 1978 and became a top producer in a 700 sales agent firm. He has participated in over 2,500 transactions and has sold in excess of $390 million in sales volume. Jack is the Broker Owner for The Denver 100, LLC, an innovative real estate services company in the Denver Metro area.
Jack has been recognized as “Manager of the Year” by a large Denver firm and was awarded the “Executive of the Year” for innovative leadership techniques, in addition to being nominated as Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He has spoken nationally and internationally on management and sales topics.
Susan Packard, Co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of HGTV
Susan Packard is co-founder and former chief operating officer of HGTV. Packard held a variety of senior positions at Scripps Networks Interactive, (NYSE: SNI), the leading developer of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the Internet. The company’s media portfolio includes popular lifestyle television brands HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, country music network Great American Country (GAC) and the Travel Channel. An accomplished business executive, she is currently writing a book to help women advance their careers through a strategic way of thinking called New Rules of the Game.
Most recently, Packard served as president, Brand Outreach, responsible for aligning corporate citizenship activities. She has also served as president of Scripps Networks New Ventures, where she oversaw the development and launch of DIY Network, Fine Living Network and interactive platforms. Before that, she was president of worldwide distribution for the Scripps cable brands.
In 1980, Packard began her cable career at HBO then moved to NBC to help found CNBC. In 1994, she joined HGTV and became chief operating officer in 1995. Under Packard’s helm, HGTV became one of the fastest growing cable networks in television history. Today HGTV is available in more than 99 million U.S. homes and distributed in 175 countries and territories. Packard helped to build Scripps Networks to a market value of over $7 billion.
On July 1, 2010, Packard joined the firm of Martin Frankel Associates (MFA), an advisory group to global business leaders.
Packard has been recognized by industry peers, colleagues and employees as an innovator, pioneer, role model and mentor. She received the Woman of the Year award by Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) and was profiled in Modern Visionaries, a book chronicling the contributions of women to the cable and telecommunications industry. Contemporary Economics, a high school textbook, profiled her as an entrepreneur in the field of media specialization. Cablevision magazine cited her as one of “12 Most Powerful Women in Cable,” and CableWorld magazine has repeatedly honored her among “The Most Influential Women in Cable.” Packard is the recipient of the YWCA Tribute to Women Award, and in 2008, she was inducted into the Cable Center Hall of Fame. In 2010, she was admitted to The Committee of 200, a select group of global women executives dedicated to inspiring and supporting future women leaders in business. She was also recently named to the Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission.
Packard was the first woman elected to serve on the board of directors of Churchill Downs, Inc. (the Kentucky Derby) in 2004. She served on the board for two terms.
Packard is active in national, local business and community affairs. She was elected to the Scripps Howard Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2001 and served for six years. She has served on the University of Tennessee’s College of Communication’s Board of Advisors. In 2004, she was named a College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni at Michigan State University. She serves on the executive committee of the Denver-based Cable Center Board of Directors; is vice chair of the board of an independent collegiate day school; lectures at universities and is an advisor on children’s healthcare issues and job training programs for the homeless. In recognition of her outreach work, she received the E.W. Scripps William Burleigh Award for distinguished community service.
Packard lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband and son.
Jenny Pruitt, CEO and founder of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s
Revered as a community advocate and benefactor and respected nationally as a visionary real estate leader, Jenny Pruitt has translated four decades of success in the residential arena into the founding of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, chosen by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. as its exclusive Atlanta affiliate.
Presented the Atlanta Board of REALTORS® most distinguished award, the E.A. Isakson Award for upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, Jenny has been awarded the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year Award and inducted into the Business Hall of Fame at Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business. In 2012, Jenny was the recipient of the Luxury Real Estate Extraordinary Philanthropist award. In 2013, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate presented Jenny with the Lifetime Achievement Award, a prestigious award given to a Luxury Real Estate member who is recognized as a legend in the real estate industry and displays excellence throughout his or her career.
In 1988, Jenny established Jenny Pruitt & Associates, REALTORS®, and directed its growth to annual sales over $1.5 billion, six metropolitan offices and a roster of over 450 accomplished agents. Several years ago, the firm was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway's subsidiary HomeServices of America. Having fulfilled her contractual obligations, Jenny stepped down from the firm. Continuing her professional career, Jenny realized the importance of an Atlanta-based, privately owned residential firm to provide a personal caliber of service and long-term relationships to customers and clients.
"Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty offers an unparalleled customer experience," Jenny explains, "and our affiliation with Sotheby's International Realty® opens an extraordinary resource of homebuyers for our clients."
Dedicated to helping Atlanta maintain its exceptional quality of life, Jenny Pruitt serves as a Director of the Buckhead Coalition and, with that goal in mind, founded the Buckhead Girls Club, which annually presents a financial grant to a Buckhead community and cultural association. She is also a past President of the Atlanta Board of REALTORS®. Jenny’s dedication to humanitarian support is an integral part of her volunteer commitment. These efforts include helping the economically challenged by building homes for Habitat for Humanity.
As a third generation Atlantan, Jenny is active in the Atlanta History Center's Board of Trustees, the Board of Councilors for the Carter Center, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Lawrence Yun, National Association of REALTORS® Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research
Lawrence Yun is Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research at the National Association of REALTORS. He oversees and is responsible for a wide range of research activity for the association including NAR’s Existing Home Sales statistics, Affordability Index, and Home Buyers and Sellers Profile Report. He regularly provides commentary on real estate market trends for its 1 million REALTOR members.
Dr. Yun creates NAR’s forecasts and participates in many economic forecasting panels, among them the Blue Chip Council and the Harvard University Industrial Economist Council. He appears regularly on financial news outlets, is a frequent speaker at real estate conferences throughout the United States, and has testified before Congress. USA Today in 2008 listed him among the top 10 economic forecasters in the country and he has been named among the Most Influential Real Estate Leaders by INMAN News over the past several years.
Dr. Yun received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park.