NAR Recognizes Realtor® Jerry R. Teeson of Coon Rapids, Minn., for Distinguished Service

San Diego, November 16, 2009

Jerry R. Teeson, a Realtor® from Coon Rapids, Minn., has received the National Association of Realtors® 2009 Distinguished Service Award. Out of 1.2 million Realtors®, no more than two are recognized with this award each year, which is announced during NAR’s annual REALTORS® Conference & Expo.

NAR established the DSA in 1979 to honor Realtors® who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and are recognized as leaders in their local communities. The award is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive; recipients must be active at the local, state and national association levels, but must not have served as NAR president. NAR President Charles McMillan presented the award to Teeson.

“Realtor® Jerry Teeson’s commitment to both his community and his profession is a shining example of how Realtors® build and strengthen communities,” said McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “His extensive involvement at all levels of the association is commendable, and his commitment to public policy issues and community causes is distinguished indeed. He is certainly worthy of this notable recognition.”

Teeson has been a Realtor® for 35 years. He began in residential real estate as a sales associate in 1974 for Edina Realty in Coon Rapids, Minn. By 1978 he was branch manager for Edina Realty Coon Rapids. He moved on to become a senior vice president at Coldwell Banker Residential in Minneapolis from 1988-1992. Teeson currently practices commercial real estate as a Realtor®-Broker with Riverdale Realty, LTD, and as a partner with Shamrock Commercial Ventures, LLP and Main Street Ventures, LLP, all in Coon Rapids. He also currently serves as chairman of the board for the Central Minnesota Development Co., is the merger chairman for the Royal Credit Union, and was the chairman of the board for the Real Financial Credit Union from 2003-2009.

“I am honored to accept the Distinguished Service Award,” said Teeson. “Over the years, I have been privileged to meet, know and work with Realtors® across the country toward our common goals, persuading policymakers of the importance and value of real estate issues to our communities. Community is very important to me, and I’m pleased to be part of an organization that shares my commitment to making a difference with our neighbors and in our neighborhoods.”

Teeson is the current Federal Political Coordinator for Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., and was the Federal Political Coordinator for Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., from 2007-2008 and Mark Kennedy, R-Minn., from 2002-2006. He has chaired numerous NAR committees, including Legal Action, Issues Mobilization, Economic Issues and Trends – Residential Forum, State and Municipal Coordinating, and License Law. He also served on NAR’s Board of Directors and was NAR’s Regional Vice President for Region 8 in 1997.

Teeson’s extensive NAR committee service includes Land Use Property Rights and Environment, Federal Public Policy Coordinating, Research, Executive, Strategic Planning, State Housing Issues, and Environment.

Teeson was president of the Minnesota Association of Realtors® in 1992, after serving as president-elect in 1991. He also served as president of the MNAR Foundation in 2000-2001. He has served on numerous state committees throughout the years and has chaired many of them, including Nominating, Strategic Planning, and Board of Governors/Education, as well as chairing the Curriculum Review Task Force and Commerce Department Continuing Education Task Force. Teeson received the Ed Anderson Political Achievement Award in 2002, the Omega Tau Rho Medallion of Service in 1986, and was recognized as Realtor® of the Year in 1988 in Minnesota.

Locally, Teeson was president of the North Metro Realtors® Association in 1984. He has led task forces and committees that aim to enhance and support the local community, including Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Task Force, the Regional Transportation Task Force, and the Toys for Joy Committee, of which he was both a co-chair and a founding member. Teeson received NMRA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1999 and the Realtor® of the Year Award in 2007.

Teeson is an active member of the Coon Rapids area community. He is committed to public policy efforts that make a difference at the grassroots level and frequently meets with political leaders from mayors to city council members, school board members to members of the U.S. Congress. He devotes hundreds of hours to volunteering and participating in various community groups, including the First Congregational Church of Anoka, the YMCA of Coon Rapids, Mercy Hospital Foundation, and the Boy Scouts of America. As a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, he dedicates a significant amount of his time supporting the men and women in today’s military through his involvement and leadership in the Patriot Guard Riders and the Tribute to the Troops organizations.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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