The 30th Annual Park City Area Board of Realtors award ceremony April 29 carried on a tradition begun several years ago to recognize contributions over sales performance, president Mark Seltenrich said Tuesday.

For example, the coveted Realtor of the Year award used to be called something like “Salesperson of the Year,” he said. The shift in priorities began long before the recession began, but was accentuated last Thursday by the absence of the Distinguished New Member award usually determined by sales performance and the introduction of the new Meritorious Service Award.

Realtor of the Year

Kathy Mears with Summit Sotheby’s International Real Estate is the 2009 Realtor of the Year.

Presenting the award Seltenrich said Mears “has achieved every measure of success offered by the Park City real estate community” and recognized her service on the Snyderville Basin Open Space Committee.

In an interview Monday, Mears said to be honored by one’s peers is a humbling experience, especially considering so many are worthy of the recognition.

“Most Park City Realtors are involved one way or another in their community. You can find them in civic or church groups working on issues like trails or open space,” she said.

In addition to all the people serving on committees, many even serve in elected office. Park City is filled with “high-caliber” Realtors, she said.

Her favorite aspect of the profession is mingling with those colleagues as well as with the people who come to invest in this community each of whom has enhanced her life, Mears said.

In more than 20 years as a Park City Realtor, Mears said she’s most proud of her three-and-a-half years on the association’s board of directors and almost four years on the open space committee that has secured large tracts at Kimball Junction and Round Valley to protect the community’s entry corridor, she said.

Looking to the future, Mears said she believes the greatest challenge facing her profession is to remain optimistic about the future, but also that the resiliency of the local market has convinced her Park City will always rebound well from setbacks, she added.

Service to the community awards

The ceremony began with the presentation of the Community Service Award to Spencer F. and Lisa Eccles, who head the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation and who own the Goldener Hirsch Inn. The foundation has or continues to support the Egyptian Theater, National Ability Center, Park City Historical Society, Park City Medical Center, People’s Health Clinic and more, said presenter Jess Reid.

The brand-new Meritorious Service Award was given to every chair and co-chair, past and present, of the Luxury Home Tour that raises money for the Peace House.

The tour began in 1982 and has benefited the local shelter since 1995. Recipients included Sandra Vogt, Mike Varoz, Patti Stires, Karen Kasperick, Cindy Stoltman, Ginny Schulman, Vickie Burgess-Keene, Cathy Ahlers, Renee Wood, Pam Crowe-Weisberg, Margaret Plavocos, Barb and Brent Sanford, Kacy Quinley, Denese and Kim Peterson, Bill Blair, Susan Catenacci, Deanna Carter, Rebecca Page, Carlyle Morris, Cathy MacIntosh, Ann MacQuoid, Bridgett Murphy, and Peace House officers Jane Patten and Jean Jensen.

Service to the profession awards

The Director’s Award, given by the board of directors, recognizes someone who has made significant contributions to the industry. It isn’t always given annually, and the recipient does not have to be a Realtor. At times, it resembles a “lifetime achievement award,” Seltenrich said.

That’s a fair comparison this year, he said, because it went to Jim Lewis.

A Park City Realtor since 1981, he founded Lewis, Wolcott & Dornbush Real Estate in 1992 before selling in 2008 to Summit Sotheby’s International Realty, which he now heads.

Lewis helped raise money for the Salt Lake City Olympic bid as an original member of the Olympic Organizing Committee. He then serviced on the board of the Utah Winter Games. He has also participated on the boards of Zions Bank and the Park City Ski Education Association and was a founder of the Park City Winter School, Seltenrich said in the presentation.

The Le Roy J. Pia Award (previously Affiliate of the Year) went to Tina Coombs for her service as chair of the Building Balance Golf Tournament for the last three years and service on at least three other committees.

Coombs is a loan officer with Mountain Express Mortgage and a pilot with Skywest Airlines since 2000.

In addition to her service within the industry, Coombs is also a member of the Park City Women’s Business Network and the Park City Ambassadors and a volunteer for multiple local events.

Lastly, the Realtors who earned the fifth-year level of the Professional Achievement Award include Michael Hebert and Chad Mitchell.

Fourth-year recipients include Jeff Coe, Patrick Giblin and Diane Rinehart.

Third-year recipients include Jillene Cahill, Heidi Ingham, JanaLee Jacobsen, Karen Keating, Nancy Tallman, Sandra Vogt, Rob Wells, Laurie Wing and Marcus Wood.

Second-year recipients are Grady Kohler, Mike Mazzone and Heather Peterson.

The first-year recipients are Cathy Ahlers, Michele Cone, Sharon Eastman, Rob Lea and Chris Robinson.

Seltenrich said the criteria for the award is the same every year, and each year it is met the Realtor advances. After five years the person joins the list of Sustaining Masters, which currently is made up of 25 people.


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