GADFly Newsletter – February 2020

In This Issue…

• Schedule Changes for the 2020 REALTORS® Legislative Meeting
• GAD Resources & Information
• RPAC News
• NAR Economic Outlook

Schedule Changes for the 2020 REALTORS® Legislative Meeting

Please note the following schedule changes for the May REALTORS® Legislative Meeting.

Federal Priority Issues Briefing
The Federal Priority Issues Briefing is moving to 4:50 – 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12 immediately following NAR 360 (from its previous 7:00 a.m. Wednesday timeslot.) This important session will now capture a much larger audience already in attendance for NAR 360. In addition, the Legislative Talking Points will be incorporated in NAR 360. These changes are in response to attendee feedback to provide a deeper discussion of legislative issues.

NAR 360
NAR 360 is moving up 15 minutes to 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12. This change provides time for the Federal Priority Issues Briefing immediately following and aligns with the Annual Governance Meetings schedule for NAR 360.

FPC Meetings
Also on Tuesday, May 12, the Federal Political Coordinator Roundtable and the Federal Political Coordinator Breakout Sessions have been flipped. FPCs will hear the big-picture policy overview before they breakout into smaller groups to discuss those initiatives. The Roundtable is scheduled from 12:30 –2:00 p.m. with the Breakout Sessions from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

General Session
The General Session on Wednesday, May 13, will be presented from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. (instead of 8:30 –10:00 a.m.) to allow more time for members to attend other meetings that morning. Details on the theme and speakers for this program are in development.

View the entire schedule of Legislative Meetings.

GAD Resources & Information

Welcome Chrissy Garavaglia!
The Advocacy Group is happy to welcome Christina (Chrissy) Garavaglia as the new Political Advocacy Manager working with the Campaign Services & RPAC Team. Prior to NAR, Chrissy was the Director of Government Affairs for the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors® in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chrissy’s background in politics is extensive and includes senior policy advisor on housing for the city of San Jose, and she managed successful political campaigns and worked on housing policy for a member of the California State Legislature. Chrissy’s email address is cgaravaglia@nar.realtor and her phone number is 202-383-1175.

Planning Your Independent Expenditure Campaign
With primary election season in full swing, it’s time to think about which candidates in your area are REALTOR® Champions, but the clock is ticking. Associations wanting to help state and local candidates with independent expenditure campaigns will need to have funds approved six weeks prior to their primary in order to have the full slate of campaign activities on the table, including direct mail, online ads, phone calls, and more. After that, timelines get narrow and options become limited. If you have a candidate for state or local office you’d like to support this primary season, contact Mitchell Norton ASAP.

Are Your State Legislators or City Council Voting on Real Estate Policy?
Add hundreds (or thousands) of consumers voices to your advocacy efforts. You can target consumers in your state or local communities (or even by zip code). Set up a Consumer Call for Action and make homeowners aware of and ensure they support your real estate legislation. Contact Erin Murphy at 202-383-1079.

Online Campaign Training for REALTOR® Candidates
The online version of the Candidate Training Academy is now free and available to any member or staffer with a NAR Member ID number.  Please encourage any member who is considering a bid for state or local office to check it out. The course is divided into five modules: What it Takes to Run for Office; Writing a Winning Campaign Plan; Developing Your Message or Story; Raising the Money Necessary to Get Your Message Out; and Tactics for Communicating Your Message to Voters. The modules include quizzes, videos, and other interactive features.  For more information or questions, contact John Winston at 202-383-1235.

Can I get a grant for that?
Secure your spot for a 15-minute, one-on-one, Community Outreach Coaching at AEI to learn critical steps to success for developing grant ideas and writing a compelling application. REALTOR® Party Community Outreach grants help your association be leaders in Housing Opportunity, Smart Growth, Placemaking and Fair Housing initiatives and activities.

Take the Lead with Diversity
Enhance the inclusion of diversity in your association and collaborate with local chapters of national multicultural real estate organizations to strengthen your leadership, expand your association’s influence, and engage diverse market perspectives through the updated Diversity and Inclusion Grant program. For more information, contact Fred Underwood.

Bolster Fair Housing Education and Initiatives
Leverage the Fair Housing Grant Program to support fair housing-related education and partnerships with local agencies or organizations that specifically furthers the fair housing mission. For more information

NEW! The Broker Involvement Grant is now the Broker Engagement Grant
The Broker Involvement Grant has been renamed and expanded to the Broker Engagement Grant! As part of the new Broker Engagement Initiative, the grant provides reimbursement of up to $5,000 to local and state associations working to increase broker engagement.  Application due dates for 2020 are March 15, June 15, and September 15. For more information, contact Penelope Evans at 312-329-8267.

RPAC NEWS

2020 President’s Circle Rounds & Deadline
The President’s Circle launched its second round for 2020 on February 25, consisting of eight REALTOR® Champion candidates. The deadline for President’s Circle members to invest their first $500 is May 31, 2020. For more information regarding President’s Circle, contact Avery Walker  at 202-383-1268.

Deadline: RPAC Major Investor Recognition
Make sure you and your members are recognized as RPAC Major Investors in time for the 2020 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C. All RPAC investments must be submitted to the NAR Finance Office no later than Wednesday, April 15, 2020 to meet this deadline. For more deadline information, contact Jackie Zaporowski at 202-383-1029.

2019 Local President’s Cup and Local Triple Crown Winners
Congratulations to the 428 local REALTOR® associations that won the President’s Cup and the 444 local REALTOR® associations that won the Triple Crown! These awards reflect the hard work of local association staff and leaders like yourselves who have met their RPAC and advocacy goals. Please contact Jackie Zaporowski at 202-383-1029 with any questions.

NAR Economic Outlook

For more information on NAR’s Economic Outlook, contact Meredith Dunn at 202-383-1207.

Message from the GAD Chair
Julia Parenteau
GAD Chair
Texas REALTORS^®

Less than one week to Super Tuesday! Get excited y’all, it’s about to get real. Maybe we’ll all be able to watch TV for a day without being bombarded by presidential candidates? A girl can hope anyway.

Last week, NAR held the first 2020 New GAD/AE Advocacy Orientation program at the Washington, D.C. mothership. Nearly 40 New GADs (and 5 AEs!) attended and got an overview of the REALTOR® Party in all its bipartisan, highly resourceful glory. Our new colleagues (pictured here) come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the vast majority have a government affairs background, including legislative, campaign, and communications roles.

It was great to see the group get to know each other over the two days (perhaps forging the beginnings of lifelong friendships!), and dive into the many opportunities that NAR and GAD Nation provide for us to be successful in our advocacy efforts. I hope you will join me in welcoming them to the GAD family. It helps us all to build new relationships and hear fresh perspectives from people who have had different experiences than our own. Say hi to these folks when you see them (and ask them about their theater backgrounds…).

Another good way to get to know your new counterparts is to sign up for the GAD Mentor program. New GADs are given the opportunity to be paired with experienced GADs (GAD Mentors) to help acclimate them to the organization and provide guidance on issues relevant to our job and industry. If you’re interested in participating, just send me an email.

Speaking of new people … if you haven’t heard the news yet, one of our own is heading to Washington. Christina Garavaglia, former GAD at the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS®, has joined NAR as the Political Advocacy Manager. Congratulations, Chrissy!

Finally, it’s time to start thinking about your future. For any state GAD who is considering a run for 2020-2021 GAD Vice Chair, letters of interest are due to Chrissy Garavaglia by April 30, 2020. Per our Policies and Procedures, the Statement of Interest should include your qualifications, reasons for seeking the position, an indication of support from your association executive, and an affirmation of interest in fulfilling the responsibilities of the position. The names of verified candidates will be announced during the GAD meeting at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings. The Vice Chair shall be elected at the GAD Institute by a majority vote of those members present.

Now, get out there and win all those primary elections. I can’t wait to hear about your successes when we meet again in May!

SAVE THE DATE

• REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo
  Washington, DC
  May 11 – 16, 2020
• 2020 GAD Institute
  Registration Opens in May
  Philadelphia, PA