Las Vegas Realtors presented its annual awards this month to some of its leading and longtime members.
LVR (formerly known as the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors) presented its awards during an in-person event at the Four Seasons on the Las Vegas Strip on June 3, marking its first such event since the pandemic started.
“The association normally recognizes its exceptional leaders during the installation of its incoming president,” 2021 LVR President Aldo Martinez said. “However, in 2020, COVID-19 changed that tradition. Therefore, when the restrictions lifted, we didn’t want those who sacrificed and volunteered so much of their time to go unrecognized.”
LVR bestowed the following awards, listed in the order in which they were presented:
■ Julie Youngblood — Ronn Reiss Award for educational excellence and leadership.
■ Lee Barrett — Gene Nebeker Memorial Award for professionalism and service to LVR and the community. Barrett was also named LVR’s 2020 Instructor of the Year.
■ Vandana Bhalla — Frank Sala/Marv Rubin Award (formerly called the Frank Sala Award and now also honoring longtime LVR leader Marv Rubin) recognizing long-term commitment to grassroots political action and to protecting private property rights.
■ Devin Reiss — Jack Woodcock Distinguished Service Award.
■ Nevada State Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, Keith Lynam and Chris Bishop — LVR Hall of Fame inductees.
■ Tom Blanchard — LVR’s president in 2020 was honored with the association’s Realtor of the Year Award, continuing a tradition dating to 2015.
Las Vegas Realtors (formerly known as GLVAR) was founded in 1947 and provides its more than 16,500 local members with education, training and political representation. The local representative of the National Association of Realtors, LVR is the largest professional organization in Southern Nevada. Each member receives the highest level of professional training and must abide by a strict code of ethics. For more information, visit LasVegasRealtor.com.