From Prosecutor to CEO: Jenny Pakula Leads Oregon REALTORS®

The phone rings in the middle of the night, waking Jenny Pakula with unpleasant news. On the line are detectives from the Portland Police Bureau at the scene of a homicide. Understanding the situation, Pakula, a deputy district attorney in Multnomah County, jolts out of bed and heads over immediately to learn from the investigators what has happened.

Pakula remembers this scenario playing out more than a dozen times during her 10-year career at the DA’s Office. The cases were always interesting, “I learned a lot about humanity,” she said, but the job eventually grew tiring, particularly with a baby at home.

Looking for a career change with more predictability and less chaos, Pakula spent six years selling real estate with a local brokerage in Lake Oswego. While attending a Graduate, REALTOR® Institute class, she ran into a former law school classmate, Andrea Bushnell, who at the time was serving as CEO of Oregon REALTORS®.

In 2003, Bushnell hired Pakula as the Deputy CEO and Vice President of Business Development, a position tailor-made for her combined legal and real estate expertise. Pakula took over as CEO of Oregon REALTORS® in 2018, leading the association and its 17,000 members spread across 21 local associations (including MVAR) statewide.

“What REALTORS® do is amazing, helping Oregonians achieve the American dream of homeownership,” she said. “And while they may not realize it, Oregon REALTORS® is advocating all the time on our members’ behalf, focusing on a variety of issues such as land use, taxes, regulatory actions, and the like.

“In addition, we are advocates for buyers and sellers across the state.”

Best of Both Worlds

Pakula grew up near San Francisco before coming to Oregon. She earned her law degree from Lewis & Clark College and passed the bar exam in 1988, landing at the Multnomah County DA’s office where she prosecuted property crimes, drug offenses, and homicides.

“While in the DA’s office, I learned a great deal about gang culture, such as the lifestyle, norms, and very strong loyalty to one another,” she said.

After starting her family, Pakula decided it was time for a change. Her experience as a real estate practitioner and lawyer laid the perfect groundwork for her first position at Oregon REALTORS®.

“It worked out really well,” she said. “I didn’t want to be an attorney billing hours, 100%. I also didn’t want to be selling, 100%.”

Right away with a group of REALTORS®, Pakula was instrumental in forming the Oregon REALTORS® HOME Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity that has provided more than $2 million to organizations dedicated to affordable housing. She also led classes on risk management, business development, and building relationships among the local associations and their members.

Leading Through Change

As CEO, Pakula has helped Oregon REALTORS® navigate several unpredictable challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the recent National Association of REALTORS® legal settlement that now requires buyer-broker agreements.

“Change is hard, but if we’re going to stay relevant and meaningful, we can’t just do status quo,” she said. “It’s a constant for me, trying to see what’s coming down the tracks. Sometimes it’s hard to guess exactly what’s going to happen.”

Pakula praised the dedication she sees from local boards, highlighting instances where members have testified before state lawmakers on significant issues affecting the industry. Local associations are also critical to engage REALTORS® through events and continuing education.

“You have very talented members leading these associations,” she said. “They are committed. They want to be better. They always want to do the right thing.”

Outside of work, Pakula enjoys traveling and walking her two dogs, Deebo and Harper. She has two grown children, and is a diehard fan of the San Francisco 49ers.