Member Spotlight

After a 50-year career in real estate, John Baker led his final class for the Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service on Oct. 14. He hopes his experiences will continue to benefit the next generation of REALTORS®.

Over the last year, Jenny Morrow has served as MVAR board president, advocating on behalf of the industry while helping to increase the association’s membership and engagement.

What started with childhood Monopoly games and hard-earned lessons from his father became a lifelong career in commercial real estate for Salem broker Ian Levin. Today, as principal broker of Nathan Levin Co., Levin helps clients navigate investment decisions, manage risk, and build generational wealth.

If success in real estate is driven by building relationships, then Jordan Hill is no doubt made of the right stuff. A self-described extrovert, Hill says she is most energized being around people. Her friendly and outgoing personality naturally lends itself to the real estate industry, where she leads Hilltop Property Group with eXp Realty, LLC in Salem.

Two years ago, as Katy Voves and Allie Saunders were working around the clock to start their own real estate brokerage in Salem, one question kept coming up in conversations with friends and colleagues: “Are we crazy?”Of course, they were kidding. Or were they?

Jenny Pakula’s career has spanned criminal prosecution, real estate, and association leadership, giving her a unique perspective on the challenges facing today’s REALTORS®. As CEO of Oregon REALTORS®, she is helping members navigate industry change while advocating for policies that protect homeownership and strengthen the profession across the state.

Judy Gysin and her husband, Greg, are principal brokers with The Gysin Group at Premiere Property Group LLC in Salem. Earlier this year, she was asked by MVAR to represent our industry on a task force with Cherriots, the local mass transit district.

The story of how Thuy Chrestenson arrived in the United States from her native Vietnam reads like a classic Hollywood movie script, from the chance encounter with her future husband to their whirlwind romance and life together on a rural Oregon farm.

As the real estate industry adapts to new regulations, technology, and consumer expectations, Windermere Heritage owner Ashleigh Fordham says success depends on staying informed rather than avoiding change.