Two Islanders Feted for Their Accomplishments By New York State Association of REALTORS®

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (Feb. 20, 2018) –  Two Staten Islanders were recently honored by the New York State Association of REALTORS^® (NYSAR) for exemplary service.

Sari Kingsley received the 2017 Lawrence B. Caldwell RPAC Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by the REALTORS^® Political Action Committee (RPAC) of New York. John Vernazza was presented with NYSAR’s 2017 REALTOR^® of the Year Award, which was initially announced last October.

The awards were presented during NYSAR’s Mid-Winter Business Meetings in Albany.

SARI KINGSLEY

Mrs. Kingsley has been broker/owner of Sari Kingsley Real Estate on Staten Island for 37 years.

Active within the Staten Island Board of REALTORS^® (SIBOR), she has served two terms as president (2004-2005).

Mrs. Kingsley founded the SIBOR Global Council and helped create the Annual Global Real Estate Summit more than a decade ago. She was instrumental in bringing the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) “Ambassador Association for Israel” designation to SIBOR.

In addition, she served as the NAR President’s Liaison to Israel, 2014 to 2017.

Mrs. Kingsley has been recognized as SIBOR’s REALTOR^® of the Year and has been honored with SIBOR’s William (Bill) Coull REALTOR^® Service Award.

She was inducted into the prestigious NAR RPAC Hall of Fame in 2017, and prior to that was inducted into the RPAC of New York Hall of Fame in 2013. Mrs. Kingsley has been an RPAC Major Investor for the past 19 consecutive years and a President’s Circle member since 2014.

JOHN VERNAZZA

A REALTOR^® for nearly two decades, Vernazza is the broker/owner of Vernazza Real Estate.

Vernazza is the 60^th recipient of the REALTOR^® of the Year award, which recognizes outstanding service to the REALTOR^® organization at the local, state and national levels, a strict adherence to the high principles of the National Association of REALTORS^® Code of Ethics, and a commitment to civic activity and business accomplishments.

When it was decided in October 2017 that Vernazza was to be the award recipient, 2017 NYSAR President Dawn Carpenter said, “A leader in his real estate business, within the REALTOR^® organization and throughout his community, John Vernazza is greatly deserving of this honor. …”

Vernazza is an active member and 2009 past president of SIBOR. He chaired several committees and was named SIBOR’s REALTOR^® of the Year in 2010 and SIBOR’s REALTOR^® Associate of the Year in 2004.

On the state level, Vernazza has served as a director since 2008. He was the Regional Vice President for the Metro Region in 2015-2016. He also served on variety of NYSAR committees, and as a Broker Involvement Council State Representative.

Vernazza has served as a Federal Political Coordinator for New York’s 11^th Congressional District on behalf of NAR. He is a past member of the NYSAR REALTORS^® Honor Society and a Sterling “R” RPAC contributor. He also served as a director for the NAR, and on its Conventional Finance and Lending Committee.

Active on Staten Island, Vernazza is the president-elect of the South Shore Rotary Club. He is a past recipient of the Rotarian-of-the-Year and Car Rosenberger Rotary Service-Above-Self awards.

In 2014, he was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow, the most prestigious award a Rotarian can receive. He is also a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life, and the Staten Island Zoo, and is a former director with the Staten Island Center for Independent Living.

About the Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR)

Established in 1915, the Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR) is the largest professional and trade association in Staten Island, N.Y.

SIBOR exists to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically, and promote the preservation of the public’s right to own, transfer and use real property.

Comprised of more than 1,900 members, SIBOR serves real estate agents, brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and surrounding areas.

SIBOR is the provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service Inc. (SIMLS), which works as a clearinghouse through which more than 250 local real estate firms exchange information on properties they have listed for sale. Together, its members participate in over 5,000 real estate transactions every year.

All SIBOR Realtors belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

SIBOR may be reached at 718-928-3220 and viewed online at SIBORREALTORS.com. SIBOR may also be visited on Facebook at “Staten Island Board of Realtors” and on Twitter via @SIBOR.

Media Contact: Barton Horowitz
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