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The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® Global Business Council (SILVAR GBC) was presented the DIAMOND Global Achievement Program Award for 2018 by the National Association of REALTORS® at the Nov. 2-5 REALTORS® Conference & EXPO in Boston. SILVAR President Bill Moody and Executive Officer Paul Cardus accepted the award on behalf of the GBC from NAR Global Business and Alliances Committee Chair Mario Arriaga during the International Night Out dinner on Nov. 3.
The DIAMOND award is the highest level award for global achievement that recognizes those global councils that have consistently performed at the highest level for six years. The award is given to association global councils that have earned PLATINUM status for five consecutive years. SILVAR was honored with the PLATINUM Global Achievement Award for five consecutive years from 2013-2017.
NAR recognized SILVAR GBC as having demonstrated the utmost commitment to helping their members capture their share of the global real estate market in the United States, in addition to connecting their council and members to the global community in their area. The services and resources they have worked hard to provide their members are the benchmarks upon which the standards have been set.
“We are thankful to SILVAR’s Global Business Council for their commitment to enhancing global business opportunities for REALTORS® in their market,” said Jan Hope, NAR Vice President of Commercial & Global Services. “They have done an outstanding job and we are pleased to provide them with the Diamond Global Achievement Program Award.”
The GBC provides SILVAR members information, resources, networking and skills training to enhance their professionalism and success in their local markets with international and multicultural clients and customers. Each year the GBC provides a host of programs related to global real estate, including the Certified International Property Specialist Institute (CIPS).
The CIPS Institute provides training in international business issues, including currency conversion, cultural awareness, legal and tax requirements, transaction principles of international real estate, and specifics about the real estate markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The course is taught by David Wyant, recognized NAR International Instructor of the Year for 2017, 2012 and 2009. There are currently over 4,000 CIPS designees from the U.S. and 35 other countries.
Congratulating the Global Business Council members, SILVAR Executive Officer Paul Cardus said, “The benchmarks for success over the past six years have been the commitment of SILVAR to think globally, the resolute efforts of our Global Business Council.”
Members of this year’s GBC core team are chair Tess Crescini, SILVAR board directors Mark Wong and Joanne Fraser, Mitra Lahidji, Atsuko Yube, past president David Tonna, Alicia Sandoval, Jimmy Kang, Ketan Jashapara, Daisy Wong and Lisa Wendl. Past chairs who led the team in obtaining past PLATINUM awards are Jennifer Tasto, Davena Gentry and Mark Wong.
Other REALTOR® associations earning DIAMOND status are Houston Association of REALTORS®, Arcadia Association of REALTORS® and Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association, REALTOR® Association of the Palm Beaches and Greater Ford Lauderdale (2017) and Miami Association of REALTORS® (2016).
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR), presented scholarship awards to 18 graduating seniors from public high schools in Silicon Valley at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Each recipient received a $1,000 scholarship.
Now on its 18th year, Charitable Foundation’s scholars program recognizes students who have exemplified outstanding achievements in academics, extracurricular/employment activities and community involvement. The selection committee includes representatives from the local business community, area high schools, area colleges and SILVAR.
Students who received scholarships, the schools from which they graduated, and the colleges and universities they plan to attend are: Manasa Gogineni, Cupertino High School (UC Davis); Meryem Esa, Fremont High School (Santa Clara University); Archer Olson, Gunn High School (UC Berkeley); Yu-Ying Chua, Homestead High School (UCLA); Madeleine Gibbons-Shapiro, Leigh High School (Georgetown University); Simge Yildiz, Los Altos High School (UC Davis); Ginger Wang Brown, Los Gatos High School (Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo); Carolyn Zhong, Lynbrook High School (Carnegie Mellon University); Megan McDonnell, Menlo-Atherton High School (Northwestern University); Lucas Chang, Monta Vista High School (Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo); Shayla Joy Tonge, Mountain View High School (Chapman University); Zoe Dellaert, Palo Alto High School (University of Chicago); Aryan D’Rozario, Prospect High School (UC Santa Cruz); Megan Bettencourt, Santa Clara High School (UC Davis); Julie Cai, Saratoga High School (New York University); Ariana Sadar Ghahary, Westmont High School (UC San Diego); Poojita Dasika, Wilcox High School (UCLA); and Rogelio U. Sanchez, Woodside High School (UC Riverside).
“The seniors selected this year are very deserving of recognition not only because of their academic accomplishments, but also for their contributions to their communities,” said Charitable Foundation Scholarship Chair Nina Yamaguchi. “We are happy we are able to assist the deserving winners in the beginning of their college careers.”
The Charitable Foundation thanks the following members who presented the scholarships to the recipients at their respective senior award ceremonies: Chris Alston (Keller Williams), Mark Burns (Referral Realty), Nina Daruwalla (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage), Mary Kay Groth (Sereno Group), Penelope Huang (Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty), Young Jacob (Intero Real Estate Services), Theresa Loya (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage), Bill Moody (Referral Realty), Russell Morris (Coldwell Banker), Moise Nahouraii (Referral Realty), Jose Padilla (Alain Pinel Realtors), Robert Reid (Keller Williams), Mary Tan (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage), David Tonna (Alain Pinel Realtors) and Denise Welsh (Alain Pinel Realtors).
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SEE 2017 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HERE

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Top left to right: 2016 REALTOR® of the Year David Tonna, Affiliate of the Year Eric Temple, Spirit of SILVAR Nina Yamaguchi. Bottom left to right: 2016 C.A.R. Region 9 Chair David Tonna, President’s Award Paul Cardus, President’s Award Brett Caviness
At the installation of the 2017 leadership of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) on Jan. 19, special recognition awards were given to members for their valuable contributions in 2016. Presenting the following awards were SILVAR 2016 President Karen Trolan and Executive Officer Paul Cardus.
2016 REALTOR® of the Year: David Tonna (Alain Pinel Realtors, Los Gatos)
A REALTOR® for almost 30 years, Trolan noted there is not a committee in which David Tonna has not served or chaired, from Lock Box Selection, MLS Advisory, PRDS Forms Advisory, Budget and Finance, the Legislative Committee, Education/Membership, Tour Policy and Sign Ordinance, Global Business Council, the Board of Directors and C.A.R. Region 9. Tonna helped found the Bay Area REALTOR® Leadership Academy (BARLA) and initiated SILVAR’s Ombudsman program. His service to communities includes RSVP, Little League Baseball, AYSO soccer, his local school board, and his church.
Tonna was also recognized for his work as the local trade association’s 2016 California Association of REALTORS® Region 9 Chair.
2016 Affiliate of the Year: Eric Temple (Willow Glen Organics, San Jose)
Describing 2016 SILVAR Affiliate Chair Eric Temple, Trolan said, “He has proven to be a dedicated workhorse and a great ambassador for our Association.” In 2016, Temple was successful in bringing SILVAR’s affiliated professionals together so they could learn about their role, benefits and opportunities as members of SILVAR. Temple also spearheaded and worked hard to bring to his District other successful events and fundraisers, like bowling and the annual member ice cream social.
Spirit of SILVAR: Nina Yamaguchi (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Cupertino) As one of the leaders in real estate in Silicon Valley who began her real estate career over 40 years ago, Trolan noted Nina Yamaguchi to this day continually works behind the scenes for the success of the Association. Yamaguchi is a past president of SILVAR and was a longtime California Association of REALTORS® Director. Yamaguchi, who believes in giving back to the community, founded and chairs the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation Scholars Program, a program that has been close to her heart for nearly two decades.
Upon its 18th year this fall, the scholars program will have provided $324,000 to more than 300 students in Silicon Valley who have been recipients of the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation Scholars Program.
President’s Award:
Brett Caviness (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Menlo Park)
Paul Cardus (SILVAR Executive Officer)
The President’s Award is presented at the discretion of the president to an individual who’s service to the Association is worthy of special thanks and recognition. Trolan presented the first President’s award to SILVAR Executive Officer Paul Cardus. She thanked him for the tremendous support and guidance he had given her in her role as president last year.
Trolan presented the second President’s Award to Brett Caviness for his service as chair of the Menlo Park/Atherton District. She said as 2016 chair of the Menlo Park/Atherton District, Caviness, who is a new REALTOR®, worked hard to raise member attendance at the District’s monthly meetings by bringing in many interesting speakers. Caviness has also helped members be more in touch with technology, especially in the area of video marketing, with classes at SILVAR.

SILVAR Past President David Tonna presented the scholarship award to Yun Seo (Jennifer) Kim, graduating senior from Saratoga High School.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation presented scholarship awards to 18 graduating seniors from public high schools in Silicon Valley at the end of the 2014-2015 school year. Each student received a $1,000 scholarship.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation is the charitable arm of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®, the local trade organization representing over 4,500 Realtors and affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. The Charitable Foundation’s REALTOR® scholarship program recognizes students who have exemplified outstanding achievements in academics, extracurricular/employment activities and community involvement. The selection committee includes representatives from the local business community, area high schools, area colleges and the local trade association.
Students who received scholarships, the schools from which they graduated, and the colleges and universities they plan to attend are: Greg Pommier, Cupertino High School (UC Berkeley); Brianna Clarice Clark, Fremont High School (Tuskegee University); Daniel Rothenberg, Gunn High School (San Francisco State University); Arisa Ananda Faron, Homestead High School (Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo); Aleksandra Vojvodic, Leigh High School (UCLA); Jhosseline Guardado, Los Altos High School (UC Davis); Laurel Michelle Finkle, Los Gatos High School (UCLA); Jessica Zheng, Lynbrook High School (Princeton University); Caroline Kelly, Menlo-Atherton High School (University of Michigan); James Mullen, Monta Vista High School (UCLA); Marisa Noelle Gong, Mountain View High School (Washington University in St. Louis); Promise Lee, Palo Alto High School (UC Davis); Kevin Wei, Prospect High School (UC San Diego); Vicente Lozano Lovelace, Santa Clara High School (UC Santa Cruz); Yun Seo (Jennifer) Kim, Saratoga High School (New York University); Tuyen Nguyen, Westmont High School (UC Santa Cruz); Rachanon Wajanakunakorn, Wilcox High School (Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo); and Rachel Bontempi, Woodside High School (UC San Diego).
“Our selection committee makes its selections based not only on superior academic accomplishments, but we also look for excellent students who contribute to their communities. The seniors selected for the Charitable Foundation scholarship program are deserving of recognition and we are very happy we can assist them as they embark on their college careers,” said scholarship program chair Nina Yamaguchi.
“Now on its 16th year, the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Scholarship Program is one way REALTORS® are able to give back to the community and to our youth,” added John Tripp, 2015 president of the Realtor Charitable Foundation. “We thank the teachers and staff in each of the participating high schools for helping make this program a success. The program is truly a partnership effort between the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation and the dedicated educators in our service area.”
Members of the REALTOR® group who presented the scholarships to the recipients during their school’s senior awards night were Chris Alston (Keller Williams), Fe Manzano (Century 21 M&M and Associates ), Jimmy Kang (PNC Mortgage), Nina Daruwalla (Coldwell Banker), Cassie Maas (Alain Pinel Realtors), Dani Fletcher (Sereno Group), Suzanne Yost (Alain Pinel Realtors), Mark Burns (Referral Realty), Mary Tan (Coldwell Banker), Robert Reid (Keller Williams), Sue Bose (Referral Realty), David Tonna (Alain Pinel Realtors), Russell Morris (Coldwell Banker) and Theresa Loya (Coldwell Banker).
Since the program started, the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation has provided $288,000 in scholarships to students in the communities served by members SILVAR. The scholarships are made possible by donations from REALTOR® and affiliate members of SILVAR.