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At the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® virtual installation ceremony on Feb. 4, the association recognized members for their valuable contribution to the association and community in the past year. The 2020 SILVAR Appreciation Awards were presented by 2020 SILVAR President Mary Kay Groth and CEO Paul Cardus.
Mary Kay Groth, a REALTOR® with Sereno Los Gatos and resident of the town, was named 2020 REALTOR® of the Year. The prestigious award is bestowed on a member who continually demonstrates skills, competency, knowledge and selfless service to the public, clients and to SILVAR.
Presenting the award to Groth, Cardus noted 2020, the 25th anniversary of SILVAR, was a year unlike any other. “The worldwide global pandemic and a national reckoning with injustice and inequality reached deep into the Realtor family. It tested bonds, but ultimately underscored the tenacity, spirit and commitment of Realtors who embraced the challenges at hand.”
Cardus praised Groth for her “gracious servant leadership, her authenticity, empathy and compassion.” He said as 2020 president of SILVAR, Groth “showed resilience in the face of adversity and trailblazing leadership by listening and responding to the needs of our members, communities and association. She found strength and inspiration in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ‘everybody can be great…because anybody can serve… You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.'”
Recognized by Groth were Kyle Chuang, Affiliate of the Year; Brian Chancellor, Spirit of SILVAR. Eileen Giorgi received the President’s award.
Groth said Chuang, a Farmers Insurance agent, is a regular sponsor and participant in association events, where he shares his knowledge and updates on the changing world of insurance. She described Chuang as a “hardworking, hands-on leader and a great proponent of our association.”
“His willingness to help where needed enhances the image of our association and our Realtor and affiliated professional members. ‘Treat people how you want to be treated’ is his personal motto,” said Groth.
The Spirit of SILVAR award is bestowed to a REALTOR® who reflects the association’s commitment to supporting and contributing to the communities it serves. Groth described Chancellor, who is vice president of Experience at Sereno Palo Alto, as “a man of great integrity.” She said Chancellor’s continued community service activities have proven his dedication to making the community a better place.
Chancellor served nine years on the board of Child Advocates of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties and six years on the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation board. He has served as a mentor (initially through the Big Brother and Big Sister Program) for young African American males in East Palo Alto without fathers and continues to stay in touch with and support them today. He is serving his fifth year on the Palo Alto Community Fund board and in the Leadership Circle of donors to Partners in Education.
“Through his service, actions and support, he provides a voice to those in our communities who we too often don’t hear, engage or respect,” said Groth.
The President’s award is presented to an individual whose service to the association is worthy of special thanks and recognition. Groth said Giorgi, a REALTOR® with Sereno Los Gatos, has been an integral part of volunteer work at SILVAR for many years, serving in various capacities, as a board director, president of the association’s charitable foundation, chair of the REALTOR® Volunteer Service Program, and on the Los Gatos-Saratoga district council.
“As I became involved with SILVAR, she was a discreet cheerleader and encourager, a good sounding board and one who always served without expectation of recognition. Her heart is one that gives willingly and selflessly,” said Groth.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation donated $41,618 in 2019 to different non-profit organizations that help homeless and low-income individuals and families in Silicon Valley. Funds this year also went to scholarships for graduating seniors from 18 public high schools in the REALTOR® association’s service area.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation is a trust that makes grants available to organizations from donations by REALTORS® and affiliate members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR). In addition to voluntary contributions from members, grants are funded by proceeds from the local trade association’s district fundraisers. In 2019, SILVAR’s Los Altos-Mountain View District annual pumpkin auction in October raised $5,005, which the district donated to the foundation. Net proceeds of $1,786 from the Los Gatos-Saratoga District’s annual bocce ball tournament were also donated to the foundation.
“Rising home prices and rents have taken a toll on many residents. We are very concerned that more people are being displaced and are homeless in Silicon Valley,” said Eileen Giorgi, president of the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation. “We thank our members for their continued support and contributions to the communities where they work and live. With their help we are thankful that we are able to continue our commitment to the welfare and prosperity of these communities.”
The 2019 grant recipients include Adolescent Counseling Services, which provides a network of skilled family therapists and support groups for teens and young adults in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties; East Palo Alto Kids Foundation, which promotes educational opportunities for students in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park; Westwind 4-H Riding for the Handicapped, which provides children with disabilities the opportunity to have fun while improving their coordination and strengthening their muscles; Youth Community Service, which provides service learning and leadership activities to underserved students in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Palo Alto; and Jasper Ridge Farm, which helps children and adults facing physical and emotional challenges through therapeutic interaction with gentle farm animals.
SILVAR districts, through the Charitable Foundation, likewise made donations to local organizations in 2019. The Los Gatos-Saratoga District donated $5,335 raised at the district’s annual pumpkin auction to the Family Giving Tree’s Operation Reindeer program for holiday gifts, including clothing essentials and food certificates, to needy families and seniors in the community. The Cupertino-Sunnyvale District presented $750 each to West Valley Community Services and Sunnyvale Community Services for their respective Back to School programs for low-income students. The Los Altos-Mountain View District spring and fall legal updates raised $1,783, which the district donated to Community Services Agency, which provides a variety of social services like emergency one-time rent and utility financial support, vouchers for clothing, eyeglasses, school supplies, food and more for residents of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.
In 2019, the Charitable Foundation Scholars Program presented a $1,000 grant to each of 18 graduating seniors from public high schools in Silicon Valley. The foundation has been assisting students with the scholarship grants for the past 20 years, awarding a total of $360,000 in scholarships to date. In 2020, the scholarship grant will increase to $1,500.
The Charitable Foundation also supports further education for U.S. veterans. The John Tripp Silicon Valley Scholarship grants $500 awards to veterans enrolled at Foothill and De Anza colleges. In 2016, the foundation presented $25,000 to Foothill-De Anza Foundation, an auxiliary organization of the Foothill-De Anza Community Colleges District for the creation of the endowment. The late John Tripp was a veteran of the Korean War and past president of SILVAR and the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation. The foundation will be establishing another veterans scholarship at West Valley College.
SILVAR President Bill Moody presented the Charitable Foundation scholarship award to Annacy Sampas, a graduating senior from Leigh High School.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR), is awarding $1,000 scholarships to each of 18 graduating seniors from public high schools in Silicon Valley for the 2017-2018 school year. SILVAR REALTORS® are presenting the awards to the recipients at their school’s senior awards night.
The scholarship awards are made possible by donations from REALTOR® and affiliate members of SILVAR. Now in its 19th year, the Charitable Foundation has presented $342,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors from high schools located in the communities served by SILVAR members.
The 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: Kelsey Bohannon, Cupertino High School (Northeastern University); Li Qing Loo, Fremont High School (Tufts University); Emma Chiao, Gunn High School (Swarthmore College); Emily Korn, Homestead High School (Willamette University); Annacy Sampas, Leigh High School (Santa Clara University); Jodie Bhattacharya, Los Altos High School (Stanford University); Shomil Jain, Los Gatos High School (UC Berkeley); Anastasiya Poplavska, Lynbrook High School (Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo); Joseph Lohmann, Menlo-Atherton High School (University of Pennsylvania); Sydney Olay, Monta Vista High School (Cal Poly – Pomona); Cathy Xuan Zhang, Mountain View High School (Stanford University); Naima Castaneda Isaac, Palo Alto High School (Spelman College); Aditi Garg, Prospect High School (Scripps College); Kelly Koh, Santa Clara High School (University of Southern California); Dean Stratakos, Saratoga High School (Stanford University); Karissa Yau, Westmont High School (Stanford University); Michelle Mathew, Wilcox High School (UC Berkeley); and Alexander Caceres, Woodside High School (Oberlin College).
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation donated $49,203 in 2017 to non-profit organizations that help homeless and low-income individuals and families in Silicon Valley. Funds this year also went to scholarships for graduating seniors from public high schools in the region. This was also the first year funds were disbursed from The John Tripp Silicon Valley REALTORS® Veterans Scholarship Endowment to a student at Foothill College and at DeAnza College, with each student receiving $500.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation is a trust that makes grants available to organizations from donations by REALTORS® and affiliate members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR). The foundation grants are also funded by proceeds from SILVAR’s District fundraisers, like the annual Los Gatos-Saratoga District’s bocce ball tournament, which raised $3,362, and the Los Altos-Mountain View District’s annual pumpkin auction, which raised over $5,000 this year.
“We are thankful that with our members’ continued support we are able to continue our commitment to the welfare of the communities where our members work and live,” said Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation President Eileen Giorgi. “We thank our members for supporting the Foundation year after year.”
The 2017 Charitable Foundation grant recipients include Community Services Agency, which provides social services for residents of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills; East Palo Alto Kids Foundation, which promotes educational opportunities for students in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park; Family Connections, which offers a tuition free cooperative preschool program for low-income children in San Mateo County; My New Red Shoes, which provides homeless and low-income children new clothing and shoes at the start of the school year; and Housing Trust Silicon Valley, which makes loans and grants for first-time homebuyers.
Also in 2017, the Charitable Foundation presented a $1,000 scholarship grant to each of 18 graduating seniors from public high schools in Silicon Valley. Since its creation 18 years ago, the program has presented a total of $324,000 in scholarships to Silicon Valley youth. SILVAR’s districts, through the Charitable Foundation, also donate to their local community nonprofit groups. 2017 District donations included $5,257 raised at the annual Los Gatos-Saratoga District pumpkin auction for Operation Reindeer (Family Giving Tree); $2,000 to the Cupertino Education Endowment Foundation and $750 respectively to West Valley Community Services and Sunnyvale Community Services from the Cupertino-Sunnyvale District; and $946 from the Los Altos-Mountain View District’s Legal Update sessions to Community Services Agency.
SILVAR represents over 5,000 REALTORS® and affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. Serving on the foundation’s board of trustees are Giorgi, Phyllis Carmichael, Chris Isaacson, Karen Trolan, Denise Welsh and Paul Cardus.
2017 Los Gatos/Saratoga District Chair Mary Kay Groth passes the gavel on to 2018 District Chair Ryan Nunnally.a caption
Ryan Nunnally, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Bay Area Estates, was installed on Wednesday night as 2018 chair of SILVAR’s Los Gatos-Saratoga District. More than 90 SILVAR members and guests attended the District’s annual Holiday Reception and Installation held at La Rinconada Golf & Country Club in Los Gatos. The evening also gave members an opportunity to celebrate the year’s achievements and welcome the holiday season.
2017 District Chair Mary Kay Groth welcomed everyone and before relinquishing the position, mentioned she was very grateful for the opportunity to have served the District and glad she had stepped up and got involved in organized real estate. Groth urged SILVAR members to get involved and heed the Calls for Action from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.).
“It’s good we stay involved as REALTORS®. Please answer the Call for Actions because it is important to our business,” said Groth.
Noting getting involved in organized real estate, while it has many rewards, is also a time commitment, Groth thanked the members of this year’s District Council for helping her with the tour meetings and events this year. They include Alan Barbic, Shawn Carroll, Pelin Erdal, Eileen Giorgi, Audrey Hutton, Nunnally, David Tonna and Suzanne Yost.
Then, in keeping with the District’s tradition, past District chairs who were present were asked to come forward and pass the gavel on to the incoming District chair. The gavel was passed from Marlene Rodman to Jeff Barnett, Dennis Byron, David Tonna, Mark Von Kaenel, Karen Trolan, Alan Barbic, Suzanne Yost, and on to Groth, who then handed it to Nunnally.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation donated $93,000 in 2016 to non-profit organizations that help the homeless and low-income individuals and families in Silicon Valley. Funds this year also went to scholarships for graduating seniors from public high schools in the region.
The Charitable Foundation is a trust which makes grants available to organizations from donations by REALTORS® and affiliate members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR). In addition to voluntary contributions from members, grants are funded by proceeds from the local trade association’s district fundraisers, like the Los Gatos/Saratoga District Annual Bocce Ball Tournament and the Los Altos/Mountain View District Annual Pumpkin Auction. SILVAR represents over 5,000 REALTORS® and affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay.
The 2016 Charitable Foundation grant recipients include Adolescent Counseling Services, which provides a network of skilled family therapists and support groups for teens and young adults in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties; Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, which seeks to provide stability to children who have experienced abuse and neglect; East Palo Alto Kids Foundation, which promotes educational opportunities for students in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park; Friends of Deer Hollow Farm, an educational farm located in the Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve; JustRead, a cross-generational program composed of retired professionals who teach reading and writing basics to students who did not learn these skills in earlier grades; LifeMoves, which provides services to enable the homeless to return to stable housing and self-sufficiency; Westwind 4-H Riding for the Handicapped, which provides children with disabilities the opportunity to have fun while improving their coordination and strengthening their muscles; and Youth Community Services, which provides service learning and leadership activities to underserved students in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Palo Alto.
From money raised to support further education for U.S. veterans, the Charitable Foundation presented $10,000 each to Palo Alto University and West Valley Community College, and $25,000 to Foothill-De Anza Foundation, an auxiliary organization of the Foothill-De Anza Community Colleges District for the creation of “The John Tripp – Silicon Valley REALTORS® Veterans Scholarship Endowment.” The late John Tripp was a veteran of the Korean War and past president of SILVAR and the Charitable Foundation.
As part of its annual scholarship program, the Charitable Foundation presented a $1,000 grant to each of 18 graduating seniors from public high schools in Silicon Valley. The foundation has been assisting students with the scholarship grants for the past 17 years. SILVAR’s districts, through the Foundation, also donated $6,195 raised at the annual Los Gatos/Saratoga District Pumpkin Auction to the Family Giving Tree for Operation Reindeer; $1,350 each to the West Valley Community Services and Sunnyvale Community Services backpack programs for needy students and $1,000 to the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation raised by the Cupertino/Sunnyvale District; and $1,797 raised by the Los Altos/Mountain View District at its spring and fall Legal Updates to Community Services Agency.
“It has become more costly to live in Silicon Valley, so we thank our members for being so generous in supporting the foundation year after year,” said Eileen Giorgi, president of the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation. “With our members’ continued support for and contributions to the communities where they work and live, we are able to continue our commitment to the welfare and prosperity of these communities.”
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation this week presented West Valley College President Bradley Davis with a check for $10,000 to provide assistance to U.S. veterans through the SILVAR Veterans Scholarship Fund.
The Foundation is the charitable arm of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR), a professional trade organization representing over 4,500 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The SILVAR Veterans Scholarship Fund is designed to support eligible U.S. veterans residing in SILVAR’s traditional service area who wish to further their education. Funds for the scholarship fund were raised at SILVAR’s 2015 “REALTORS® Honor Veterans” event from donations made by members and friends of SILVAR, including a generous grant from the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® President Karen Trolan thanked members for their generosity. She said money veterans receive from the GI Bill is not enough to afford a college education. She noted she was impressed with the help West Valley College extends to veterans.
Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation President Eileen Giorgi also thanked members for their support of last year’s event and their contributions to the Charitable Foundation. “The SILVAR Veterans Scholarship Fund is our way of supporting our veterans, to thank them for their brave and invaluable service to our country, and to help them be successful,” said Giorgi.
Davis expressed his gratitude on behalf of West Valley College. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your donation will help our veterans tremendously,” said David. He said the grant will go a long way to assisting veterans with tuition, books and supplies for their studies.
At the August Palo Alto District tour meeting, the Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the Silicon valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) presented Palo Alto University with a check for $10,000 to provide assistance to U.S. veterans through the SILVAR Veterans Scholarship Fund.
The SILVAR Veterans Scholarship Fund is designed to support eligible U.S. veterans residing in SILVAR’s traditional service area who wish to further their education. Funds for the scholarship fund were raised at SILVAR’s 2015 “REALTORS® Honor Veterans” event from donations made by members and friends of SILVAR, including a generous grant from the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation President Eileen Giorgi thanked members for their generosity and Palo Alto University for assisting the country’s veterans. “Thank you for your commitment to help our veterans achieve their goals. The SILVAR Veterans Scholarship Fund is our way of supporting our veterans, to thank them for their brave and invaluable service to our country, and to help them be successful,” said Giorgi.
Representing Palo Alto University at the presentation were Dr. Maureen O’Connor, president of Palo Alto University; Elizabeth Shaughnessy, director of Advancement; Derrick Felton, Board of Trustees and counselor, Veteran Affairs; Teresa Lee, executive assistant to the Provost & Director, Military/Veteran Student Services; and Jo Harvey, Advancement associate.
