Our own Michael Owen received NAR award at convention this weekend!

Congratulations to Michael Owen of Delray Beach, FL, a very active member of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches (RAPB) for receiving the National Association of Realtors 2008 Distinguished Service Award this weekend at the National Convention. Out of 1.2 milllion Realtors, no more than two are recognized with this award each year.

NAR established the DSA in 1979 to honor Realtors(R) who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and are recognized as leaders in their local communities. The award is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive; recipients must be active at the local, state and national association levels, but must not have served as NAR president. NAR President Richard F. Gaylord presented the award to Owen.

"Realtor(R) Michael Owen exemplifies community participation and leadership, both professionally and personally," said Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists, Long Beach, Calif. "Owen's involvement at the national, state, and local levels of the association, as well as his contributions to neighborhoods both close to home and across the globe, demonstrates Realtors(R)' commitment to building communities."

Owen became a Realtor(R) nearly 30 years ago, in 1979. He is currently with Coldwell-Banker in Boca Raton, Fla., and practices both residential and commercial real estate.

"I am honored to accept the Distinguished Service Award," said Owen. "Receiving the award here in my home state of Florida, as we host NAR's national conference, only enhances its significance. I'm fortunate to have worked with so many committed professionals across the country throughout my career as we further our common goals of encouraging homeownership and real estate investment and supporting our communities."

Owen is currently a member of NAR's Board of Directors and has served on the Board nearly every year since 1989. He is the 2009 chair for NAR's Resort and Second Homes Committee. Owen was the NAR Regional Vice President for Region 5 in 1994. Owen has earned numerous designations and certifications, including Accredited Buyer Representative(R), Certified International Property Specialist, Certified Residential Specialist(R), e-Pro(R), and Graduate Realtor(R) Institute.

Owen's extensive NAR committee service includes Economics and Research, Education, Executive, Federal Taxation, Finance, International Operations and Marketing. He was chair of the 1997 Strategic Planning Committee and the 2004 Meeting and Convention Committee, and is a past member of the CIPS Advisory Group. Since 1994, Owen has been a Realtor(R) liaison to various members of Congress, including Reps. Ron Klein, D-Fla.; Clay Shaw, R-Fla.; and Robert Wexler, D-Fla.

Owen was president of the Florida Association of Realtors(R) in 1991, after serving as president-elect, treasurer, and district vice president in 1990, 1989 and 1988, respectively. In 1993, he was named Realtor(R) of the Year by his state peers. Over the past 20 years Owen has served on various FAR committees and task forces, and has chaired many of them, including Executive, FAR Agency, Legal Action Fund, and Nominating.

In 2000, the Realtors(R) Association of the Palm Beaches recognized Owen with its Presidential Award for Service. More than 10 years earlier, in 1989, Owen received the President's Service Award from the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors(R) -- it was the first time the award had ever been presented to a Realtor(R) who was not a member of that local board. Owen served on the Board of Directors for the Boca Raton Association of Realtors(R) from 1982-1987 and for RAPB from 2001-2002. He is also a member of the Women's Council of Realtors(R), Greater Palm Beach County Chapter, and received the Florida WCR Member of the Year award in 1991.

Owen is an active member of his community. He is engaged in the political process, volunteering in support of Realtor(R) candidates in U.S. congressional, state house and senate, and school board campaigns in every election year since 2000. Owen has helped rebuild communities in the U.S. and abroad, participating in the 2005 Tsunami Relief Build in Kao Lak, Phang Nga Province, Thailand; the 2007 Gulf Relief Build in Slidell, La.; and various NAR builds in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando, Fla., and San Francisco. He serves on the Board of Directors to Habitat for Humanity, South Palm Beach County, Fla. Owen served during the Korean War and retired as a first lieutenant in 1966.

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the Web site's "News Media" section in the NAR Media Center. REALTOR(R) is a registered collective membership mark which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS(R) and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS(R). All REALTORS(R) are members of NAR. SOURCE National Association of Realtors