RAHB’s 2016 Board of Directors

Jan 11, 2016 | RAHB News | 0 comments

Kim Alvarez, President

Kim is a Salesperson with Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services and has been a member of RAHB since 2009.  She was elected to the RAHB Board of Directors in 2013.  She has served on the Burlington Council, Young Professionals Network, Communications/GR, MLS® and Government and Bylaw committees. She chaired the Finance Committee and was on the CEO Selection Task Force in 2015.

In serving members, Kim believes strongly in innovation, fiscal responsibility, thorough analysis, transparency, effective communication, equal opportunity and accountability.  Her key strengths are her strategic, critical thinking and communication skills.

Prior to real estate, Kim earned her MBa with a marketing specialization and a B.A. in Political Science. She has taken additional courses in Financial Planning, Architectural Technology and Pure Mathematics. She has worked in a variety of industries including management consulting.   Kim is currently working towards her Broker designation.

Kim believes in building community.  She is a member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, proud supporter of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and assists various charities.

Lou Piriano, President-Elect

Lou is Broker of Record of L. Piriano Real Estate.  He first joined RAHB in 1973; he was elected to the RAHB Board of Directors for the 2014 term and was recently re-elected to the 2016 Board and became  president elect.  Lou chaired the MLS® Committee, Regional Rules Task Force and the Audit Committee last year and was one of RAHB’s representatives on the Regional MLS® Board of Governors.  He has also served on the Finance, Arbitration and Professional Standards committees  and previously  chaired the Technology Task Force.

Lou is in his fifth decade in the real estate profession and believes it is critical to prepare our organization for the rapid oncoming changes in the next few years.   Lou sees serving the members one at a time as a great opportunity to ensure all members are heard equally; he hopes that by offering his knowledge and experience, both members and he can achieve personal and professional growth.  Although Lou has a keen interest in and keeps updated on new technological tools, he notes that some aspects of brokerage really haven’t changed that much over time – it’s still a people business.

Lou’s main interests lie in his family (which includes his dogs), playing hockey and squash and donating time and money to animal rescue organizations.

Jack Loft, Vice-President

Jack has been a RAHB member since 2004 and is a Broker at RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.  He has served on the Finance  and Professional Standards committees  as well as the CEO Selection and Honourary Life task forces.

Jack is a retired police officer and loves the outdoors.  He golfs, hikes, cycles, fishes and camps and is an avid reader and traveller.

Donna Bacher, Immediate Past President

Donna joined RAHB in 1983 and is a Broker with Royal LePage State Realty.  Donna has served as RAHB President (2015), Chair of the Finance and Communications/Government Relations committees and the Joint (RAHB/HDAA) Rental Licensing Task Force.  She has also served on various other RAHB committees.

Donna served as a director for the Ontario Goat Breeders Association and as a Founding Members’ Association Rep to the Toronto Livestock Land Development Board from 2001-2003.  She is an avid fundraiser for various charities and a volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters annual bowl-a-thon.  Donna holds a Canadian Private Pilots license and has completed her Canadian Commercial Pilot written exam.

Ann Forbes Arndt

Ann is a Past President of RAHB and has returned to the Board for a second round.  She has been a member of the Association since 1990 and is a Broker with Royal LePage Macro Realty Inc.  She has served as Chair of the Finance and Member Area Representation committees, as a member of numerous RAHB committees and task forces and on OREA and RECO committees.  Ann was named RAHB Volunteer of the Year in 2005.

Ann has a Level 3 in the National Coaching Certification program and coaches various skill levels in Dragon Boating.

Nikola Bucalo

Nikola is a Salesperson with Coldwell Banker Community Real Estate.  He joined RAHB in 2010 and has served on the Government Relations Committee and is part of the Young Professionals Network.  He is the 2016 Government Relations Committee chair.

Having grown up in a real estate household, this Millennial has been in and around the real estate profession since the early 90’s and he feels he has an excellent grasp of the long- and short-term needs of members.   Deep roots in the industry and a long-term vision for the success of the profession are Nikola’s main motivators.  He believes that members understand and respect the importance of the resources REALTORS® have worked together to build and he is proud and excited to be part of the  team managing these resources and developing greater ones.

Kathy Della-Nebbia

Kathy is a Salesperson with Royal LePage State Realty.  She first joined RAHB in 1986 and has served on the Government Relations Committee and Charity Auction task force.

Kathy first joined organized real estate as Kathy Fournier with Montreal Trust.  She left real estate for about 12 years, started a  family and returned in 2004 when her youngest was in grade one.  She recently celebrated 25 years of marriage and considers herself blessed in so many ways.  She is passionate about learning, involvement, people and family.  Her favourite quote is “life is not about learning how to weather the storm but about learning how to dance in the rain”.

Gary Herron

Gary has been a RAHB member since 1993 and is a Broker at Coldwell Banker Community Real Estate.  Gary is no stranger to the RAHB Board of Directors; he served on the Board from 2003-2007 and was President in 2006.  He has also served as Chair of the Election, Finance, Executive and Professional Standards committees and as a member on many other RAHB Committees.

Gary became a director again because he felt it is important “to give back to the association that has been so good” to him.  He also sees there will be significant changes to the real estate industry over the next several years and wants to be part of it.  Gary has a passion for cooking and fishing, and laments he doesn’t do as much of either as he would like.

Peter Holgate

Peter joined RAHB in 2012 and is the Broker/Manager/Owner at Chase Realty Inc. ’s newest branch office in Burlington.  He is serving his second year on the RAHB Board of Directors.  Peter was previously a director of the Georgian Triangle Association of REALTORS® and chaired the Professional Development committee of that association. Peter is a Fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Canada and holds several other distinguished accreditations.

Peter is a motorcycle enthusiast and prides himself on being involved with motorcycle charity fund raising events for a women’s shelter, Sick Children’s Hospital and the REALTORS Care® Foundation. With over 30 years in the business, Peter feels it’s time to give back and being a director of the Board enables Peter to do just that

Paul Martindale 

Paul is Broker of Record and Director for Wink Properties and Realty Inc.  Since joining RAHB in 2005, Paul has served on the Government Relations Committee, the Joint Rental Housing Task Force and Regional Commercial Council (RCC), chairing the Council in 2014 and once again in 2016.  Paul has been immersed in commercial real estate – investing, rehabilitating and managing properties – since 1995 for clients and company portfolio growth.

Paul is a past Board member of the Hamilton & District Apartment Association,  current member of the McMaster University President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations, and is frequently involved in real estate issues at City Hall.  His extensive management and construction experience has been invaluable toward successfully managing a portfolio of several buildings and multiple rental units.  In a past life, Paul was a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and Royal Conservatory-trained pianist, enjoying an extensive musical career playing R&B, Soul music and touring with ‘The Soul Revue’.  A highlight for Paul was performing for actor Kiefer Sutherland at his 1996 wedding in Toronto.

Andrew Robertson

Andrew is the Broker of Record of Keller Williams Complete Realty.  Since joining RAHB in 2005, Andrew has earned a number of sales achievement awards and has served on the Government Relations and Communications committees, as well as the Joint Rental Housing and Buyer Registry task forces. Andrew also serves on the Hamilton District
Apartment Association`s Government Relations Committee.

A passionate real estate investor, Andrew owns and manages his own portfolio of 27 residential units. Andrew is married with two daughters aged 10 and 11 and lives on the West Mountain.

Bob Van de Vrande

Bob is the Broker of Record of Apex Results Realty Inc., and has been a RAHB member since 1988.  Bob has served on the MLS® Committee and the DDF, Charity Give Back, Report Solds and Lonnie Bushey task forces.

Bob enjoys attending his sons’ activities and travelling, particularly to tropical destinations, with his sons Nicholas and Tyler.  Bob has a passion for education, having earned an MBA as well as Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Education degrees.  He served as a trustee, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Halton Catholic District School Board.  Bob’s special interest is gifted education and he has worked to promote educational options in this area.  Bob has been an active member of St. Patrick parish in Burlington for more than 40 years and is president of Project Maranatha for Youth, a charity promoting youth leadership, education freedom and pro-life issues within the Catholic and broader community.  Politically Bob has been active at both the provincial and federal levels with the Conservative party.  Bob’s hobbies include reading, swimming, travelling and stamp collecting.