SPECIAL AWARDS...THE 2007 ROOKIE REALTOR_^® OF THE YEAR

     Bill Deese of Coldwell Banker Camelot Realty in Mount Dora, was honored as the Association’s 2007 Rookie REALTOR® of the Year at the Installation Banquet on December 14, 2007. The Rookie REALTOR® of the Year award honors the REALTOR® member of the REALTORS® Association of Lake & Sumter Counties who has contributed the most to the profession within their first full year in real estate. Nominations were based on ethics, character, personality, business accomplishments, activity at local levels, and involvement in real estate transactions.

     Bill was born on the tiny island of Aruba in the Caribbean and his family moved to Maitland, FL when he was 10 years old. He attended High School in Winter Park and graduated from Sanford Naval Academy. He went on to serve in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War and upon his return, attended Valencia Community College in Orlando. He moved to Lake County, Florida in 1991 as General Manager of Belk Stores of Leesburg and retired after 25 years with Belk in 2000.

     He was the Executive Director of the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce until 2006, served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Leesburg Business & Technology Center and also served on the founding board of the Lake County Business Resource Center. He was a 2002 graduate of Leadership Lake County and served as Membership Chair for the Performing Arts of Lake & Sumter. He is the Past President of the United Chambers of Lake County and was formerly on the Board of Directors of the Leesburg Partnership. He was President of the Rotary Club of Leesburg and represented his club at the Rotary International Conference in Brisbane, Australia. He served as Committee Chair for the Retail Division of the United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties and Campaign Chair for the March of Dimes.

     In 2005 he completed a four year program at the U.S. Chamber Institute of Organizational Management at the University of Georgia for his IOM Designation. He started in real estate in January of 2007 and sold over 1 million in his first year. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the REALTORS® Association of Lake & Sumter Counties and is Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee.