LAS VEGAS – The Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® (GLVAR) announced today that it has hired seasoned real estate association executive Nelson Janes as its new chief executive officer.
Janes, who previously ran the Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, expects to start work at GLVAR on May 7. He was hired after GLVAR leaders conducted a national search to replace Irene Vogel, who is retiring after guiding the association for nearly 30 years.
Devin Reiss, chairman of GLVAR’s CEO Search Committee, said Janes “brings extensive experience building successful associations and REALTOR® programs, considerable experience as a legislative advocate, expertise in refining and implementing effective strategic plans, and a fresh perspective and creative ideas regarding how GLVAR can improve its service to members and customers.”
Reiss, a longtime local REALTOR® and former President of GLVAR, also praised Vogel, who will work with Janes for the next few months to ease his transition into his new job.
“Irene Vogel has had a huge impact on our association, as well as on the local real estate industry and on this entire community since she came to town in the early 1970s,” he said. “Like all of us, our new CEO will benefit from her support and wisdom.”
GLVAR President Kolleen Kelley said Janes will help the state’s largest professional association “focus on its core goal of helping REALTORS® be successful in the real estate industry.”
“Nelson Janes is a person who comes to us with vision and a passion to help us continue to build our leadership position in Nevada and throughout North America,” Kelley said. “These characteristics certainly have the potential to raise the bar for our organization in ways that will be beneficial to all of our members.”
During the past two decades, Janes has operated three thriving real estate associations. From 1991 to 1994, he was Executive Vice President for the Philadelphia Board of REALTORS®. From 1994 to 2001 he held the same position with the Greater Albuquerque Board of REALTORS®, where he managed both the association and its Multiple Listing Service.
Since 2002, Janes was the CEO of the Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, responsible for managing an association of 5,500 members. While there, Nelson developed a Commercial Division certified by the National Association of REALTORS® and oversaw one of the largest REALTOR® retail operations in the U.S.
Janes holds several professional designations, including being a REALTOR® Certified Association Executive™ (RCE) as certified by the National Association of REALTORS®, and being a Certified Association Executive™ (CAE) as certified by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
He earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and his master’s degree from Virginia Tech. He began his career as a writer and editor for Time, Inc. From there, he became the director of education for the Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS® (SIOR) and its foundation, then rising to the position of deputy executive vice president for the organization based in Washington, D.C.
After 13 years with SIOR, Janes become a consultant to nonprofit groups, and worked with volunteers to form the American Podiatric Medical Post-Graduate Association, among others. He developed and wrote management training courses for Ernst and Young, as well as editing Peat-Marwick’s publication on strategic planning and problem-solving.
Next, Nelson moved on to Colliers International Property Consultants, where he was responsible for developing successful communications and continuing education programs for an international nonprofit federation of 30 large firms.
Reiss said GLVAR retained an executive search firm, WAV Group, Inc., to help the association find its first new CEO in decades. He said more than 200 applicants were initially considered before GLVAR’s board of directors made the decision to hire Janes to lead what is now the nation’s sixth largest real estate association.
GLVAR also offers a comprehensive suite of MLS services, including wireless property search services and one of the 25 most-visited MLS consumer websites in the U.S.
About the GLVAR
GLVAR was founded in 1947 and provides its nearly 11,000 local members with education, training and political representation. The local representative of the National Association of REALTORS®, GLVAR is the largest professional organization in Southern Nevada. Each GLVAR member receives the highest level of professional training and must abide by a strict code of ethics. For more information, visit www.lasvegasrealtor.com.
