Jon has owned, operated, educated, managed and practiced real estate his entire career. His volunteer time with REALTOR® associations has made him one of a kind...

Volunteering through committee levels to the board levels does not only make him a good REALTOR® but an advocate for the entire real estate industry.

• Serves on National Association of Realtors® Professional Standards Committee
• Serves on the Arizona Association of Realtors® (AAR) Professional Standards Committee
• Serves as a Professional Standards Mediator for AAR
• Serves on AAR Risk Management Committee 2014-
• Serves on the Education Advisory Committee for Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE)
• Certified GRI Instructor
• Certified AAR Ethics Instructor for National Association of Realtors (NAR)
• Owner DSRE Consulting Group
• Served on AAR Business and Technology Committee 2019
• Served on AAR Purchase Contract Sub-group which revised the current Residential Purchase Contract
• Served on the AAR Risk Management Data/Cybersecurity Task Force 2018
• Co-chaired the ADRE Distance Learning CE Workgroup 2018
• Served on the SAAR Broker Mastermind group 2016-2019
• Served on AAR HOA Addendum Task Force Committee 2014
• Served on AAR Purchase Contract Task Force-revised the Purchase Contract re TRID requirements 2014

Tara Rutkowski is a licensed REALTOR® with a specialty in solar.  Along with her GREEN designation with NAR, she has nine years of previous experience working in the solar industry.  Her experience with solar includes, but is not limited to, sales, the installation process, permitting, utility interconnection, and a full understanding concerning APS/SRP billing.  She is a certified instructor with the Arizona Department of Real Estate teaching classes on solar and how it relates to a real estate transaction.  She also served on the AAR workshop to create the Solar Lease and Loan Addendum released in 2017.  It is her goal to equip agents with the knowledge and tools necessary to handle a real estate transaction involving solar.

Butch Leiber is a real estate educator who brings more than two decades of frontline experience as an agent and broker. His background allows him to teach from a place of real understanding—having sat at the kitchen table, negotiated contracts, and managed the responsibilities agents face every day. 

Butch’s instruction blends technical knowledge, transaction insight, and a strong focus on mindset and professional responsibility. His goal is to help agents recognize how informed decisions, intentional habits, and clarity of thought directly impact their success and the clients they serve.  Butch is currently a Sales Executive with Old Republic Title and spends his days supporting agents to fulfill their goals.

Karen Kay has been a full-time Real Estate agent since 1994 servicing the Phoenix area. Karen is an agent with Desert Fairways Realty and is an ADRE Certified CE Instructor at Desert Sage Seminars. She loves working one on one with real estate agents to help them become more confident.

ABR, CRS, e-Pro, GRI, LTG, PMN

Arizona Association of REALTORS® Director 1998,2002,2009,2010

Arizona Association of REALTORS® GRI workgroup 2006-2014

A graduate of the SEVRAR Leadership Program 2007

Arizona Association of REALTORS® GRI Chairperson 2009 - 2010

Arizona Association of REALTORS® Risk Management- Sub-Workgroup member for the Purchase Contract 2017

WOMEN'S COUNCIL REALTORS®:

Women's Council REALTORS® Entrepreneur of the Year 2010

Women's Council REALTORS® Southeast Valley President 1998

Southeast Valley WCR REALTORS® of the Year 1997

Women's Council REALTORS® Arizona State President 2002

Tom has been a real estate professional for many years and had held many roles. He enjoys working in real estate as well as giving back to the industry.

Owner/Broker, Long Realty Platinum Premier 2006-2021, General Manager, Associate Broker Keller Williams High Desert Realty 2003-2006, General Manager, Re/Max Professionals  2002-2003, General Manager, Prudential Arizona Properties  2001-2002,
Vice President, Branch Manager, Coldwell Banker Success Realty 1997-2001, Vice President, Regional Manager, Prudential Arizona Realty 1994-1997, Vice President, Regional Manager, Prudential Arizona Realty 1994-1997, Vice President, Branch Manager, Prudential Arizona Realty 1990-1994, TDN Consulting 2000-2001

VOLUNTEER: President of the Scottsdale Association of Realtors®, Executive Member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association of Realtors®, Chair of the Information Management Key Result Area-Arizona Association of Realtors®, Certified Facilitator, Pacific Institute, Certified Facilitator, Seven Habits for Highly Successful People, First Things FirstNational Association of Realtors®,Delegate Body/AAR Board Member, Accredited Instructor-Arizona Department of Real Estate
 

With more than twenty years as a licensed Arizona real estate professional, I bring deep industry knowledge, seasoned judgment, and a long-standing commitment to elevating the standards of practice in our state.

Now in my eighth year as a Continuing Education Instructor, I take pride in helping agents strengthen their skills, understand their obligations, and navigate the complexities of an evolving real estate landscape.

I am an active member of both the Phoenix REALTORS® Association and the Sedona Verde Valley Association of REALTORS® (SVVAR). I have previously served as a mentor through the National Association of REALTORS®. I currently serve on the Arizona Association of REALTORS® Risk Management Committee, contributing to statewide efforts that promote professionalism, reduce liability, and support ethical, informed decision-making across the industry.

Many moons ago, I served as a Lieutenant Commander attached to Naval Intelligence, flying the RA-5C Vigilante over Vietnam and Cuba. That experience instilled in me a level of discipline, precision, and situational awareness that continues to shape my approach to teaching, leadership, and client service.

My career reflects a lifelong dedication to service—to my country, to my colleagues, and to the real estate community I'm proud to be part of.

Mark is a 22-year real estate veteran and the designated broker for UBI Business Brokers. As a real estate educator, he offers an energetic and entertaining experience peppered with real estate tidbits, current trends and recent headlines presented with a light showman’s touch.

Kate Roth is the Broker/Owner of Amethyst Realty Group, LLC, a full-service residential property management company based in the Phoenix metro area. With nearly two decades of experience in real estate and property management, Kate is known for her dedication to clear communication, accountability, and a service-first approach that prioritizes both owners and tenants.

Kate holds the prestigious MPM® and RMP® designations through the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM), where she is an active leader, national instructor, and advocate for professional standards in the industry. She brings that same passion for excellence into the classroom, teaching continuing education courses for Arizona real estate professionals with a focus on practical application and industry relevance.

Beyond business, Kate values balance—spending time with family, fostering dogs for AZBTR, and pursuing personal growth. Her passion for helping others and building community shines through in every interaction, whether she’s negotiating a lease, mentoring new agents, or volunteering in local organizations.

Kate’s vision is simple: manage each home like it’s her own and build lasting relationships through integrity, mindfulness, and teamwork.

Amy Gibson is the Designated Broker/Owner of Dream Maker Commercial Advisors, LLC, in Mesa, AZ. She has been in the commercial real estate industry since 2013. Amy keeps current on the 5 commercial discipline markets within the Phoenix metro area: retail, office, Industrial, multi-family, and commercial land for buyers and tenants. Amy provides a “GPS” called the Dreamscape Process for business owners to navigate the tricky road of leasing or purchasing a commercial property. By doing so, Amy drives Business Owners dreams to come true! She is the Commercial Real Estate “Dream Maker!”

One of Amy’s previous careers as an educator provides a foundation to educate new businesses on the potential pitfalls when leasing or purchasing commercial real estate. Another past career in the Automotive parts industry allows for natural connections to businesses such as auto repair and sales, HVAC, Plumbing, Pest Control, landscaping, and other industrial type needs. Amy is exceptionally detail-oriented with a desire to help all kinds of businesses find the right property to be successful.

Amy received the Best Agent Award in 2020 and 2021. She has also been a member of the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women – NAPMW since 2018. Amy served as President of the Phoenix Association from 2022 – 2024. During her Presidency, Amy grew her local from 12 to 48 members. In 2023, Amy was the recipient of The National Spirit Award for exceptional growth of her local association. In 2025, Amy received the National Dorcus Ewell Leadership Award. Amy now serves on the National Committee as Mentorship Chair providing guidance and strategies to grow other local associations around the nation.

Sheila Long is the VP/Regional Sales Executive for Old Republic Exchange for the Southwest and Mountain States Regions. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies from Arizona State University and has a Certificate of Achievement in Speech-Communication. Sheila has over 20 years of real estate experience in diverse roles working in both the residential and commercial real estate.

She is also an affiliate of several Realtor Associations and is an active member in the Commercial Real Estates Services Committee for the Scottsdale Association of Realtors, and a board member of Central AZ CCIM Chapter. Sheila enjoys spending her time teaching and educating regarding the 1031 Exchange process, which includes classes with Realtors, Escrow Agents, CPAs, and Board Associations.

She takes pride in personally spending time with each of her clients to assure they understand the process from start to finish.

A little about Julie Goldammer – She developed a love for process and a reputation for being a detail "nerd" early on in her career.

Julie has a background and degree in Computer Science, and worked as an Engineer for the HVAC division of a large building automation company WAY back before the birth of internet. For nearly 30 years since, Julie has been working in and around the Real Estate industry, including 10 years in Cancun, Mexico in timeshare sales - where she helped them establish the first online Legal & Compliant timeshare sales application. This included coordinating with the Real Estate departments in 37 different states. She's been a full-time practicing Realtor in AZ since 2012. Her friends and clients call her “Aunt Julie”. She wants to acknowledge the great mentors and teachers she had when she began in the real estate business who shared of their knowledge freely. Julie teaches in this industry to pay it forward.

Michael Boykin is the Founder and CEO of KairosIQ AI, Inc. and the Designated Broker of KairosIQ AI Realty, Inc., a Chandler-based brokerage built around the responsible use of artificial intelligence in real estate. He holds a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Business from Arizona State University and is the author of AI Without Fear: A Practical Guide for Real Estate Professionals, a working manual for agents who want to adopt AI tools without losing the judgment, ethics, and client relationships that define the profession.

Michael’s instruction blends technical fluency with practical brokerage experience. He teaches the CE course "Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Real Estate", a three-hour Legal Issues class covering fair housing implications, algorithmic bias, client privacy, MLS data compliance, and the disclosure standards every Arizona licensee should understand before deploying AI in a transaction. His goal is to give agents a clear, defensible framework — so they leave class better equipped to protect their clients and their licenses.

In addition to his teaching, Michael leads the development of AISearchPortal.com, a platform that helps agents stay connected with their clients long after closing — automating the market updates, home value insights, and timely follow-up that turn one-time transactions into lifelong relationships. He has delivered AI education seminars across the Valley and works closely with brokers, and title partners on the policies that will shape the next decade of practice.

As Michael writes in AI Without Fear: “The future of real estate isn’t about AI replacing professionals — it’s about professionals who use AI replacing those who don’t.”

Jan has been a REALTOR® since 2002 and has 3 certifications for high performance homes: Certified EcoBroker (2008), NAR GREEN (2014), Master Certification High Performance Homes (2022).

She is a volunteer and past committee chair for the US Green Building Council, Arizona Chapter (since 2009) and a past Director & Current Instructor for the Scottsdale Area Association of REALTORS®. Jan created the current Disclosure course as a speaker panel presentation in 2011, and the course transformed into a CE class in 2014.

Jan is a Public Speaker at builder and national trade conferences, realtor associations, title companies in and around the Phoenix Metro Area. Her mission has been to educate the public about homes with energy efficient features; teaching the methodology of which features add the best return on investment, saving money on energy bills, and how to gain more value for them at the point of sale, reducing carbon footprints.

Among many awards, the “Evergreen” award from the National Association of REALTORS in 2022 is the most prized.

In her spare time, she travels to visit her 3 daughters in Alabama, Iowa and Texas visiting their families including 9 grandchildren!

Daran is the President of Learning Edge, LLC a firm that specializes in residential energy efficiency training and building science consulting.  He was a key implementer of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR for Homes program for over 20 years, he has helped solve warranty issues for hundreds of homes with high utility bills and comfort issues, and he has trained thousands of individuals on the basics of building science, energy efficiency for buildings, energy efficiency programs, and energy codes.  Daran received a bachelor’s degree in Construction management as well as a Master’s and Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Arizona State University.

Jimmy Vercellino is a United States Marine Corps veteran and nationally recognized VA home loan specialist dedicated to helping military families build wealth through homeownership. After serving his country, Jimmy transitioned into the mortgage industry with a mission: make the VA loan understandable, accessible, and powerful for those who earned it.

Today, Jimmy leads The Highly Motivated Vercellino Team, where he focuses on educating veterans, active-duty service members, and real estate professionals on how to properly leverage VA financing. Known for his direct communication style and deep product knowledge, Jimmy has helped hundreds of military families navigate the home buying process with confidence.

In addition to originating loans, Jimmy is a content creator and educator whose online videos and training break down complex mortgage concepts into clear, actionable strategies. His expertise includes VA purchase loans, jumbo VA financing, multi-unit properties, and long-term wealth building using VA loan benefits.

Jimmy’s approach is rooted in the Marine Corps values of honor, courage, and commitment. He believes veterans deserve an advocate who understands both their service and their financial goals. Whether working with first-time buyers or experienced homeowners, Jimmy’s focus remains the same: provide clarity, win competitive offers, and help military families make smart real estate decisions.

Chad has been in the Mortgage Industry since 2003. He is a Veteran Loan Officer and has been instructing Realtors with their Continuing Education needs for the last 7 years. Chad is very knowledgeable about ALL the Lending guidelines and has also received his Real Estate License in the past, although it is currently not active.

Chad has over 100 5-Star Testimonials ALL over the Internet from past clients and Realtor partners.  Okun works hand in hand with everyone to make it a pleasant transaction for all parties.  Okun is licensed in 9 states currently and is frequently adding more due to his past clients relocating and wanting to use him for their Home Financing needs.  

Through Okun’s leadership at LeaderOne Financial, he is able to leverage the company’s wide product selection, excellent rates and reputation of closing loans ahead of schedule in order to best serve his clients. Okun is able to utilize in-house processing, underwriting and funding to maintain control throughout the entire transaction process which is critical for success.

Okun’s exceptional communication skills and attention to detail provides clients with a sense of ease and allows them to make the most informed decision surrounding their personal finances. Okun encourages anyone contemplating a home purchase or refinance to contact him, guaranteeing extraordinary customer service every step of the way.

Okun is a Phoenix native and graduated from the University of Arizona. He currently resides in Scottsdale, Ariz. with his beautiful wife, Michelle, and their two children, Jake and Zack.

Managing Broker for over 300 Realtors who produce $40 million per month in Residential and Commercial Sales. He regularly assists Realtors with all facets of the transaction, contracts, legal, ethics, finance, disclosure, fair housing, agency and more. Over 20 years of Coaching and business development experience, including the development and sale of start-up companies, Internet and lead generation, lead development and Internet Marketing. He regularly teaches negotiations, comparative market analysis, contracts and general real estate classes to 150+local real estate agents per class for over 15 years. Train the Trainer classes for over 400 Team leaders and Brokers. An active Real Estate Broker, State of AZ. Certified Real Estate Instructor for over 150 classes by ADRE, in Agent Licensing, Broker Licensing and Contract Boot Camp.

Rosie Pollaehne became a Residential Mortgage Loan Officer and Financial Services Expert the old-fashioned way – she started at the beginning, worked hard and gathered expertise. Her path to success began in California during the late 1980’s, where she began her career as a loan funder, then an assistant to highly accomplished loan officer and to now being a highly accomplished Loan Originator. She moved to the Phoenix Arizona area in 1991 where she has built a commanding knowledge of the market and it’s participants and an expansive customer base. Rosie has become a true Industry Leader as demonstrated by her role as a Continuing Education instructor to Real Estate agents in the state of Arizona for the Arizona Department of Real Estate. Rosie is sought after by many Realtors as a partner, expert and problem solver. Call her today to for an evaluation of your needs and be certain you are served by an Expert and Leader!

As a descendant of the Hatfields of the infamous Haftields and McCoys, Desiree’ is no stranger to hard work and determination!  She was a top-producing professional negotiator for a decade, serving many of the major health insurance providers in the US.  She went on to found a national event production company, which garnered her a product line in many major retailers as well as several awards, including Top Up and Coming Entrepreneurs to Watch Out For.  Today, she serves as a mortgage loan advisor with Mason-McDuffie Mortgage Corporation, which offers a wide-variety of mortgage loan product.  If it’s real estate, she can fund it!

Her goals include loving God, loving people, and serving every client above and beyond what is expected.  She believes everyone can be a homeowner and is willing to invest her time, knowledge, and expertise in educating them, walking side by side to fulfill the steps necessary to reach their homeownership goals.  Personally, she is a mother to two wonderful children.  She’s married to a highly educated, highly dedicated, and in her words, “highly good-looking” educator. Her hobbies include singing, DIY construction, and studying history, finance, and politics.  She is a creative and life-long learner at heart.  As your CE instructor, her goal is to make her courses unique, fun, memorable, and most importantly informative with practical information and skills that help real estate professionals serve and protect their clients better.

Prior to entering the real estate industry, Nancy taught Home Economics and PhysicalEducation to Jr. High and High school kids atChristian Challenge Academy in Phoenix. When the School budget was cut her classeswere the first to go. So she and her husbandbegan their Real Estate career as “Spouses Selling Houses”.

Nancy has been a full time, full service REALTORsince licensed in 1985. She served on thePhoenix Association of REALTORS Board ofDirectors for ten years and as its Presidentin 2000. She also served on the Board of thePhoenix Chapter, of the Women’s Council ofREALTORS for fifteen years and as its President in 1993 and again in 2001.

Specializing in resort lifestyle living in the MetroPhoenix and Scottsdale areas, Nancy has soldhundreds of second/vacation homes in resortresidential communities around the Valley overher 35 years in the business.

Nancy loves teaching and has been an ADRECertified Real Estate Instructor for over 15 years.In her spare time Nancy has been a volunteertutor in the Oasis Literacy Program at MadisonHeights Elementary School for seventeen yearsand she and her husband have cooked meals monthlyat the House of Refuge, a men’s homelessshelter in Sunnyslope for over ten years.Nancy believes that if you help othersbe successful then it will always come backto you many times over and that hascertainly been true in her life.

Glen is a licensed loan officer with a special focus on VA loans and helping Veterans. He has a passion for teaching whether it be borrowers, teammates, or Realtors. He has over twenty years of experience in the lending industry and has closed 1000’s of loans. He is a member of Military Mortgage Boot camp as well as Veteran Mortgage Advisor, both are paid memberships to groups going out of their way to educate the real estate industry and help Veterans. Glen was born and raised in New England and has resided in the Phoenix area for the last 22 years. In his free time, he enjoys bike riding, hiking, go-kart racing, high performance driving, and hanging out with his family.

Glen's classes have received comments like “very Well Organized”, “You completely changed my mind about VA loans”, “I never knew there were two dispute process for VA appraisals”, and “updated and relevant info to help my buyers and sellers.” This will be engaging, educational and maybe even fun.

Tim O’Neall, ACI is the Founder and President of AZ Property Inspections and is a licensed and ASHI Certified Home Inspector. Tim’s company has conducted more than 20,000 inspections in Arizona since 1996. He has a background in Environmental Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Tim is a well-respected instructor with the AZ Department of Real Estate and has taught thousands of Agents. His high energy and interactive class gives attendees an in-depth understanding of houses.

Erika became licensed in 1997 when she was 24. Her age presented some challenges in the beginning, but she found ways to overcome them and succeed quickly. She has been successful in many capacities of Residential Real Estate while holding many different titles & positions during my career. 

She has been an individual agent, built & managed teams, learned and taught other agents short sales as well as REO/foreclosure processes. In 2008, she earned her Hall of Fame Status within the RE/MAX Organization (The Hall of Fame Award is given to RE/MAX Sales Associates who have earned in excess of $1 Million in paid commissions within the RE/MAX System). Less than 12% of RE/MAX agents hold this accomplishment.

In 2015, she built a signature mentoring program from scratch & helped over 70 brand new licensees launch their careers.  She excels at helping agents (at all levels) find their innate strengths and work to create their own successful businesses.  

She has her Broker’s license and works within eXp Realty as an Associate Broker & Certified Mentor. She was recently approved by ADRE as a Certified CE Instructor with Desert Sage Seminars and looks forward to meeting you in one of her classes soon! 

Yours to Count On,  Erika 

Gary has been in the real estate business since 1973.  The first 17 years in commercial real estate specializing in shopping center leasing and development.  In 1990 he started his residential real estate career and two years later became an assistant manager and then Branch Manager with Coldwell Banker Real Estate.  He has served on several committees with the Arizona Association of Realtors, Phoenix Association of Realtors and Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors.  In 2002 Gary left real estate for a brief time helping grow a national nonprofit credit counseling company.  Gary continued training and coaching real estate agents on his return to residential real estate in 2010.  From 2013 until September 1, 2022, he was a regional real estate instructor for a Coldwell Banker Real Estate, training new licensees on how to effectively begin their real estate career and also train experienced agents on how to take their real estate careers to the next level.

Gary began teaching Continuing Education real estate classes for licenses in 1995.  For the last nine years he has taught well over 400 CE classes and over 200 classes on effective sales training.  A motivational junkie, he wants to help all real estate agents live an exceptional life!