Featured Speakers

	Ron Phipps, 2010 NAR President-Elect Ron is the Broker/President of Phipps Realty in Warwick, RI and will be NAR’s 2010 President-elect.  He has been a REALTOR® since 1978, the third generation of a four generation family tradition.  He was the RI Statewide MLS President in 1993, 1995 State ROTY and served as RI State President in 2000.  On the national level, he has served as a Director since 2000 and on numerous Committees/PAGs.  He also served as 2003 Region 1 VP, as a Committee Liaison in 2004/2006 and currently serves on the NAR Executive Committee.  He was awarded a Good Neighbor Honorable Mention Award in 2001 and worked on “Operation Home Delivery”, NAR and Habitat International’s joint venture to build 54 homes in the Gulf Region for Hurricane Katrina victims.
	Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence is Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research at the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. He writes regular columns on real estate market trends, creates NAR’s forecasts, and participates in many economic forecasting panels, including Blue Chip and the Harvard University Industrial Economist Council. USA Today recently listed him among the top 10 economic forecasters in the country. Dr. Yun has been with NAR since 2000. Prior to that, he worked as an economic consultant to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Education. While a research associate at the University of Maryland for three years, Yun developed the graduate economics curriculum for and taught free market economics in the former Soviet Union as that country transitioned from communism to a free-market system. Dr. Yun received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park.
	Laurie Janik, NAR General Counsel Laurie is the General Counsel for the National Association of REALTORS® and has been with NAR since 1977.   She is responsible for assuring that the programs, policies and activities of NAR are in compliance with the law,  for defending the Association against legal challenges and initiating litigation to protect and preserve Association assets/policies.  She received her Bachelors degree from Northern Illinois University and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola University of Chicago. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Bar in Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.
	Chris Gosselin, NAR Political Representative Chris Gosselin is a Political Representative for the National Association of REALTORS®.  In this role, Chris works to connect REALTORS® with their elected officials at the federal level; equipping them with the tools to be a voice for the real estate industry in Washington.  Through electoral activity, grassroots advocacy, and legislative programs, he works extensively with state and local leadership to advise and educate REALTORS® on how to be politically involved.  Chris is the primary liaison between NAR Government Affairs, State & Local REALTOR® Associations, and congressional in-district offices & campaigns.  Chris has been with NAR since 2007 and previously served as a Legislative Analyst, examining all facets of REALTOR® policy on Capitol Hill.  He also has extensive national political campaign experience. His assigned region includes the six New England states, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Chris holds a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, is a native of Waterbury, VT and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
	Jenny Townsend, REALTOR® Jenny is a REALTOR® with Prudential CT Realty in Madison, CT.  She served as President of the Midd-Shore Association in 2008 and was named the Midd-Shore Association’s REALTOR® of the Year in 2006.  On the State level, she has been a Director since 2003, has served on the Political Fundraising and Member Services Committees and is Vice Chair of the Grievance Committee for 2010.  She is a Northeast Judge for the School of the Future Design Competition and co-presented on this program with David Wluka at the 2009 NAR Leadership Summit in Chicago.  A graduate of Radford University, Jenny has been an active REALTOR® for nearly 20 years and has lived on the CT shoreline for more than 25 years with her husband and 2 children.