The Upstate Alliance of REALTORS® (UPSTAR) recently named J. Kyle Ness of Real Living Ness Bros. as the REALTOR® of the Year during its December awards ceremony, along with five other honorees for dedication and service to the real estate profession and to the local community.

The REALTOR® of the Year recipient is chosen by his or her peers for exemplifying the highest level of professional conduct in serving the needs of the public, fellow REALTORS®, the community and the real estate profession in the past year. Ness is a third generation REALTOR® who has served on the UPSTAR Board of Directors for multiple years, including the office of President of the UPSTAR MLS in 2015. He is a graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne and the Indiana REALTORS® Leadership Academy. In the area of service, Ness is a volunteer for the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, participates in the Real Men Read program and recently went on a mission trip to help build a health clinic in Mexico.

UPSTAR also presented service awards to five other real estate professionals. They include:

Hall of Fame Award—Burnell Gump, The Burnell Group The Hall of Fame Award is one of the highest honors bestowed on a member. It is given for exceptional and outstanding service to the community and the real estate profession over a lifetime. Gump’s real estate career spans 30 years, during which time he has built a reputation for service and high integrity among his colleagues. He is known for his work with Habitat for Humanity, as well as home restoration and home building in general.

Affiliate of the Year—Susan Goree, MidWest America Federal Credit Union The Affiliate of the Year Award is given to an affiliate member of UPSTAR who has served the association in an extraordinary way—volunteering and assisting with charitable outreach events sponsored by the association. “Affiliates” are UPSTAR members in a real estate related profession.

Outstanding Service Award—Tom Williams, Coldwell Banker Holloway Similar to the Hall of Fame Award, the Outstanding Service Award recognizes excellent service in a particular area of real estate. Williams, who is recently retired, gained a reputation in the Adams and Wells Counties for expertise and accuracy in appraisal services.

Community Service Award—Beverly Goff, Northern Insurance Goff Agency The Community Service Award honors a member who demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to the community. Goff, an affiliate member of UPSTAR, has dedicated a significant amount of time working with nonprofits in the Fort Wayne area including the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission, Jubilee House Ministry, Pathfinder Community Services and Go Red for Heart to name a few.

President’s Award—Corey Malcolm, F.C. Tucker/Malcolm & Schlueter REALTORS® The President’s Award is given by the president of the board to honor an individual that has offered significant support during the presidential year. The 2015 President’s Award was given to Malcolm by David Mervar of Beer & Mervar REALTORS®.