Terrie Suit, who served as CEO of Virginia Realtors for the past 11 years, has announced her retirement, according to a company announcement on Friday.
Virginia Realtors, which has a membership base of 38,000, named Martin K. Johnson as its interim CEO. Johnson has previously served as its senior vice president of advocacy, chief lobbyist and chief external affairs officer.
According to her company bio, Suit became CEO in September 2013. She has been a Realtor since 1985 and also spent 20 years in mortgage lending.
In 1996, she received a gubernatorial appointment to the Virginia Real Estate Board. Later, she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and served the 81st District from 2000 to 2008.
“As a delegate, Terrie was recognized by legislative peers and constituents as an expert on housing policy to include real estate licensure, common interest communities, landlord tenant issues, real estate finance, foreclosure, and building and fair housing issues,” her bio reads.
In 2011, Suit was appointed by the Virginia governor to be the state’s first secretary of veterans affairs and homeland security. As the daughter of a U.S. Army veteran and the wife of a U.S. Navy veteran, she worked toward making Virginia “the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.”
The association mentioned several key accomplishments under Suit’s leadership. These include the opening of a second full-time office “within steps” of the Virginia Capitol in Richmond, and the growth of a legal team that now operates a successful Realtor hotline with an average response time of 45 minutes.
Virginia Realtors created a Learning Center website for members, offering real-time access to continuing education and other resources. The association has been able to offer its classes to agents in surrounding states.
It also hired an economist and cultivated of a research team “that will take us to the next level of data creation research and continue solidifying our role as Virginia’s trusted voice of real estate.”
“Terrie Suit helped us build a world-class team at VAR to execute these initiatives,” the association said. “We thank Terrie for her steadfast commitment to our industry and wish her the very best in her retirement.”
