By Hayley Robb, Building Kentucky
The Kentucky REALTORS® Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hiring of Josh D. Summers as its new Chief Executive Officer.
The Board met on June 6 to approve the hiring of the new CEO with an effective date of June 16. Summers will be taking the helm during Kentucky REALTORS® centennial year. He arrives as the Commonwealth has experienced phenomenal growth in the real estate market with signs of a more challenging market ahead. He brings a wealth of experience in association management and leadership.
“I am excited and humbled to have the opportunity to be in Kentucky and serve our membership while leading this association,” Summers said. “Kentucky REALTORS® is an incredible organization with a reputation of providing for their members and giving back to the community they value so deeply. I am excited to serve our members, brokers, association executives and industry professionals.”
Summers comes to Kentucky from The Villages, Florida, where he served as the CEO of The Realtors Association of Lake & Sumter Counties in Florida for three years. Prior to that, he was the Chief Operating Officer for Emerald Coast Association of Realtors in Destin, Florida. He has also held the positions of MLS Director and Government Affairs Director with the Central Panhandle Association of Realtors, serving on multiple Florida Realtors Committees as well as the National Association of Realtors Committees.
“REALTORS® are the lifeblood of every community,” Summers said. “They get involved at every level – they’re volunteers, local association executives and CEOs. They’re the heartbeat of this industry, making things happen and supporting the community.”
Summers is a native Floridian and spent his early years on his family farm raising cattle, riding horses, and learning the importance of a strong work ethic from a young age. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, he began his career in the real estate development and management industry. At 23, he moved into a leadership position in a property management firm focused on affordable, workforce and student housing across the country.
As the next CEO, Summer is excited to continue helping the organization grow both regionally and nationally.
“We have incredible leadership here,” Summers said. “We really want to work and build a coalition here and really use technology to push Kentucky REALTORS® to the next level.”
TO learn more about the work of Kentucky REALTORS®, visit www.kyrealtors.com/.
