About the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, 501(c)6 IRS approved.

Introduction

2021 Founding President and Chairman Emeritus John Thorpe joins members of the Alliance’s Board of Directors, Sean Frank ’20-’23, Jackie Garber ’20-’23, Octavius Smiley Humphries ’20-’23), and Founding National Treasurer, Scott Armstrong ’20-’21.

The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance was launched in June 2020 by leading members of the real estate industry. Influential real estate professionals and allies joined with other members of the LGBTQ+ community to create a new voice in real estate.

The Alliance began accepting members from a wide range of professionals in the real estate and housing industries starting October 2020. There are currently more than 3,100 active people on the organization’s Facebook page.

Founded as a Minnesota non-profit corporation, The Alliance received its 501(c)6 IRS approval on June 23, 2020. The Alliance is dedicated to enhancing the professional lives of our members while providing consumers with the proper resources to assist in buying, selling, and enjoying their home.

What is LGBTQ+?

Because sexual orientation and gender identity exist on a spectrum, it’s impossible to characterize it briefly. LGBTQ+ stands for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities. The “Plus” encompasses all the identities that are not covered in the acronym. including Allies.

The traditional colors of the rainbow typically represent the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. Our logo includes blue and pink which represent the transgender community. The black and brown colors represent the Black community, Indigenous people and people of color (BIPOC).

What is an Ally?

For any minority group, the support of allies are critical. Allies are the people that do not fit into the LGBTQ+ identity, but support the equal rights of those within the community.

Allies can include individuals and even companies like our Corporate Partners.

The law allows discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in 31 states

This single fact is the why our mission and the services of LGBTQ+ real estate practitioners are so vital to the community.

Although LGBTQ+ people are protected in some states and municipalities, federal Fair Housing Laws do not include sexual orientation or gender identity as protected classes. This allows legal discrimination in 27 states which can cause barriers to homeownership, obtaining a loan, renting, and more.*

The LGBTQ homeownership rate is 49%, far below the homeownership rate of 64% for the general population. Fear of any type of discrimination in the future home buying process is a concern for 46% renters.*

Leadership

The Alliance is governed by a system of organizational checks and balances. We have an elected corporate Board of Directors over the 501(c)6 organization, Elected Officers and a Chapter Delegate Board to lead the National Membership Program, and a Corporate Advisory Board to provide industry insight. Additionally, we are proud to employ a staff dedicated to the management of the organization.

This structure is unlike any LGBTQ+ organization in the industry.

National Officers

John Thorpe
National President + Chair of the Board

Alex Cruz
National Vice President

Patrick Ruble
National Secretary

Scott Armstrong
National Treasurer (Interm)

Tim Garvey
Parliamentarian

Board of Directors

Octavius Smiley-Humphries

John Thorpe

Staff

Ryan Weyandt
Chief Executive Officer

Mary Mancera
VP, Business + Relationship Management

David Siroty
VP, Communications + PR

Councils

Commercial Advisory Council
Zach Krasman and Mark Rosenberg, Co-Chairs

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
Octavius Smiley-Humphires, Chair

Mortgage Advisory Council
Valerie Saunders and Kimber White, Co-Chairs

Policy + Advocacy Council
Christopher Suranna and Tim Garvey, Co-Chairs

Alliance Resource Groups (ARGs)

International Ambassadors
Guy Parker, Chair

PRISM: Professionals of Color
Kimberly Davis, Chair

Veteran & Military Advisory Group
Togasii Peko, Chair

Women’s Network
TBA

Thank You

The organization was conceptualized by and created at the direction of a 53-person Steering Committee, led by an 11-person Executive Board headed by Chairperson Ryan Weyandt. Ryan was nominated and elected to this role by the members of the Steering Committee.

Together, these volunteers combined their passion, knowledge and expertise to guide the development of critical assets including bylaws, mission + vision statements, a website, naming, branding, and chapter development.

We also greatly appreciate the financial support of our Founding Contributors who helped fund the establishment of our organization. Without these individuals, our organization would not be where it is today.

View Founding Contributors

Listed alphabetically by first name.

Alex Cruz	Joshua Baumgardner
Amelia Robinette	Julie Nelson
Amy Adams	Kenneth Osborn
Anthony Hitt	Kimber and Grady White
Anthony Vulin	Lauren Feher
Brandon Jordan	Lydiana Navarro
Brian Maguire	Marcus Saitschenko
Brian Tiffany	Mark S. Rosenberg
Bruce Williams	Martin Scott
Christopher Suranna	Mary Mancera
Chuck Garrett	Michael Jewer
Darryl Hunt	Michael Tessaro
Dave Gervase	Michael Ussery
David Ferrando	Mj Moss
Dennis Gorman	Monty D Smith
Ellen Grubert	Nada Djomehri
Eric Axelson	Octavius Smiley-Humphries
Eric Wyse	Portia Ryan
Erin Morrison	Rodney Mason
Geoff Hamill	Ron Crouse
Guy Parker	Ryan Weyandt
Jackie Garber	Sandy & Jeff Naragon
Jay Feldman	Scott Poe
Jeffrey Lines	Shannon Brien
Jeff Little	Skip Kirst
Jen Haggard	Spencer L Eiseman
Jim Meyer	Timothy Garvey
John Harper	Tracie Mayo
John Thorpe	Valeria Scinto
John Westfall-Kwong	Zachary Krasman

National Chapter Program

NOW OPEN: 50+ Chapters in 30+ States

Delegates in more than 30 states launched more than 50 chapters in 2020. Our initial plan began with the introduction of Alliance chapters in Austin, Atlanta, Orlando, Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles in early Q4 2020. Due to their success, and demand, the program has quickly grown with ambitions of international expansion coming in 2021 based on current demand in Canada and Europe.

The mission of the Alliance Chapter Program is to provide local gathering points for LGBTQ+ and allied real estate and housing industry practitioners. We want to enrich members’ lives through education and networking opportunities that cultivate and grow their businesses and enhance their professional lives. We also aim to deliver rich advocacy and philanthropic platforms.

Our quest is to build the scope and influence of chapters at the local level through partnerships with local nonprofits and through programming that integrates LGBTQ+ groups like NGLCC, PFLAG, NFHA, and state and local real estate associations. We seek to increase the awareness and understanding of issues and challenges that confront LGBTQ+ customers.

The colors above depict the 13 Chapter Delegate Regions.

Meet Our Chapter Leaders

Region 1: Delegate TBD
- Connecticut: Open
- Massachusets:
  - Boston: Tim Garvey
- Maine: Open
- New Hampshire: Open
- Rhode Island: Open
- Vermont: Open
Region 2: Delegate TBD
- New Jersey:
  - South Jersey: Jeremiah Kobelka
- New York:
  - New York City: TBA
- Pennsylvania:
  - Pittsburgh: TBA
  - Philadelphia: TBA
Region 3: Delegate TBD
- Delaware: Open
- District of Columbia: Chris Suranna
- Maryland:
  - Central MD: Jackie Garber
- Virginia: Open
- West Virginia: Open
Region 4: Delegate TBD
- Kentucky
  - Louisville: TBA
- North Carolina
  - Charlotte: Eric Norman
  - Raleigh/Durham: TBA (interim)
- South Carolina: Connor Addy
- Tennessee
  - Memphis: Austin Rowe
  - Clarksville: Joann Garcia
  - Knoxville: Lisa Monroe
Region 5: Delegate TBD
- Alabama
  - Birmingham: Jake Callahan
- Florida
  - Orlando: Shawn Layton & Jimmy Hendrickson
  - Miami: Val Scinto
  - Fort Lauderdale: Dave Gervase
  - Jacksonville: Gonzalo Mejia
  - Tampa Bay Area: Tracie Mayo
- Georgia
  - Atlanta: Rodney Mason
- Mississippi
  - Starkville: Josh Whitlock
- US Virgin Islands: Open
- Puerto Rico: Open
Region 6: Delegate TBD
- Michigan
  - Detroit: Christopher Ayers
- Ohio
  - Cleveland: Jacki Schaffer
  - Cincinnati: Brain Tiffany
  - Columbus: Wayne Henry

Region 7: Delegate TBD
- Illinois
  - Chicago: Curtis Hunt
- Indiana
  - Indianapolis: Roger Lundy
- Wisconsin
  - Central Wisconsin: Jenni Welch
Region 8: Delegate TBD
- Iowa
  - Des Moines: Thang Holt
- Minnesota: Amy Ruzick
- Nebraska: Open
- North Dakota: Open
- South Dakota: Open
Region 9: Delegate TBD
- Arkansas: Open
- Kansas: Open
- Missouri: Hank Vogt
- Oklahoma:
  - Oklahoma City: TBA
Region 10: Delegate TBD
- Louisiana
  - New Orleans: Logan Morris
- Texas
  - Austin: Erin Morrison
  - Dallas/Ft Worth: Bob McCranie
  - San Antonio: Kassandra Alicea
  - Houston: Anita Blue
Region 11: Delegate TBD
- Arizona
  - Phoenix: Mead Summer
- Colorado
  - Denver: Ori Kouahi
- Nevada
  - Las Vegas: Arnée Dodd
  - Reno: TBA
- New Mexico: Open
- Utah: Open
Region 12: Delegate TBD
- Alaska
  - Anchorage: Wil Fernandez
- Idaho
  - Boise: Tom Wheeler & Michael Miller
- Montana
  - Bozeman: Tyler Jozovich
- Oregon
  - Portland: Kate VanLooven
- Washington
  - Vancouver: Kate VanLooven
  - Seattle/Puget Sound: Togasii Peko
Region 13: Delegate TBD
- California
  - Los Angeles: Anthony Vulin
  - Fresno: Jane Schmitz
  - Long Beach: Ken Osborn
  - Palm Springs: John Harper
  - San Diego: Robert Schantz
  - San Francisco/Bay Area: Scott Romesburg
- Hawaii
  - Honolulu: Joe Ordinario
- Guam: Open

Corporate Partners

According to our friends at NGLCC*, the LGBTQ+ community has an annual purchase power of over $1 trillion in the U.S. and an estimated $3.7 trillion globally. The community is a huge consumer force that votes with its dollars. 72% of LGBTQ+ people have made a conscious decision to make a purchase over the past 12 months partially due to a company’s LGBTQ-inclusion.*

This equates to opportunity for companies that want to tap into the power and influence of LGBTQ+ real estate practitioners who sway the choices of LGBTQ+ customer. 80% of LGBTQ+ agreed that companies that support LGBTQ+ equality will get more of their business this year.*

Through its partnership offerings, the Alliance strives to be a partner that listens to your feedback, enriches your business plans, educates your workforce about LGBTQ+ and increases your business by approaching LGBTQ+ issues as a business opportunity and value-add.