PAR Lauds Three Dedicated Realtors®

Three outstanding Realtors® were recognized for their dedication, leadership and contributions to the real estate industry at PAR’s Board of Directors meeting yesterday in Harrisburg.

PAR Past President Todd Umbenhauer received the Lifetime Achievement Award; District Vice President Mark Kibbe was presented with the Realtor® Active in Politics Award; and Past President Chris Raad was named Realtor® of the Year.

Lifetime Achievement

Umbenhauer, a member of Tri-County Suburban Realtors®, is an associate broker for Keller Williams Real Estate and has been a Realtor® for 52 years. He served as president of the former North Penn Board of Realtors® and chairman of the Suburban Realtors® Alliance.

He was the president of PAR in 2018 and has served on the Standard Forms Oversight, Professional Standards, Convention and Executive Committees.

He was a National Association of Realtors® director and served on NAR’s Multiple Listing Issues and Policy and Risk Management Committees. He is also a certified NAR Code of Ethics instructor.

Umbenhauer has a longstanding commitment to his community, raising tens of thousands of dollars for church youth groups and non-profits, acting as an auctioneer. He was formerly involved with the Table of Plenty for Zion Mennonite Church and currently works with the Loft Food Pantry in Millersville. He is an active member of Souderton Mennonite Church, serving there in various capacities. He also volunteers with Dream League baseball organization for those with disabilities, Easter Baskets for Berks, as well as Valentines for Veterans annual breakfast.

“This is a moment where words escape me,” Umbenhauer said. “Being PAR president was the greatest honor of my life and I pray that I served you all well. I’ll treasure this for the rest of my life.”

Realtor® Active in Politics

Kibbe, a member of the Greater Erie Board of Realtors®, is an agent with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in Erie.

He served as the president of his local association in 2020 and chaired the local Legislative Committee, frequently meeting with local elected officials on a variety of real estate-related issues. In addition, he was named GEBOR’s 2023 Realtor® of the Year

Kibbe has been a PAR District Vice President since 2023, is a Sterling ‘R’ RPAC investor and is actively involved in RPAC fundraising.

He has served as PAR’s Legislative Committee chair for the past two years, providing testimony at state hearings and acting as a spokesperson for the association’s legislative issues.

Kibbe said, “Legislative advocacy has always been my passion, both in Washington and Harrisburg. This organization and our members are respected across the aisles and that’s not common. Our Realtor® story is a fantastic one to tell when we have the opportunity. Thank you for this honor; I’m totally shocked.”

Realtor® of the Year

Raad is a third-generation Realtor®, following his late grandfather, Harvey Z. Raad, and his late father, George Raad, into the family real estate business, Harvey Z. Raad, Realtors® in Allentown. Raad is active at his local association, the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors®, where he served as president in 2015-16. A Realtor® for 27 years, he has also served on several committees and task forces.

PAR’s 2021 president, he has been a member of PAR’s Board of Directors for 15 years.

Raad was a member of the NAR Board of Directors, served on NAR’s Public Policy Coordinating Committee and is an active federal political coordinator.

Active in his community, he was a member of the Allentown Historical Architectural Review Board and is currently the chair of the Allentown Redevelopment Authority. He was a 2021 honoree to the Lehigh Valley Business Power 30 for Construction and Real Estate and was a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Lehigh Valley Business Journal.

“It’s been a tremendous honor to serve PAR with all of you. The work we do may go unnoticed, but it matters to our members and the consumers we serve,” he said. “For our industry, it’s the relationships and the people you surround yourself with that help make you successful. I have had great mentors at PAR, who I have tried to emulate.”