Columbus REALTORS® honored six central Ohio members for their outstanding commitment to the real estate profession and to the central Ohio community at its annual Awards celebration on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at the Villa Milano.
As only one award is made annually in each category, this esteemed honor is recognized as a sign of excellence throughout the real estate industry.
Andrew Show, 2022, Broker of the Year
Andrew Show was licensed in 1992 and is the broker of Buyer’s Resource Realty Services. He currently serves on Columbus REALTORS® Broker Advisory Council, Government Affairs, Professional Standards and Standard Forms committees. He has served as a member of Columbus REALTORS® Board of Directors, chaired its Professional Standards, Business Technology and Membership committees, served two 3-year appointments to the Grievance Committee and served as a member of the Builder-Realtor® Alliance, Communications, MLS and MLS Nominating committees.
He was also one of the founding members of the Columbus Independent Brokers Association, was one of only two people inducted into the Real Estate Buyer Agent Council Hall of Fame in 2021, and he is a recipient of Columbus REALTORS® five-time Volunteer Service Award.
Show says, “I see this award as a true capstone to my efforts in 2021 and a recognition of a career serving others, an acknowledgement of my fidelity to my brokerage and exclusive buyer agency. My hope is that I can continue to pay that goodwill forward in the future to both central Ohio and the real estate community that calls the area home.”
He holds numerous industry designations including the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), Accredited Buyer Representative Manager (ABRM) Certified Exclusive Buyer Agent (CEBA), Master Certified Exclusive Buyer Agent (CEBA Master), Certified Real Estate Mentor (CREM), Certified New Home Sales Professional (CSP), Electronic Internet Professional (e-PRO), Master Certified Negotiation (MCNE); Pricing Strategies Advisor (PSA), and Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE). He is also a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) for Columbus.
Show was awarded a double major Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. He also holds both private and commercial pilot licenses and is on the Board of Governors of The Ohio State University Aviation Alumni Society.
Kurt McCurdy, 2022 Salesperson of the Year
Kurt McCurdy is a sales associate with HER, REALTORS® Howard Hanna and has been a real estate professional for 47 years. He holds the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and the Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) industry designations.
He has served on Columbus REALTORS® Board of Directors and in leadership roles as chair and member of numerous committees, including the Builder/REALTOR® Alliance (BRAC), CORPAC Fundraising, Foundation Fundraising, Government Affairs, Professional Standards, and Sales Advisory.
McCurdy has received the Columbus REALTORS® Twenty-Five Million Dollar Sales Award and the Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is a National Association of REALTORS® REALTOR® Emeritus, has served as director at numerous NAR conventions and is a past chair of NAR’s Let’s Green America Committee. In addition, he has served as an accredited continuing education instructor for Ohio REALTORS®.
McCurdy holds a Lifetime Membership in the Eagle Scout Association, is a Sustaining Member of the Simon Kanton Council Boy Scouts of America, a founding and board member of Uptown, Inc. (Westerville), an active participant in Westerville’s 4th Friday events, and a fundraiser for the Leukemia Society.
After nearly five decades in real estate, McCurdy says, “I am just as passionate as ever about helping families achieve the American Dream and humbly accept this Salesperson of the Year Award as an acknowledgement of my long career.”
Anne Petit, Rupert “Twink” Starr 2022 Citizen of the Year
Anne M. Petit is the Superintendent of the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing, Department of Commerce, where she serves as the chief operating and administrative officer of the Ohio Real Estate Commission, Ohio Real Estate Appraiser Board, Ohio Home Inspector Board and the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission.
Petit previously served as the Division’s Superintendent from 2002 to 2005.After leaving this position, she was Vice President of Hondros College and served as director of their regulatory and compliance programs. Petit has also served as Director of Constituent Inquiries for Governor Bob Taft and was the Administrator of the Secretary of State’s campaign finance division.
A graduate of the JoAnn Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, Petit served as President of the Association of Appraisal Regulatory Officials (AARO) as well as the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO). She has served on the board of The Ohio State University – Fischer College of Business – Real Estate Advisory Council since 2014.
She volunteers with Veteran Companion Animal Services, Prevent Blindness Ohio, and Community Health Charities of Ohio as well as her church, Cypress Wesleyan. She cites both her faith and her involvement with the Camp Fire Girls organization as her two biggest inspirations for her life of service.
On receiving this award, Petit says, “It has been a privilege to serve and work with the Columbus REALTORS® association over my nearly 15 years with the Division and I believe that we each owe a duty to our fellow citizens to give back at whatever level we are able.”
Cheyenne Nixon, 2022 Affiliate of the Year
Cheyenne Nixon is the Business Development Manager for Heart of Gold Title and, while she has only been in the title business for one year, her list of accomplishments are impressive and deserving of this recognition.
In her short tenure, Nixon generated significant revenue growth through new business acquisition. She also developed custom engagement strategies for real estate partners to grow their business through the creation of print and digital marketing to engage past, current and prospective clients.
Currently Co-Vice Chair of Columbus REALTORS® CORPAC Fundraising Committee, she is also a member of the Young Professionals Network (YPN) where in October 2021, she was selected YPNer of the Month. She also serves as treasurer of the Women's Council of REALTORS® Columbus (WCR) and as a WCR Columbus 2022 Strategic Partner.
Her community activity includes volunteering with Toys for Tots, Furniture Bank of Ohio Bed Race; REALTOR® Care Day; Ronald McDonald House; Special Olympics Ohio; Buckeye Buddies, NC4K; and Friends of Jacquelyn.
“I feel incredibly honored and overwhelmed with gratitude to have received the Affiliate of the Year award. This recognition is a true testament to my phenomenal team and leadership at Heart of Gold Title. Every day, I wake up inspired to give my best to Columbus REALTORS® and the central Ohio community because I see the important impact we’re making in people’s lives,” said Nixon.
“I look forward to many more years serving alongside the incredible REALTOR® and affiliate members in our industry.”
Nixon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Master’s in Public Administration from The Ohio State University where she competed as a 4-year varsity member of the Women’s Swimming & Diving Team.
Sinan Falah, 2022 Rising Star of the Year
Sinan Falah is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty and has been in real estate for two years. In that short time, he has closed more than 100 individual real estate transactions, been recognized as the Number One Top Producer in the Coldwell Banker Upper Arlington office and as one of the Top Five Producers, Best of the Best with Caldwell Banker Central Ohio, placing him number five out of almost 1100 agents.
He has also been awarded the 2021 Coldwell Banker Realty Central Ohio Rising Star Award, the International President’s Elite Award (second highest award with Coldwell Banker), Columbus REALTORS® President’s Commitment Award and has been featured in REAL Producers of Columbus magazine.
In addition to his full-time career in real estate, he works full time as a Federal Civil Engineer with the Department of Defense (DoD) and is an active volunteer career consultant with Jewish Family Services (JFS) where he helps families obtain employment.
Falah says, “I feel humbled that my accomplishments are being recognized by Columbus REALTORS® and I am excited to give back that same goodwill to the community. To me, this award certifies that I have been conducting my business the right way as I always set out to do when I started in real estate.”
Falah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering/Construction Systems Management from The Ohio State University and an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering from Erie Community College.
Carol Sommer, 2021 Joseph L. MacKinnon Instructor of the Year
Carol has been practicing real estate for almost 22 years and is licensed in both Ohio and North Carolina. She is the Director of Productivity Training for Keller Williams Capital Partners in Worthington, Ohio.
Sommer is also the Founder and Developer of RE Kick Start 101, a state certified 3-hour continuing education class which teaches students how to own and operate an independent real estate business. Her classes are taught both in person and virtually in a variety of locations throughout the State of Ohio.
With a passion for education, she has taught hundreds of students, both new and seasoned, the importance of understanding that real estate is a “real” business. New agents, once they have successfully passed the state exam, are especially excited about this informative and interesting program which enables them to be fully confident when joining a brokerage. More seasoned agents love the time management and business planning elements.
She has served on several committees and currently serves on the Columbus REALTORS® Education and Grievance committees and is a past Chair of the Membership Services Committee. She is also a Past President of the Powell Area Realty Association (formerly known as the Southern Delaware County Realty Association).
Sommer shares, “Winning the Instructor of the Year award serves as a wonderful affirmation that my efforts are reaching a wider community of REALTORS®, and this recognition means the world to me.”
