About the Speakers

Midyear Power Broker Forum & Reception

Moderators:

John Featherston, President and CEO, RISMedia
John E. Featherston is president and chief executive officer of RISMedia, Inc., founded in 1980. Under Featherston’s direction, RISMedia has developed into a highly regarded national news and information service that provides a wide array of services to clients throughout the home services industry. RISMedia publishes Real Estate magazine, a monthly news and business development publication serving the industry for 26 years, The Power Broker Network Report, The Power Team Report and the annual Power Broker Report on the nation’s top 500 brokerages. Other services include publishing, printing, consulting, Internet-based news services at www.rismedia.com, sales and business development training and conference management.

Ed Krafchow, President, Prudential California/Nevada/Texas Realty
Through Ed Krafchow’s leadership, traditional real estate service and progressive technology have been blended to create an environment that helps agents and clients succeed. Through his vision, Prudential California/Nevada/Texas Realty was the first to provide real estate professionals with a Web-based Intranet-The WebTop. Partnered with Dave Cobo, Krafchow has led the company to unparalleled growth, quadrupling the company’s assets since taking over in 1991. A frequent national speaker on several industry-related topics, he has been identified by the California Association of Realtors as one of California’s top brokers and recognized as a technological leader by the Employee Relocation Council.

Panelists:

Sue Barber, Senior Vice President and Business Executive of Business Development, Chase’s Home Lending Division
Sue Barber is senior vice president and business executive of business development for Chase’s Home Lending Division. Her responsibilities include management of National ABA/JV Sales and Account Management, Corporate and Affinity Businesses, National Builder, Condominium and Construction-to-Perm Divisions. Barber has over 22 years of mortgage banking experience, specializing in sales and relationship management. Her background includes 11 years with Chase. Prior to this, Barber was with PHH/Cendant Mortgage Corporation during which time she served as director of national real estate relationships, Eastern Division Correspondent Lending manager and also served as head of National Production Operations.

David Charron, President & CEO, MRIS
David Charron is president and chief executive officer of MRIS. He joined MRIS in January 2001 with an extensive background in real estate, information systems, and Internet business solutions. He is responsible for overseeing all MRIS operations and for ensuring on-going communications with the MRIS board of directors and the MRIS shareholders. Charron managed organizations that successfully defined, marketed and delivered information systems to real estate professionals from 1980-1997. Prior to joining MRIS, Charron was the president of Net Input, an Internet-based business consulting practice serving Fortune 500 clients in apparel, media, sports and real estate.

Peter F. Hunt, Chairman & CEO, Hunt Real Estate Corp.
Peter F. Hunt is chairman and CEO of Hunt Real Estate Corp. Under his leadership, Hunt Real Estate Corp.’s sales volume rose to over $1.5 billion in 2007. Since 1984, Hunt has founded Devere Capital Corp., a mortgage banking firm, Hunt-Vanner Agency, a general insurance agency, Realty Express, a fee-for-service real estate brokerage, and The Realty Club, a membership organization supplying homeownership services. In 1992, Hunt acquired a title agency and formed Network Title Agency of New York. In March 2001, Hunt Real Estate expanded into Rochester, New York through the acquisition of Judy Columbus Real Estate and Relocation and has since acquired seven additional offices and opened two new offices in Syracuse.

Larry Knapp, President & COO, Alain Pinel Realtors
Larry Knapp is president and chief operating officer of Alain Pinel Realtors (APR), one of the largest, privately owned residential real estate brokerage in the U.S. with 27 offices that serve Northern California’s premier neighborhoods. Knapp is responsible for day-to-day operations at Alain Pinel, including strategic growth initiatives, marketing, training, technology, finance and human resources. A one-time sales professional, Knapp is particularly attentive to providing the highest level of support for field managers, agents and APR clients.

Kate Rossi, President & COO, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Connecticut and Westchester
Kate Rossi, a 25-year veteran of the real estate industry, was appointed president and chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Connecticut and Westchester, New York, in February 2007. She is responsible for overseeing more than 240 employees and 2,400 sales associates in 55 offices. Prior to this appointment, Rossi served as president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage on Long Island and Queens since September 2004. Prior to joining Long Island’s prominent residential real estate brokerage, Rossi held many executive positions at NRT. In 2000, she was appointed president for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Colorado, taking the company to the number one position in the market within four years. Prior to that, she served as regional vice president of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Inc., in Pittsburgh.

John Tuccillo, Ph.D., Owner & President, John Tuccillo & Associates
John Tuccillo is one of the foremost real estate and housing finance economists in the U.S. He is the owner and president of JTA, LLC, a consulting practice focused on strategic and business planning. His clients have included trade associations, major real estate and other private firms. He was educated at Georgetown University and Cornell University, and holds a doctorate in economics. His books, The Eight New Rules of Real Estate, Click and Close (written with Jim Sherry), and New Business Models for the New Economy are best sellers and have been instrumental in shaping the thinking of real estate industry leaders as they approach the challenge of changing their business models. His latest book, How A Second Home Can Be Your Best Investment, was released by McGraw-Hill in April 2004. He has served as a director or advisor to a number of technology and real estate firms.