Gooch to lead real estate group, Disponett, Hodge, Carter recognized

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Lexington-Bluegrass Association of REALTORS has installed new leadership and honored some of its top member performers.

Kristy Gooch was installed as the 2021 president of the Lexington-Bluegrass Association of REALTORS® (LBAR).

She has been a member of LBAR for over 20 years, served on the LBAR Board of Directors and was elected as treasurer in 2018.

She has participated on numerous committees and task forces including MLS, professional standards and technology.

In 2012, Gooch was selected as the Good Neighbor Award recipient for LBAR. She is a member of the Top Producer Club where she previously served as treasurer.

In addition to her involvement at the local level, Gooch is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® Strategic Thinking Advisory Committee and the Kentucky REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee. She is also a 2018 graduate of the LeadershipKYR program.

Beyond her work for the association, Gooch is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Elite Realty, where she was awarded the broker/owner of the year award in 2007.

The remaining 2021 officers are president-elect Rusty Underwood, Milestone Realty

Kelley Nisbet

Consultants, and treasurer Kelley Nisbet, Coldwell Banker

Rusty Underwood

McMahan.

Other 2021 Board of Directors include: Sandy Allnutt, The Agency; Tommy Black, RE/MAX on Main; Jonathan Bronaugh, Rector-Hayden, REALTORS®; Greg Buchanan, ERA Select Real Estate; Matt Coomer, Weichert, REALTORS®, Ford Brothers; Anne Hart Cornett, Milestone Realty Consultants; Barb Curtis, Coldwell Banker McMahan; Anthony de Movellan, Berkshire Hathaway de Movellan; Gary Denton, Rector-Hayden, REALTORS®; Sha Fister, Rector-Hayden, REALTORS®; Todd Hyatt, Lois Ann Disponett Real Estate; Ruby Mason, RE/MAX Elite Realty; Randy Newsome, United Real Estate and Tom Thomas, Rector-Hayden, REALTORS®.

At the recent Kick Off: Installation and Member Recognition Meeting, Lois Ann Disponett

Liz Hodge Raquel Carter Lois Ann Disponett

was named LBAR’s REALTOR® of the Year for 2020. She is the broker/owner of Lois Ann Disponett Real Estate in Lawrenceburg and has been a member of LBAR for 30 years.

She has been involved in the development of both residential and commercial property in the Anderson County area for more than four decades. In addition to selling real estate, she has been very active at all levels of the Association and has held a number of leadership roles.

On the national level, Disponett was the National Association of REALTORS® liaison to Kentucky for the Flood Insurance Program and served as a Federal Political Coordinator for Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Andy Barr.

Locally, she is a member of the Board of Directors and is a major investor for the REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC). For the state, she has served as a State Political Coordinator for both Senator Alice Forgy Kerr and Senator Ralph Alvarado.

She holds several real estate designations including the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and the Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manger (CRB). Disponett currently serves as chair for the Kentucky Real Estate Commission.

In addition to her real estate career, she is co-owner of Century Bank of Kentucky and a Best Western in Lawrenceburg. In the community, she has served on the boards for the Bluegrass Community and Technical College Foundation and Bluegrass Tomorrow and served on the Site Based Council for Turner Elementary, Anderson Middle School and Anderson High School.

The Good Neighbor Award was presented to Liz Hodge, an agent with Lifstyl Real Estate in Lexington and member of LBAR since 2014. Hodge is co-founder and executive director of a Lexington non-profit, A Running Start, which is committed to encouraging, growing and helping new runners from challenged backgrounds get a fresh start in life. Partnering with The Hope Center, she works with those in recovery by providing an opportunity to train for a 5K and to “graduate” with a medal, but more importantly, a letter of recommendation for job placement and housing.

She personally provides running shoes to many in the program, and covers travel to and from facilities, race registrations, gym memberships, physical therapy appointments, purchases of water, clothing and medical needs.

And she uses her business networks to find job placement and housing for those in the program. Additionally, she can be found lacing up running shoes to train with dozens of men and women almost every night. In addition to A Running Start, Hodge also finds time to volunteer at many other organizations in the area including Dining with Dignity and remains a strong advocate for the mission of Greenhouse 17.

For her efforts, she was awarded the Randy Breeding Volunteer of the Year in 2019 for the Hope Center. Hodge is also president-elect of the Lexington Forum.

In addition, Raquel Carter, broker/owner of Guide Realty in Lexington, took home the Distinguish Service Award, given on behalf of the LBAR president to recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond for the Association and industry.

Carter has been a member of LBAR since 2003 and as a second-generation REALTOR®, she has been a tireless advocate for real estate and our community. Locally, she has served on many committees including the Young Professional Network, Community Education and Outreach and Technology.

She is a past member of the Executive Committee and is currently president-elect of the REALTOR® Community Housing Foundation. Carter has been instrumental in the creation of Diversity Committee locally and sits on the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force for Kentucky REALTORS®.

She is a former president of the Lexington Chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) and is a member of LFUCG Board of Adjustments, Lexington Community Land Trust (LCLT) Real Estate Development Committee and Commerce Lexington. In 2020, she was appointed to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission.

LBAR represents more than 3,600 REALTORS® located in 26 counties: Anderson, Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Clark, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Jackson, Jessamine, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Madison, Menifee, Montgomery, Nicholas, Owsley, Powell, Rowan, Scott, Whitley and Woodford counties.