Botsoe of Dorothy Jensen Realty named 2017 HGAR president

Shown (from left) are Renee Zurlo and Dorothy Botsoe

White Plains, NY The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR) welcomes Dorothy Botsoe, broker/owner of Dorothy Jensen Realty, Inc. as its 2017 president. Botsoe is the first black president to be appointed to this position since the associations’ inception in 1916 as the Westchester County Realty Board. (Prior to the merger with the former Rockland County Board of Realtors (RCBR)  and Orange County Association of Realtors (OCAR) in 2012, RCBR elected its first black president, Bill Thorne, in 2011).  Renee Zurlo, associate broker with BHG Rand Realty in Central Valley, was re-elected as the 2017 President of the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service (HGMLS).   Zurlo also served as the HGMLS president last year.

Botsoe and Zurlo, along with the executive officers and directors of HGAR and HGMLS, were officially installed in their new positions at Abigail Kirsch at the Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown on January 19.  More than 300 people from the lower Hudson Valley attended.

“This is a historic day for HGAR, as we welcome the first black president in the 101-year history of our organization,” said Richard Haggerty, HGAR CEO.  “I am proud to have both Dorothy and Renee at the helms of our organizations, and we’re looking forward to seeing great things from both of them this year.”

Botsoe has been in the real estate business for almost 30 years and has owned her own firm for the past 21 years. A native of Ghana, West Africa, Botsoe invited her family members from around the world to attend her installation. Her main goal for the year is to ensure that HGAR reflects its diverse geographic and demographic membership. “The makeup and membership of HGAR is changing and I believe that we have to change with that too,” she said. “We have to include everyone in the process, making sure that the voices of our membership are heard.”

Botsoe has been active in the association for many years, serving as a director for HGAR and the New York State Association of Realtors.  She has also served on numerous HGAR councils and committees including education, legislative, fair housing and cultural diversity, faculty, professional standards, broker/owner and more.

Zurlo started her real estate career in 1994 and has enjoyed being a manager and trainer for the past 20 years. She is the Orange County regional manager for Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty and is also a New York State certified real estate instructor.

Prior to the merger creating HGAR, she held various positions on the former Orange County Association of Realtors’ MLS Board of Directors for many years.  She currently serves on the HGAR Professional Standards Committee and believes strongly in giving back to an industry that has given her so much, by supporting through service and involvement.

In addition to the presidents, the 2017 HGAR executive officers installed include: John Lease III of John Lease Realtors in Newburgh as president-elect for 2018;  Kathy Milich of RE/MAX Benchmark Realty Group in New Windsor as regional VP, Orange County; Jennifer Mallory of Keller Williams Hudson Valley in New City as regional VP, Rockland County; Barry Kramer of Westchester Choice Realty in Scarsdale as regional VP, Westchester and Putnam Counties; Clayton Livingston of Coldwell Banker in Croton-on-Hudson as regional VP, Westchester and Putnam Counties; Pamela Jones of Coldwell Banker in White Plains, as secretary/treasurer; and Marcene Hedayati of William Raveis Legends Realty in Tarrytown as immediate past president.

The new 2017 HGMLS executive officers include: Nancy Kennedy of Houlihan Lawrence in Croton-on-Hudson as vice president; Chirag Shah of Gateway Realty Corp. of New York in Mamaroneck as Treasurer, Louise Colonna of Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Scarsdale as secretary; and Leah Caro of Bronxville Real Estate in Bronxville as immediate past president.

The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors is a not-for-profit trade association consisting of almost 10,400 real estate professionals doing business in Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, and Orange counties as well as Manhattan.  It is the second largest Realtor Association in New York, and one of the largest in the country. The Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service (HGMLS), owned by HGAR, offers some 20,000 properties in the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. It is among the top 50 largest MLSs in the country.