Haggerty named the new CEO of HGAR

Richard Haggerty has been appointed CEO of the newly-formed Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR), now the 11th largest Realtor association in the nation. Haggerty took over the reins of the organization from former CEO Gilbert Mercurio, who is remaining on staff as a part-time consultant for one year. Prior to becoming CEO, Haggerty served first as director of member services and subsequently as the deputy executive officer for WPAR. He was also the professional standards administrator for WPAR for 27 years. He has coordinated over 550 arbitrations, ethics hearings, and mediations during his tenure. HGAR is a result of a merger between the Westchester Putnam Association of Realtors (WPAR), the Rockland County Board of Realtors (RCBR) and Orange County Association of Realtors (OCAR). Prior to becoming CEO, Haggerty served first as director of member services and subsequently as the deputy executive officer for WPAR. He was also the professional standards administrator for WPAR for 27 years. He has coordinated over 550 arbitrations, ethics hearings, and mediations during his tenure. He has been a speaker and instructor for the New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Associations of Realtors. In addition, Haggerty has served as a co-instructor for the NAR-mandated Professional Standards Administrator's Program offered by the National Association of Realtors for nine years. He has authored an online class entitled "Ethics in Action," which meets the NAR- mandated Code of Ethics training requirement. He co-authored a CD Rom entitled "Realtor Ethics-The Public and Your Peers," which meets the NAR-mandated Code of Ethics training requirement. Haggerty also developed and served as an instructor for two courses that meet the NAR-mandated Code of Ethics training. One of the courses, "Ms. Patti and the Devil," has been presented to more than 8,000 classroom attendees. An active member of the local community, Haggerty is a former chair and current board member for Community Capital Resources, a not-for-profit agency that provides funding for affordable housing projects, as well as small business loans throughout the Hudson Valley region. Haggerty is a resident of Manhattan.