Briarcliff Realtor Named President of Realtors' Association

The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® chose Marcene Hedayati, broker/owner of William Raveis Legends Realty Group in Briarcliff Manor, Hastings-on Hudson, Irvington, and Tarrytown, as its 2016 President.

The installation of the 2016 presidents coincides with HGAR’s 100th Anniversary celebration.

Founded in 1916 as the Westchester County Realty Board, the Association has grown from a few hundred members to almost 10,000. Following a 2009 merger with the Putnam County Association of REALTORS®, the organization merged in 2011 with the Rockland County Board of REALTORS® and the Orange County Association of REALTORS®.

Today, HGAR is the 2nd largest REALTOR® Association in New York.

Renee Zurlo, associate broker with BHG Rand Realty in Central Valley, was appointed as the 2016 President of the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service (HGMLS).

Hedayati and Zurlo, along with the executive officers and directors of HGAR and HGMLS, were officially installed in their new positions at the Association’s Centennial Gala held recently at The Ritz-Cartlon, Westchester in White Plains. More than 300 people from the lower Hudson Valley attended.

“This is going to be an exciting year as we celebrate 100 years of serving our region,” said Richard Haggerty, HGAR CEO, in a prepared statement. “I am proud to have both Marcene and Renee at the helms of our organizations, and we’re looking forward to seeing great things from both of them this year.”

Hedayati has enjoyed a long career in real estate and was named HGAR”s “Realtor of the Year” in 2013. She and her business partners formed Legends Realty Group in 2006, which became part of the William Raveis family in 2011. She began her real estate career with Houlihan Lawrence, where she was honored as the company’s “Rookie of the Year” during her first year there.

Prior to real estate, she owned seven Benetton clothing stores and later managed fashion boutiques along Madison Avenue in New York City. She has served on many HGAR committees, the HGAR Board of Directors and last year, she was the President-Elect for 2016.

In addition, the 2016 HGAR Executive Officers installed include: Dorothy Botsoe of Dorothy Jensen Realty, Inc. in White Plains as HGAR President-Elect for 2017; John Lease III of John Lease Realtors in Newburgh as Regional VP, Orange County; Russell Woolley of Wright Bros Real Estate Inc. in Nyack as Regional VP, Rockland County; Barry Kramer of Westchester Choice Realty in Scarsdale as Regional VP, Westchester and Putnam Counties; Clayton Livingston of BHHS Hudson Valley Properties in Pawling as Regional VP, Westchester and Putnam Counties; Pamela Jones of Coldwell Banker inWhite Plains, as Secretary/Treasurer; and Drew Kessler of Wright Bros Real Estate Inc. in Nyack as Immediate Past President.

The new HGMLS Officers include: Louise Colonna of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in White Plains as Vice President; Chirag Shah of Gateway Realty Corp. of New York in Mamaroneck as Treasurer, Eileen Barrett of Houlihan Lawrence in Brewster as Secretary; and Leah Caro of Bronxville-Ley Real Estate in Bronxville as Immediate Past President.