Government Affairs Update

Welcome to our new Government Affairs Directors!

Kris joined us in November of last year to launch the new External Affairs department, and previously served as a Government Affairs Director for Illinois REALTORS® working with us in Chicago. We are excited that he will bring this experience to his new role and will continue to build upon his existing relationships with the new city administration. We look forward to working with him to expand and elevate CAR’s advocacy footprint!         Adriann joined CAR in July as our new local government affairs director, with primary responsibility for Cook County, Cook County municipalities outside of the city of Chicago, commercial issues and some shared City Council responsibilities. She previously served as a local and state government affairs representative at the National Association of REALTORS® and is an expert in state and local real estate policies relating to land-use and landlord tenant relations. She is well versed in rent control policies and has a proven history of interpreting and advocating for policies that protect private property rights. Prior to NAR, Adriann served as the Senior Manager of Government Affairs for CCIM and has previous campaign experience in Illinois and Iowa.

Interested in meeting Kris and Adriann and learning more about our ongoing advocacy initiatives? Coffee with the GADs the first Tuesday of each month provides updates in real time. Check our events schedule to register, or request for a GAD to come visit your office!

Thank you Brian Bernardoni!

Our longtime Senior Director of Government Affairs, Brian Bernardoni, will depart September 30, 2019, to pursue opportunities outside the REALTOR® organization. We’re so thankful for all his incredible work on our behalf over the last 17 years. Thanks to Brian’s advocacy work, we achieved an exemption from the “Cloud Tax” on REALTOR® and MRED data and defeated several transfer tax proposals. Brian worked with housing advocates for the preservation of homes through the Cook County Land Bank and the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and helped over 30,000 homeowners with his work to open the Cook County Board of Review books to allow for appeals using MRED data. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors!