SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — REALTOR® Ezekiel “Zeke” Morris, past president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®, has been installed as the 2020 Treasurer of Illinois REALTORS®. He is the owner and managing broker of EMA Realty and Management in Chicago.
Morris began his real estate career in 1989. He is a member and past president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and was named its local REALTOR® of the year in 2013. The Chicago association awards a Zeke Morris Scholarship supporting the education efforts of those who have shown a commitment to the stabilization and economic development of southside Chicago communities.
At the state level, Morris has been involved in a number of working groups and committees and has chaired the Housing Opportunity Working Group, the Bylaws Committee, the Public Policy and Government Affairs Member Involvement Group and the State Legislative Contacts Working Group. He has served multiple terms on the Illinois REALTORS® Board of Directors and will be the state association’s first African-American president.
Morris understands the power a strong REALTOR® political advocacy program can have on the industry. He is among an elite group of REALTORS® nationwide who have been inducted into the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) Hall of Fame for lifetime contributions of at least $25,000.
At the national level, Morris has served on the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Board of Directors and has lent his expertise to a variety of committees including: Housing Opportunity, Diversity, Federal Housing Policy and the Multicultural Real Estate Leadership Advisory Group. Morris chaired NAR’s Fair Housing Act Anniversary Working Group and the Fair Housing Act Anniversary Implementation Group and helped spearhead the national association’s efforts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act in 2018.
Morris earned a bachelor’s degree from Upper Iowa University and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and is involved in the church’s housing and economic development ministry.
He also serves as president of the board of directors for the Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc., a Chicago human services organization that offers educational program, child development, senior services, vocational training, mental health and residential services.
Morris was installed as treasurer at the Illinois REALTORS® Installation Ceremony on Sept. 19 at the Chicago Marriott Naperville. Other 2020 officers are: President Ed Neaves, managing broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Snyder Real Estate in Bloomington; and President-elect Sue Miller, ABR, BPOR, C2EX, CRB, CRS, GRI, ePro, LTG, PMN, SFR, SRS, managing broker of Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group in McHenry.
The Illinois REALTORS® is a voluntary trade association whose more than 50,000 members are engaged in all facets of the real estate industry. In addition to serving the professional needs of its members, Illinois REALTORS® works to protect the rights of private property owners in the state by recommending and promoting legislation which safeguards and advances the interest of real property ownership.