Yvette Jones – Swanson is a dedicated REALTOR® with over 25 years of experience in the industry. She has been a full-time agent at Real People Realty for the past 12 years, specializing in working with HCV tenants and establishing herself as one of the top agents in the field. Yvette's expertise in the HCV process and legal issues has been recognized through her Core B course, which she has taught at various real estate organizations including the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS®, Chicago Association Board of REALTORS®, and Three Rivers. She is committed to educating fellow agents on this important subject.

With a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development focusing on Instructional Design, Yvette brings a unique skill set to her real estate career. She has held roles such as Instructional Designer in the real estate and construction industry, property manager for over 600 units, Assistant Property Manager for upscale properties, Operations Manager, and Leasing Manager.

Yvette is also a published author, with her book "Veteran’s Buying and Real Estate Guide for Today’s" becoming #1 in New Releases on Amazon in 2021. She has written over 20 titles on the platform, demonstrating her commitment to sharing knowledge in the real estate field and other interests. Yvette's passion for housing veterans is evident in her work, having provided homes for veterans for 18 years and organizing Veteran home buying seminars for over a decade.

As an Army veteran herself and married to a Retired Army Master Sergeant, Yvette's dedication to serving veterans is deeply rooted. She is the founder and CEO of 100 Pretty Purses for Female Veterans, a non-profit organization that has gifted over 70,000 purses to female veterans over the past 10 years. 100 Pretty Purses for Female Veterans also organizes back-to-school functions for the children of veterans, continuing her mission to support and uplift the veteran community.

John Gormley is CEO of the 19,000-member Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS®, the largest local association in Illinois and seventh-largest in the U.S. He previously was CEO of St. Louis REALTORS® and before that Vice President, Communications and Marketing, for the Texas Association of REALTORS®. With 24 years spent working for the REALTOR® family, John believes in the power of servant leadership. He’s seen it many times in the volunteer leaders he works with. But volunteer jobs don’t pay the bills. However, you can achieve balance between intrinsically meaningful activities (those that feed the soul) and financially productive ones (that actually put food on the table).

Bryan Greene is Vice President of Policy Advocacy at the National Association of REALTORS® where he oversees all legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of the association’s 1.5 million members. Bryan joined NAR in November 2019, and spent his first year at NAR raising the association’s profile in Washington and nationwide on all fair-housing-related policy matters as NAR’s first Director of Fair Housing Policy.

Before joining NAR, Bryan served for ten years as the highest-ranking career official in HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), where he oversaw the policy direction and operational management of the 600-person office enforcing the nation’s housing anti-discrimination laws and oversight of a $150 million budget. 

Bryan was the 2007 recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, the highest federal honor bestowed upon federal senior executives for outstanding service.

Outside his policy work, Bryan writes on history and culture, contributing regularly to Smithsonian Magazine. A 2017 article Bryan wrote on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival led to his work as a consulting producer on the Academy-Award-winning film, “Summer of Soul.”

Bryan earned his degree in Government from Harvard University.

Before joining CREA’s Legal department in 2014, Dil Puar worked in politics and on Parliament Hill for several years. His passion for politics and policy led him to make a shift within the organization and join the Government Relations team in 2017. Given his legal, political, and business background, Dil brings a unique perspective to federal advocacy. In his spare time, you will most likely find him on a volleyball court or by a lake.

David Zverow is an MSW, LCSW, with almost 50 years experience in social services. During his career Mr. Zverow has been an individual and family therapist, social work supervisor, program manager and site director.  He was Community Development Director for an office of Metropolitan Family Services, Director of HIAS Chicago, and of the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society (now MIRA).

For the past nine years, he has been a consultant to ICNA Relief, an immigrant and refugee-serving social service agency. In this role he has provided staff training, site management, community networking, social worker supervision and grant writing. He also sits on the board of the Refugee Action Network, a consortium of 26 refugee-serving agencies in the Chicago area.

Mr. Zverow especially likes working with other community organizations to create partnerships that yield successful outcomes. 

Dawn is an Executive Director, Senior Lending Manager at JPMorgan Chase. Dawn has been with the firm for 10 years and has over 35 years of mortgage and banking experience including originations, processing, and underwriting. She currently leads the West Chicago, Central Illinois, and Northwest Indiana Residential Mortgage teams. She is also the current president of the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association and active member of NAHREP, AREAA, and Women's Council of REALTORS®.

Monica La Crue is an Affordable Lending Manager at Freddie Mac and part of the Single-Family Mission and Community Engagement team. She joined Freddie Mac in 2019 as part of the Real Estate Engagement outreach team.  She works closely with industry diverse trade associations, real estate companies and local and State REALTOR® associations.

Monica has been in the finance, mortgage, and real estate industry for over 13 years. She has worn various hats throughout her career and is well respected by her industry partners and known for her keen sense of customer relationships, program development, education and events management.

Monica graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in History.

Carrie J. Little is an early user of technology, Digital marketing and social media. With a back ground in digital marketing and analytics, she can make sense of information so REALTORS® are able to integrate data into relevant and understandable content. She is the 2021 Women's Council State Liaison and resent graduate of the Goldman Sach's 10,000 business program. Carrie is the author of “The New Real Estate Agent’s Journal and a new adjunct professor for NAR’s New under graduate program. 

Carrie is driven to motivate others to dream big and reach their personal and professional goals.  Check out the January 2019 NAR REALTOR® Magazine in the feature, “3 Brokers walk into a Bar.” Listen to Carrie's Real Estate Minute segment on WBBM radio.

Michael Dobrow, a former trustee of Avon Township in Lake County, as a Governmental Affairs Director (GAD) for the North Shore-Barrington Association of REALTORS® and the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS®, Lake County. Dobrow is a seasoned organizing and communications professional. Prior to joining the Illinois REALTORS®, he was the Advocacy and Professional Relations Manager for the American Association of Endodontists. His background includes working for the Illinois House of Representatives Speaker’s Office and its political campaign arm. In these roles, he successfully managed legislative, community and campaign operations. Dobrow’s contributions were instrumental in securing several crucial state House victories. He has advised Chicago City Council members, judges in Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties, and other candidates at all levels of government across the state. He earned his bachelor’s degree in film and political science in 2009 from the University of Iowa. 

Nora Gruenberg is an Illinois REALTORS® Local Government Affairs Director, serving the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® South Cook Government Affairs Committee, as well as the Three Rivers Association of REALTORS®. With a background in communications, and staffing state legislative offices, and political operations, Nora leverages her skill sets to address housing policy issues in local government, while advancing the real estate industry with her colleagues and REALTOR® members. 

Adriann Murawski is the Local Government Affairs Director for the Illinois REALTORS® primarily covering the Cook County region for three REALTOR® Associations (Chicago, Mainstreet and Oak Park). Adriann has worked in the real estate industry and advocacy for over thirteen (13) years. Prior to her work in Cook County, she was with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) as the State and Local Policy Representative in Washington, DC.

Adriann has masters degrees in real estate (Georgetown University) and Public Administration (DePaul University). Adriann is an alumna of the Goldie Initiative, a program designed to develop the next generation of women executives in the commercial real estate (CRE) industry.

Roshaunta is the 2024 Chair of Mainstreet’s Senior Services Committee.  She has been practicing real estate since 2015 and holds both the Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation and the Pricing Strategy Advisor certification.  She is also serves on Mainstreet’s Professional Standards Committee. Roshaunta is recognized as part of the Coldwell Banker International Sterling Society for being in the top 25% of Coldwell Banker agents worldwide. 

Hope Atuel has served as Executive Director of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) since January 2012. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director at AREAA, she served in different capacities from membership, marketing and communications and government relations in other trade organizations for the last 25 years.

Jim Harveyis a Masters level Public Health professional with more than 35 yearsof service to Community Health programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Bureau of Primary Health Care. He oversaw the development of the Capacity Building Assistance Program and managed a division of CDC’s National Prevention Information Network for several years. He also consulted for the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Georgia Department of Human Services Minority Health Division. Jim was a co-founder of the Greater Chicago Committee and introduced the Bayard Rustin Awards there. He also remains a member of the DC -based, Rainbow History Project.

Jim began a career in Domestic Violence Prevention Counseling and Group Facilitation in 2010 in Chicago and has since become certified as a Restorative Justice and Conflict Mediation Facilitator/Trainer. Mr. Harvey is a long time Organizational Development Consultant to Non-Profits and NGO’s which has taken him to South Africa, Jamaica and numerous cities in the US much of which helped prepare him to lead in the development and completion of a residential housing and social services program for LGBTQ homeless youth in New Mexico. Jim Harvey recently served as Associate Director for a domestic violence prevention program where he also facilitated men’s  groups along with program administration at multiple levels. Jim is a native of Chicago where he resides with his spouse of 23 years and their three dogs and a cat. Jim Harvey is an avid collector of art from the African diaspora.    

Joseph’s law practice is focused in five areas: 1) Corporate and Business Law, 2) Real Estate, 3) Estate Planning, 4) Commercial/Civil Litigation and 5) Bankruptcy.

Joseph counsels individuals and businesses on issues such as entity formation, acquisitions, joint ventures, investment and business development, employment and service agreements, contract disputes and enforcement and dissolutions.  He represents clients in residential and commercial real estate acquisitions, sales and development. Joseph is experienced in the formation and administration of estate plans involving wills, trusts, healthcare proxies, powers of attorney and the probate process. He represents clients in litigation matters such as breach of contract, consumer protection and foreclosure. In addition, he handles Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy filings. Prior to establishing his own law practice, Joseph was a transactional attorney with two of Chicago’s most prominent law firms.

Joseph is a member of the American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association and Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois. He is currently a board member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) (where he served as the 2016 NAHREP National President), the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association of Illinois and the River Forest Community Center.  Joseph is a frequent speaker on topics including business formation and development, estate planning and consumer protection. He is regularly featured in legal segments on radio and television and is fluent in Spanish.

Joseph obtained his law degree with distinction from the Hofstra University School of Law in Long Island, New York where he was a recipient of the Patricia Harris Fellowship. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with honors from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.   

Leslie Levy is a Multi-faceted Real Estate professional with over 20 years experience in Housing Advocacy, Client Services, Negotiating and Training. 

Leslie is a Multi-Million Dollar producing REALTOR®️ at @Properties, licensed in Illinois and Indiana, who believes in providing each client with a positive real estate experience. With this in mind, each buyer and seller is provided optimum service, up to date market information, care and respect. 

She currently serves as the President of the Women’s Council of Realtors, South Suburban Network and the Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors. She is also a member of the Professional Standards Committee. 

Leslie is a service leader in her community. She is a member of The Links, Incorporated and serves as the Midwestern Regional Community Impact Chair for Jack and Jill of America, Inc.  

Cleo is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of SPIRE Real Estate Education Inc. headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The mission statement is in the company’s name SPIRE, “creating Successful Paths In Real Estate” by providing pre-licensing and continuing education programs for real estate professionals. 

She also serves as the Sales Director for LuxMods, in modular construction for home-based professionals seeking solutions to build their ultimate workspace as a backyard office.

Prior to real estate, she worked for Chicago Public Schools managing teacher recruitment and various government grant programs specializing in math, science, and special education with university partners. This work was made possible through an internship at The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations. 

Her career started at Pricewaterhouse Coopers specializing in expatriate taxes for global companies. Upon graduating from Loyola University with a Bachelors of Business Administration - Finance, she pursued a Graduate Certificate Program in nonprofit organization and philanthropy.

Cleo proudly serves as the President for the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) – Chicago Chapter, and as a board member for the Southside Builders Association of Chicago and the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce Greater Chicago.

Rosa Castaneda is a seasoned sales representative with Near North Title, boasting 23 years in the title insurance industry. Her journey began in 2000 as a coordinator for a nationally recognized title insurer, where she quickly rose through the ranks, holding various roles including closing coordinator, real estate specialist, legal assistant, and title insurance closer. Notably, Rosa served as an account manager for a prominent national title underwriter, specializing in Spanish-language services.

Dedicated to her profession and community, Rosa is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), where she currently holds the esteemed position of President for the Lake County chapter in 2024. Her passion lies in ensuring that every individual feels comfortable throughout the home buying and selling process. 

Furthermore, Rosa is a co-author in “Latinas in Real Estate, Volume Two,” showcasing her expertise and insights in the field. Beyond her professional endeavors, Rosa has contributed to her community by serving as Secretary on the Lake County Chamber of Commerce board and participating in the Hispanic Lake County Chamber of Commerce. When she’s not immersed in her work, Rosa cherishes spending quality time with her family, especially her granddaughter. Her active involvement both professionally and personally exemplifies her commitment to excellence and community enrichment.

Leticia has been in the insurance business for past 31 years and opened a scratch Agency with American Family Insurance in 2007 in Addison IL. Leticia chose Addison as her place of business due to the diversity in the community and the lack of Hispanic Insurance Agency representation.

In her career with American Family, Leticia accomplished a great success earning the following awards:

• Premier Leader 
• All American Club – Hall of Fame
• For her excellence in Life Sales she is part of
• The Prestigious American Family’s Life Diamond Club
• Distinguished Centurion Award

On top of the awards for sales excellence, the award Leticia is most proud of is her American Star Award which rewards her outstanding customer service. 

Her belief is that If you take are of your customers and do what is best for them, they will in turn take care of you.

Leticia’s passion for serving her community has led to her involvement with NAHREP DuPage since 2021 and is currently serving as President.

Harsha Shukla is a seasoned professional in the real estate industry, holding many NAR designations and certifications. Harsha currently holds a managing broker license with American Star Realty, LLC. Harsha excels in facilitating seamless transactions and providing top-notch services to clients.

As a member of American Title Services, LLC, Harsha ensures that clients receive comprehensive support throughout the closing process, guaranteeing a smooth and efficient experience.  Additionally, Harsha serves as an advisor to ASARP – the Association of South Asian Real Estate Professionals, contributing valuable insights and guidance to fellow professionals in the industry.

With dedication to excellence and a commitment to serving the community, Harsha continues to be a trusted figure in the real estate sector, providing clients with unparalleled expertise and personalized assistance to achieve their homeownership goals.