Columbia, MD – The Howard County Association of REALTORS® (HCAR) would like to announce that Jessica Coates, Chief Executive Officer of HCAR, has accepted a new position as CEO of the Sacramento Association of REALTORS® (SAR) in California. She will remain CEO of HCAR through July 31.

 

In her new position, Coates will work with the SAR membership of over 8,200 REALTORS® and 27 staff members to build strategic relationships throughout the country, prepare the association to remain an indispensable partner for its members and community, increase member engagement and services, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the association and the greater real estate community, among other duties.

 

Coates has been the CEO of HCAR since 2018 and has been responsible for the strategic direction, vision, growth, and performance of the HCAR brand. At HCAR, she has worked directly with the Board of Directors and oversaw all facets of the association. Among her accomplishments with HCAR are expansion of and focus on DEI initiatives, successful guidance of the association through a global pandemic, and growth of the HCAR team, among others.

 

With over 15 years’ experience in association management and government relations, Coates has proven her ability to drive brand growth, maximize operational excellence, and exceed financial performance standards.

 

Before being named HCAR’s CEO in 2018, Coates was the first woman to have served as the Vice President of Government and Community Affairs for the Birmingham Association of REALTORS®, where she served as its principal liaison to elected officials at all levels. With a Political Science and campaign management background, Coates stumbled into the realm of real estate and has since been recognized by her real estate community in several media outlets for her work, including The Business Journal, National Association of REALTORS® Magazine, Columbia Lifestyle, and Executive Leaders Radio.

 

Coates is passionate about community relations and implementing strategies to enable growth through networking and building lasting partnerships. She currently serves as the 2022 Vice Chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Association Executives Committee, sits on the Executive Committee of the Junior League of Baltimore as the VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Maryland REALTORS® DEI Advisory Board, the Maryland REALTORS® Global Business Committee, and the Howard County Racial Task Force.

 

“I am incredibly grateful to HCAR for the support and experience the members, leadership, and staff have shown to me over the past four years,” Coates said. “This is not a ‘goodbye.’ This is a ‘see you later.’”