News releases

AUSTIN, Texas - March 11, 2007 - John Walton, broker-owner of Century 21 in Lubbock, was awarded the Texas Association of REALTORS® 2006 REALTOR® of the Year. The winner was announced Monday at the state association's Winter Meeting awards ceremony in Austin.

Walton was honored for his more than 30 years of dedicated service and outstanding contributions to the real estate industry through involvement in the local, state and national REALTOR® organizations.

"The REALTOR® family is truly grateful for John Walton's dedication to our industry and association over the years," said Avis Wukasch, chairman of the Texas Association of REALTORS®. "His leadership and service have paved the way for many improvements that benefited REALTORS® and property owners."

The award for REALTOR® of the Year is the state association's most prestigious honor. The winner is selected from a large pool of candidates and is decided by the Nominating Committee, which consists of one REALTOR® member from each of 16 regions throughout the state. The honor recognizes one REALTOR® in Texas based on local, state and national service, individual accomplishments, and community and civic endeavors.

John Walton held the top leadership position for the Texas Association of REALTORS®, serving as chairman of the board in 1999. He was honored as Omega Tau Rho inductee in 2001 recipient and holds Graduate REALTOR® Institute and Certified Residential Specialist designations. Walton has served on various committees and task forces for the state association including Budget, Taxation, Strategic Planning and Legal Review, which he chaired in 2002. He was named the Lubbock REALTOR® of the Year in 1983. For the National Association of REALTORS®, Walton currently serves on the Board of Directors. Walton also has served as Chairman of the Texas Real Estate Commission.

About the Texas Association of REALTORS®

The Texas Association of REALTORS® is a not-for-profit professional membership association representing more than 90,000 members statewide who are involved in all aspects of real estate. For more regarding our organization, real estate practitioners should visit TexasRealtors.com and consumers should check out TexasRealEstate.com.