People on the move: Promotions, appointments and new hires 

Editor's note: As an industry with millions of agents and over 100,000 brokerage companies, new leaders rise to the top every day. Here we highlight executives and other notable leaders who've recently taken on roles that influence the residential real estate landscape.

CMLS announces 2023 board of directors

The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) has elected a new board of directors. The appointees starting three-year terms on Jan. 1 are:

• Brad Bjelke, CEO of UtahRealEstate.com

• Jeff Bosch, CEO of IRES, LLC (Colorado) 

• Shelley Specchio, CEO of MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative (Indiana)

• Colette Stevenson, CEO of REsides, Inc. (South Carolina)

• Rob Wagoner, senior vice president and MLS director, Heartland Multiple Listing Service (Kansas and Missouri)

"As our industry continues to evolve, there has never been a more important time to advocate the value of the multiple listing service and I am certain this group of individuals are the right people to lead the charge," said Denee Evans, the 2022 CEO of CMLS.

The newly elected directors will join current directors Brian Donnellan, CEO of Bright MLS (Maryland); Faith Geronimo, CEO and president of Hawaii Information Services (Hawaii); and Nicole Jensen, CEO of realMLS (Florida).

Also announced was the 2023 executive committee: Chair Jim Yockel, CEO of Upstate New York Real Estate Information Service; Chair-elect Dionna Hall, CEO of BeachesMLS (Florida); Secretary/treasurer John DiMichele, CEO of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board; and Matthew Consalvo, CEO of ARMLS (Arizona) will serve as past chair. Executive committee positions are one-year terms.

The CMLS board works to advance the multiple listing service by supporting the CMLS mission and strategic priorities. MLS directors are elected by the general membership.

OneKey MLS appoints Melissa King as chief operations officer

Experienced MLS executive Melissa King was named COO of OneKey MLS, the largest MLS in New York, serving over 45,000 members in the greater NYC metro area. She will oversee day-to-day operations and contribute to the implementation of the company's strategic plan.

Prior to joining OneKey, King served brief stints at BrightMLS as VP of strategic alliances and partnerships, and Compass, where she was the director of industry relations. Previously, she climbed the ranks at Stellar MLS during her nearly 10-year tenure, achieving the position of VP of MLS services. 

Richard Haggerty, who will join OneKey on January 1, said of King: "We're delighted to welcome Melissa to our team at a time when OneKey® MLS, the largest multiple listing service in New York, is poised for growth," adding, "she is an expert collaborator, and the breadth of her industry knowledge will be invaluable as we strive to support the success of our subscribers with more coverage and data."

@properties announces three executive appointments

Brokerage firm @properties, which owns and operates Christie's International Real Estate, adds to its executive team. The brokerage was ranked No. 20 for sales volume among franchise brands in the U.S. in the 2022 Real Estate Almanac. 

The newly appointed team members are:

• Brent Dobsch, Chief Financial Officer. Dobsch will lead the company's financial operations. He brings an extensive background in finance and was most recently the CFO at Kinetiq, a SaaS technology company.

• Dana Bina, Chief Technology Officer. Bina previously served as @properties' vice president of product development. In her new role, she will focus on scaling technology and building out systems and processes related to pl@tform, the company's proprietary software.

• Branden Lopez, Director of Legal. Lopez joins @properties as the company's first director of legal and will focus on issues around corporate governance and franchising. Previously, she was general counsel at Curbio, a tech-driven renovation service.

Mike Golden, co-CEO of @properties, said of the new roles: "We are thrilled to welcome Brent and Branden to @properties, and to recognize Dana for her smart, strategic leadership of our technology team. We continue to strengthen the foundation upon which our agents and affiliates build and grow their businesses, and that begins with people." 

Leo Pareja appointed chief strategy officer at eXp

Leo Pareja, who joined eXp Realty in June as president of affiliated services, has been promoted to chief strategy officer. In his new role, he will focus on overall growth and strategies to enhance eXp's competitive advantage and industry-leading agent value proposition. 

Leo Pareja has 20 years of industry experience, including 15 years as a real estate broker, and he co-founded a real estate financing company and MLS technology company, where he also served as chief strategy officer before joining eXp. 

In 2020, he also co-founded the Pareja Family Foundation, which seeks to provide opportunities for women and minorities to increase their earning potential. 

In the release announcing his promotion, eXp Founder and CEO Glenn Sanford said, "Leo is a true visionary who has already left a tangible mark on our agent community with new initiatives like Revenos, which has reimagined referrals and lead-generation for eXp Realty." He added, "I am confident that in his new role, Leo will expand eXp Realty's competitive advantage with new and groundbreaking initiatives."

Miguel Berger joins TrustFunds as VP of MLS and industry relations

TrustFunds, a company providing electronic earnest money services to MLSs, has added Miguel Berger to its executive team. As vice president of MLS and industry relations, Berger will focus on industry outreach to increase awareness of TrustFunds' services and capabilities.

Berger brings nearly four decades of experience to TrustFunds, including 20+ years as a broker, advisory roles at NAR and technology leadership roles. Most recently, he was a product leader at Black Knight. Said TrustFunds Owner and President Lynn Leegard: "Miguel has a deep understanding of the industry and changes the real estate market is experiencing right now. His relationships and experience in the industry will be a tremendous asset in continuing TrustFunds mission to provide best-in-class electronic payments."