Canopy Realtors names new CEO ahead of longtime leader’s exit
Outgoing CEO Anne Marie DeCatsye said she “could not be more excited about Canopy's future” and is “thrilled with the selection of Rob Nanfelt as our next CEO.”
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Canopy Realtors appoints CEO
More than a year after announcing that longtime CEO Anne Marie DeCatsye would be retiring at the end of 2026, Canopy Realtors has appointed Rob Nanfelt to serve as her successor.
Nanfelt will officially step into his new role at the North Carolina association on Jan. 4, 2027. He will also serve as CEO of the Canopy Housing Foundation, according to a news release.
A 'fresh perspective': Nanfelt brings over 25 years of real estate industry and government experience, with early-career positions on Capitol Hill. He is currently the executive director at the Charlotte-based Real Estate & Building Industry Coalition (REBIC), a role he has held for about seven years, and was previously the EVP and government affairs director at the Colorado Association of Home Builders.
In a statement, DeCatsye said she'd hoped the search for her successor would land on "someone with the vision, and experience needed to take Canopy to the next level." In Nanfelt, DeCatsye said she sees not only someone who possesses those qualifications but an executive who now shares her career trajectory from REBIC to Canopy.
"There is something wonderfully fitting about Rob following a similar path and I am delighted that he will lead with those ideals fully embedded in his mission for Canopy," DeCatsye said. "I have tremendous confidence in his leadership, fresh perspective, established relationships, and his deep understanding of what it takes to leverage the opportunities ahead."
A separation of leadership: While DeCatsye has served as CEO of both Canopy Realtors and Canopy MLS for 26 years, the organization said last year that it would be separating its MLS and association upon her departure, with plans for a different CEO to lead each.
In July, the North Carolina MLS announced that it had selected longtime Canopy executive Steve Byrd to serve as its CEO. Byrd has been in the role since August and will continue to lead the MLS as Nanfelt takes the helm of Canopy Realtors.