Four Big Names Join Broker Public Portals Board of Managers

There will be four new Board members added to Broker Public Portal’s (BPP)  Board of Managers. BPP operates a joint venture with Homesnap, the BPP’s consumer-facing brand and real estate mobile app. 

Joining the Board of Managers are Lacey Merrick Conway, CEO of Latter and Blum; John OB Jacobi, Co-President of Windermere Real Estate; Dana Strandmo, SVP/CAO of HomeServices of America; and Shelley Specchio, CEO of MIBOR REALTOR® Association.

Alon Chaver, Chairman of the Broker Public Portal, said:

“BPP continues to attract real estate industry’s most trusted, thoughtful, and enterprising leaders.

"Today's real estate industry is at an apex of change, and these new leaders will help BPP continue its work in eliminating barriers between consumers and their real estate brokers and agents.”

According to the Broker Public Portal Board of Managers’ Charter, it is a "fair and balanced group of executives who represent the interests of large brokers, medium brokers, small brokers, independent managers, and multiple listing service organizations." The number of agents at participating firms sets the size of the brokerages eligible. 

Meet the New Members

Lacey Merrick Conway

Lacey is the President of Latter & Blum Inc., the largest independently owned real estate brokerage in the Gulf South with 25 offices located throughout Louisiana, Texas, and Southern Mississippi. She has been active in residential real estate sales and broker management for more than fifteen years and oversees all company operations, strategic planning, and general management. Lacey holds an undergraduate degree from Boston University, an MBA from the University of New Orleans, and is a CCIM. She serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Latter & Blum, Inc. and serves on the board of United Way Southeast Louisiana and Greater New Orleans, Inc.  

John OB Jacobi

OB brings a second generation of leadership to Windermere Real Estate which was founded by his father, John Jacobi, in Seattle in 1972. As president, OB has helped facilitate Windermere’s growth into the largest regional real estate company in the Western United States with more than 6,500 agents and 300 offices in 10 states and Mexico. In addition to guiding business strategies for the Windermere network, OB oversees operations for six family-owned Windermere offices. He also serves on the board of the Windermere Foundation, which has provided over $43 million in funding to non-profit organizations that support low-income and homeless children and their families.

Dana Strandmo

Dana is senior vice president and chief administrative officer for HomeServices of America. He has been employed with HomeServices from its beginning in 1998 and served as general counsel before being promoted to his current position in 2015. Previously, Strandmo was corporate counsel for Edina Realty Home Services. In addition to his voluntary service with the National Association of Realtors, the Minnesota Association of Realtors, RESPRO, and The Realty Alliance in various positions. Strandmo has been an instructor with Minnesota State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education and an adjunct instructor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

Shelley Specchio

As CEO of MIBOR REALTOR® Association and the Broker Listing Cooperative®, in 2017, Shelley brought her desire to build and foster strong relationships and her dedication to a culture of excellence to complement MIBOR’s strong tradition of community involvement. MIBOR, the professional association representing central Indiana’s REALTORS, was founded in 1912 and today serves the needs of more than 8,500 members. Shelley was the 2015 President of the Council of Multiple Listing Services and began her career in the real estate industry in 1994 with the Reno/Sparks Association of REALTORS®. She went on to lead the Northern Nevada Regional MLS as CEO from 2008 to 2017. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Shelley earned her degree from the University of Nevada.