The REALTOR Association of South Central Wisconsin has announced it's slate of nominees for its annual Good Neighbor Award, and there are three First Weber Agents in the Class of 2022! The First Weber Foundation and First Weber wish to congratulate Rose Friedel of the Sun Prairie Office, Karen Gray of the Middleton Office and Charity Morgan of the West Towne Office on their nominations.
Freidel said, "I was very surprised and excited to be nominated for this award. I enjoy serving my community and am humbled to be recognized!" She currently serves as a board member for the Sun Prairie Business Improvement District and is also committed to the Sun Prairie Rotary Club and Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. Freidel was on the committee to expand the Sunshine Place and helps to serve Sunshine Suppers in Sun Prairie, and is sharing her passion for community involvement with other First Weber agents. Mikayla Elliott is Friedel's daughter and business partner, and nominated her because her mom spends hours each week attending various meetings, events and gatherings trying to make Sun Prairie and Dane County a great place to live. Said Elliott, in the nomination submission, "Since moving to Sun Prairie over 35 years ago, Rose has made it a mission of hers to make Sun Prairie and Dane County a great place to live and work for everyone. ... Through her work as a Realtor, she has learned the value of affordable housing and its importance in our community." Elliott also noted Freidel's drive to create more recognition and support for Habitat for Humanity of Dane County.
Gray's response upon learning of her nomination was, "Holy smokes, are you kidding me? I'm shocked, but what an incredible honor." People who work around her, however, are not shocked by this nomination. Gray has been involved on RASCW's Affordable Housing Equal Opportunities Committee since becoming a licensed REALTOR in 2016, and has chaired the committee since 2020. After having CoVid in March 2020, Gray spent almost a year donating convalescent plasma and helping other agents during that time with showings and holding open houses for them. She is always willing to help agents - mentoring some within her office - and in general, spends a lot of her time trying to make the world a better place by doing things like decorating neighborhood trees - in the roundabout on Valley View - during different holidays to bring cheer, handing out flowers to strangers and encouraging Random Acts of Kindness, canvassing Saturday mornings during elections, and helping to coordinate Winter Wishes at her church - an event that provides gifts for a variety of populations of people in need.
Gray was nominated by co-worker Sharon Milliken, who has seen Karen's kindness in many ways, including how she advocates for and goes the extra mile for her clients and customers: Helping one who couldn't find an affordable home get chosen for a Habitat build, and helping an elderly couple re-home a dog after the couple's circumstances required assistance. Said Milliken, "There's no stopping Karen from doing the absolutely right thing."
Morgan is committed to helping minorities achieve home ownership and helping those in need in her community. Morgan has served as Social Media Co-Chair for the Home Buyer's Round Table and as a social media volunteer for Open Door Refugee. She is a food program volunteer, board member and Scholarship Committee Co-Chair of The Hmong Institute, volunteers with the First Weber Minority Home Coalition and is a member of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, actively involved in creating a Wisconsin chapter of that organization. "This nomination is like a 'high five' from my peers cheering me on! This is only the beginning and I am so excited to be a part of helping our communities thrive!" Stacy Ozanne, Morgan's office manager, is the one who nominated her, stating, "Charity is just a lovely human being!"
There is a common thread amongst all 3 First Weber nominees: They are selfless and humble and all shared the sentiment that they don't think what they do matters so much as to be nominated for an award.
The Good Neighbor Award is a National Association of REALTORS recognition and each local association can use it to recognize their members' commitment to community service and advocacy. The winner will receive a donation to a local nonprofit organization of their choice. RASCW plans to award a total of $15,000 at the awards ceremony on February 1 in Madison.
The First Weber Foundation's mission is to strengthen communities through charitable giving and volunteer leadership, and we are proud to see our agents nominated. Shawna Alt, Chief Executive Officer of First Weber, stated, "We are so proud of Rose, Karen and Charity for their contributions to make their communities a better place. We encourage and support our agents in reaching out into their communities. These three agents exemplify the true spirit of our First Weber Family and we wish them well in the final awards selection."
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