The Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition (TREBIC) has announced that Marlene Sanford will be leaving after serving 22 years as president.
Sanford was hired as president shortly after TREBIC was founded and has had a major impact on development in Greensboro and Guilford County.
Brian Hall, chairman of the TREBIC Board of Directors, in a press release said, “TREBIC owes tremendous gratitude and appreciation to Marlene for her service, leadership, mentorship and expertise, all of which have greatly impacted the Piedmont Triad, the state of North Carolina and particularly the Real Estate and Construction Industry. Her knowledge of the community, public policy and the industry is unmatched. It will be difficult to replace her.”
Sanford will continue to serve as president until a successor is hired, so there is no definite date for her departure and plans to continue as an advisor and consultant for TREBIC after stepping down as president.
In the press release, Sanford said, “This has been my dream job. It is such a privilege to toil alongside the industry’s best as well as a wide variety and countless number of other really good people. I count them all as family.”
Shortly after joining TREBIC, Sanford led the organization to embrace a continuing practice of including all stakeholders when tackling difficult community challenges, and started by launching the Smart Growth Coalition with environmental neighborhood activists. Sanford said, “I am a true believer in the value of ‘partners’ over ‘adversaries’ for producing superior results. It is a core value that TREBIC’s founders, members and clients share.”
Sanford added, “We have been fortunate to have boards of directors that have been dedicated to working peacefully with government staff, elected officials and all other affected stakeholders to find the best possible solutions.”
President of NAI Piedmont Triad Robbie Perkins, who is a former mayor of Greensboro and former chair of the TREBIC Board of Directors, said, “Marlene has done a great job of protecting the industry. The cost of doing business in Greensboro is considerably less because of her efforts. Over the years, our membership dues have been paid back a number of times over.”
