Harley Rouda, Jr. is chief executive officer and managing partner of Real Living, Inc., one of the fastest-growing real estate franchisors in the nation. Rouda spearheaded the creation of Real Living in February 2002 by acquiring several regional real estate firms to create an agent-centric company that would lead the industry in marketing, technology, professional development and measurable results.

In 2006, REALTOR® Magazine named Rouda one of Real Estate’s Top 25 Most Influential Thought Leaders because “he embraces innovation to better connect brokers, sales associates and the public.” Inman News also named him one of the Most Influential People in Real Estate. He earned the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in June 2002, in recognition of his industry leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. In 2007, he and Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, president of Real Living, received the Corporate Value Award for their ability to continue to create the greatest corporate value for their company through economic, financial, job, organic and acquisition growth.

Before entering the real estate industry, Rouda was an attorney with the national law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris and Arthur, specializing in capital information, securities work and intellectual property.

He serves or has served on the Board of Directors of numerous for-profit and not-for profit companies including Rocky Shoes and Boots (NASDAQ: RCKY), Insight Bank, The Realty Alliance and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. As the chair of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) working group, Rouda was instrumental in keeping the base open. He was also appointed to the All-Ohio Task Force to save defense jobs by Governor Bob Taft. In April 2007, he was selected as the vice chair of The National Association of Realtors’ Real Estate Services Advisory Board.

Rouda received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kentucky; his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School; and his Masters in Business Administration from Fisher College of The Ohio State University.

He and his wife reside in Columbus, Ohio, with their four children.

A longtime residential real estate professional, Bill Evans has overseen sales operations at HER Real Living since 1996. Under his leadership, the number of HER Real Living agents has grown to nearly 800.

Bill's strong recruiting skills and assistance in helping to develop and promote Real Living's agent-centric company philosophy, a business model where agents receive unparalleled services and support, have helped attract hundreds of real estate agents to join the HER Real Living team over the years.

Thanks to Bill's adept ability to forecast agent trends and needs and respond to them, Real Living is an industry leader in providing the best technology, training, marketing support and other services for its agents.

Bill's hands-on management style and business savvy help them generate results, too. Real Living agents are among the most productive in the country, generating an average of 24 transaction sides annually, compared with a national average of 12.

Bill established himself as a residential real estate leader early on his career. While at Holzer Wollam (now King Thompson), he was named Rookie of the Year in 1988 and became a member of the company's Circle of Excellence the same year. During his tenure at RE/MAX, Evans was ranked as one of the Top 20 Agents for multiple years and also received several of the firm's top sales awards.

He has also been named to the Ohio Association of Realtors' President's Sales Club and the Columbus Board of Realtors' Million Dollar, Five Million Dollar and Ten Million Dollar clubs.

Highly involved in the profession, Bill has been a featured speaker at numerous industry events and served on a number of committees for the Columbus Board of Realtors and the Ohio Association of Realtors. Bill resides in Worthington, Ohio, with his wife Tammi and their four children.

Harley E. Rouda Sr. entered the real estate business in 1953 when he founded HER Realtors, one of the largest brokerages in Columbus, Ohio. Today he serves as chairman of the board for Real Living.

Rouda is a nationally-renowned leader of the real estate industry, and has served in numerous leadership roles on the local, state and national level, including:

• Past President of the National Association of REALTORS¨ (NAR) (1991)
• Board of Directors and Executive Committee of NAR
• Past President of Asian-Pacific/APREF Council Committee (International Real Estate) (1991)
• Past President of the Ohio Association of REALTORS¨ (1986)
• Past President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS¨ in 1969 and recipient of its "REALTOR¨ of the Year" award in 1975
• A member of the 1992 Board of Consultants to the city of Columbus for the Columbus Board of REALTORS¨
• Past President of the Northwest Area Realty Association
• 1991 Honorary National President of Habitat International
• Past Vice Chairman of The Realty Alliance
• Being appointed by the Governor of Ohio to serve on the 1994 Committee on Funding the Housing Trust Fund
• Recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award from Fisher College of Business at Ohio State Unviersity
• Recipient of the W. Arthur Cullman 2000 Business Award from the Upper Arlington Chamber of Commerce

Rouda is also a committed community leader. He helped start and served as the first president of the Upper Arlington Civitan Club, is past president of the Upper Arlington Civic Association and has served as co-chair of the COLUMBUS/AMERICA campaign of the Economic Development Council of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce in 1994, and in 1996 served as its Membership Chairman. Rouda was recently appointed to a second term on the Advisory Council to the President of The Ohio State University, representing OSU's Fisher College of Business.

In recognition of his many civic and community accomplishments, Rouda has been recognized as:

• Upper Arlington, Ohio Citizen of the Year
• Building Industry Association of Central Ohio Outstanding Citizen of the Year
• Laureate for the Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame
• A Finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in Central Ohiov
• First recipient of the Distinguished Entrepreneurial Lecturer Award from the Ohio State University Faculty Club
• Recipient of the "THE" (The Highest Effort) Award from Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity
• Recipient of Medallion of Service from Omega Tau Rho
• Grand Marshall of the Upper Arlington 4th of July Parade

He has also served on the development committee for First Community Church, the executive committee for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and as chairman of the real estate division for United Way. Additionally, he served as chairman of the 25th Year OSU Alumni Reunion and as co-chairman of the Upper Arlington School Bond Levy, which at the time was the first local levy to be passed in 12 years. He has served as a member of the Fannie Mae National Advisory Council and as a Trustee of the Arthur James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute.

Rouda has been a teacher of GRI Real Estate courses and has been the guest lecturer at many state and local conventions and for various company employee relocation projects. He firmly believes that education is vital to the real estate profession and, toward that end, has established a scholarship fund at Ohio State University. Through his efforts, Central Ohio graduating seniors are awarded scholarships each year by Real Living HER.

Rouda and his wife, Marlese, are residents of Dublin, the parents of four children, and have eight grandchildren.

George Smith serves as vice chairman of HER Real Living, and has a long history of participation with local, state and national real estate associations. Past activities and awards with the Columbus Board of Realtors (CBR) include:/p>

• President, 1993
• Columbus Realtor of the Year, 1994
• Chairman, R-PAC Committee, 1985 (record amount of money raised)
• Chairman, Multiple Listing Committee, 1984
• Assistant executive officer, 1955-1972
• Active participant in forming and implementing the CBR Multiple Listing Service, 1957

For the Ohio Association of Realtors (OAR), George's contributions include serving as:

• President, 2000
• Chairman, Research Advisory Committee, 2001
• Chairman (1995) and vice chairman (1993), Long Range Planning
• Committee chairman, Image Campaign Committee, 1998
• Chairman (1986) and vice chairman (1985), Enlarged Legislation Committee
• Chairman, "Ohio Realtor" Task Force committee, 1985-86
• Chairman, Legislative/Political Activity Task Force, 1989-90
• Chairman (1998) and member, Enlarged Education Committee (three years)
• Chairman, Nominating Committee, 2002
• Chairman, Smart Growth Committee, 2001
• Director every year since 1985

In addition, George has taught many CBR and OAR continuing education courses. For the National Association of Realtors (NAR), George has served as:

• Regional vice president - Ohio, Michigan, 2002
• 2002 Federal Senate Coordinator (Sen. Mike DeWine), 2000-02
• Chairman, research committee, 2001
• Chairman (1998) and vice chairman (1997), Economics and Trends Forum
• Chairman, Working Group to study Business Satellite Communication, 1993
• Chairman, Real Net Satellite Advisory Committee, 1994-96
• One of two "Outstanding Committee Chairmen of the Year," 1995
• Chairman (1995) and vice chairman (1994), Publications and Information Committee
• Chairman (1991) and vice chairman (1990), Communications Committee
• Director, three-year term beginning in 1986
• Panel moderator at conventions in Miami Beach, Chicago and Houston

In addition, he has been an "R Days" instructor for the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors. George is a life member of R-PAC for 22 years, holds CRB and GRI designations and is co-founder and president of Homegard of Ohio.

Community activities include:

• Membership in the Rotary Club of Downtown Columbus
• Vice chairman and director, Columbus Housing Partnership, 1993
• President (1981) and past director (10 years), Sertoma Club of Downtown Columbus
• President (1970 and 1971), National Association of Hearing and Speech Agencies, Washington, D.C.
• Director, Arthritis Foundation of Central Ohio, 2002
• Past director, Columbus Hearing and Speech Center, 10 years
• Past director, Columbus Zoological Park Association, 12 years
• Member, White House Commission on Children and Youth, 1970-80
• Northwest Christian Church

George is married to Debbie, and has three children, two stepchildren and five grandchildren.

For more than 25 years, Geri Van Lent has led relocation services for HER Real Living, overseeing its growth to one of the leading relocation organizations in the industry.

Highlights of her career include a high rate of retention of existing clients, rapid addition of new clients over the years, and development of innovative strategies to generate increased revenue.

A leader in her industry, Geri is a co-founder and charter member of the Relocation Council of Central Ohio, now in its 15th year of successful operation. She served as the council's chairperson for two years. She also developed five three-hour relocation classes, which are approved for continuing education credit by the Ohio Real Estate Commission. She is a certified instructor and regularly teaches these classes.

Other industry affiliations include the Great Lakes Relocation Council (GLRC) and Employee Relocation Council (ERC), which awarded Geri its Meritorious Service Award in 1990, and the Relocation Director's Council (RDC). Geri, a Certified Relocation Professional (CRP), has served as a sponsor and speaker for the GLRC, served on the ERC's mobility committee and is on RDC's board.

In addition to her high-profile industry involvement, Geri is an active player in numerous community organizations. She is a member of the Downtown Rotary; Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce; Industry and Technology Council of Central Ohio; and Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau.

She also is a member of the current class of Leadership Columbus and is a hospice volunteer for Riverside Methodist Hospital and Grant Medical Center.

Chelsea Hamilton manages all advertising, public relations, special events, marketing and internal communications to increase consumer awareness of the Real Living brand. She is also responsible for the marketing plan and budget for the Columbus, Ohio market.

Internally, her marketing responsibilities include the creation and implementation of employee- and associate-relation strategies to maintain strong effective communications. She also ensures that associates have the tools they need to meet the ever-demanding needs of their customers – homebuyers and sellers.

Hamilton joined Real Living in January 2007 as communications coordinator for Real Living where she wrote internal communications, advertisements, press releases and other marketing collateral.

Prior to Real Living, Hamilton was an assistant at MRC, a film publicity firm in Los Angeles. In her position she handled all details for press film screenings, assisted in event coordination for press junkets, was in-charge of day-to-day office upkeep and assisted in tracking Web sites, trades and online trades for client news.

Hamilton is a 2006 graduate of Ohio University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, majoring in public relations and specializing in business and economics.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Penn., Hamilton now resides in Columbus, Ohio.