HR0534 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0534 LRB104 16056 MST 29326 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Jeff Kolbus of Edwards on being elected the 2025 president-elect of the Illinois Realtors Association; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana University; he married Wendy Wilkins and, a few years later, began working for his new father-in-law, the proud parent of a third generation realtor in the Peoria area; he and his wife are the parents of two adult sons, Michael and Nick; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus began his real estate career in 1994 and took the reins of Traders Realty in 2011, which he helped develop into one of the largest and most respected real estate companies in central Illinois; he is a member of the Peoria Area Association of Realtors (PAAR) and served as its president in 2002; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus became the new RE/MAX president in 2015 when the 50 agents at Traders Reality combined forces with the 72 RE/MAX agents to form the largest real estate agency in the area in terms of listings sold; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus, exemplifying service to his industry, has served on Illinois Realtor Committees and has chaired the Finance Committee, Public Policy Forum, Realtors Political Action Committee, Business Issues-License Law Working Group, and Technology Working Group; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus has taken a strong leadership role and has served multiple terms on the Illinois Association of Realtors Board of Directors; in 2014, he graduated from the Illinois Association of Realtors Leadership Development Program; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus has been a longtime contributor to the Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) and was inducted into the RPAC Hall of Fame in 2023 with an aggregate lifetime investment of at least $25,000; he also served on the National Association of Realtors (NAR) RPAC Participation Council and its board of directors; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus is an active volunteer in his community and has served in volunteer and leadership roles with the Home Builders Association of Greater Peoria, the Downtown Development Corporation of Peoria, the OSF St. Francis Medical Center Foundation, and the Children's Hospital of Illinois Community Advisory Board and as an active volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul Parish; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus is a past commissioner for the City of Peoria Planning & Zoning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals; and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus holds numerous professional certifications, including AHWD (At Home with Diversity), C2EX (Realtors Commitment to Excellence), EPro (National Association of Realtors program to help master advanced digital marketing techniques), GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute), and SRS (Seller Representative Specialist); and

WHEREAS, Jeff Kolbus is respected by policy makers on both sides of the political aisle for his candid assessments of the industry, honest feedback, and forthright forecasting; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Jeff Kolbus on being elected the 2025 president-elect of the Illinois Realtors Association; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Jeff Kolbus as a symbol of our respect and esteem.