NAR presents Barbara Lach with its Distinguished Service Award
NAR established the DSA in 1979 to honor REALTORS who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and who serve as leaders in their local communities. The award is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive; recipients must be active at the local, state and national association levels. NAR President Tom Salomone presented the award to Lach.
"It is my tremendous honor to present this award to Barbara Lach. Her accomplishments and service within the industry are tremendous, but Barbara's impact on her local community and family are unprecedented," said Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II Inc. in Coral Springs, Fla. "It is rare to find someone so committed to the real estate profession while raising eight children and supporting the local community for decades."
Lach has been a REALTOR for 36 years for Coldwell Banker King Thompson in Columbus. During her almost four-decade career, she has had a great impact on the REALTOR family at every level of the organization.
"It is such a thrill to receive the National Association of REALTORS' Distinguished Service Award," said Lach. "I have met and worked with so many dedicated and talented realtors over the course of my career, and I thought just to be nominated by the Columbus REALTORS and the Ohio Association of REALTORS was one of the greatest honors I could ever receive."
Lach has held numerous leadership positions within the REALTOR organization, including representing Ohio and Michigan as regional vice president in 2008, and being a member of the NAR Board of Directors from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2016. She also chaired the Legislative and Political Forum in 2010 and was a federal political coordinator from 2003 to 2007. Lach was inducted into the REALTORS Political Action Committee Hall of Fame in 2008.
Closer to home, Lach has been a member of the Ohio Association of REALTORS since 1980, serving on the board of directors since 1989 and was named president in 2004. She received the Vincent T. Aveni Lifetime Achievement Award and has chaired dozens of OAR committees, including the Ohio REALTORS Political Action, Issues Mobilization, Legal Action and Legislative committees. In 2009, she was awarded the Phillip R. Barnes RPAC Achievement Award, and in 2002, she served as chair of the Finance and Budget Committee.
At the local level, Lach served as president of Columbus REALTORS in 2001 and received recognition as REALTOR/Salesperson of the Year in 1991. She was a multiple year recipient of the Volunteer Service Award. The local association also awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Lach was responsible for the revival of the Columbus REALTORS Charitable Foundation and its efforts to provide grants and educational scholarships in the area. Lach has been active in the Women's Council of REALTORS since 1985, serving as local and state president before being elected national president in 2002.
Lach has been an exceptional asset to her community, making significant contributions beyond her real estate practice. She has a long served as an officer of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees, where her leadership helped CAPA become a national leader in historic theater restoration and promotion of the arts. She has spent many years on the board of the Buckeye Ranch, one of the country's leading providers of emotional, behavioral and mental health services for children, young adults and families.
She also currently serves on the boards of the Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, Lincoln Theater Association, Columbus Medical Association Foundation; she is current president of the Friends of the Ohio Governor's Residence and Heritage Garden. Past service includes the board of the Columbus Housing Partnership, membership in and board presidencies of the Academy of Medicine Alliance of Columbus, American Federation for Aging Research, Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus and the Jazz Arts Group. Lach and her beloved late husband and distinguished cardiologist, Dr. Ralph Lach, balanced their professional careers and community activities while raising their eight children.
Source: National Association of REALTORS
