Executive Search Solutions
Now Hiring: Chief Executive Officer
Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS® (GHAR)
Celebrating 110 years of leadership, innovation, and community impact
Are you a visionary association leader ready to guide a thriving, financially strong, and future focused REALTOR® organization? The Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS® (GHAR)—one of Pennsylvania’s most respected and dynamic local associations—is seeking its next Chief Executive Officer to lead our members, staff, and strategic initiatives into a new era of growth and industry evolution.
⭐ Why Lead GHAR?
A Century of Strength & Momentum
Founded in 1916 and now the sixth largest REALTOR® association in Pennsylvania, GHAR serves more than 2,000 members across Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry counties. With a robust financial position, including a $4.6M+ fund balance and no mortgage on our headquarters, GHAR is poised for strategic investment, innovation, and expansion.
A Region on the Rise
Harrisburg is a growing midsize metro, the capital of Pennsylvania, and a hub of government, healthcare, education, and military employment. With short commutes, lower housing costs, rich cultural amenities, and easy access to major East Coast cities, the region offers an exceptional quality of life.
A Mission That Matters
GHAR is deeply committed to:
* Ethical and competent real estate practice
* Protecting private property rights
* Advancing professional excellence
* Strengthening community impact through the GHAR Foundation.
Our Thanksgiving Food Drive, now entering its 40th year, has delivered more than22,000 meals to local families—just one example of our legacy of service.
⭐ Your Leadership Opportunity
As CEO, you will:
* Lead a talented staff team across education, advocacy, professional standards, communications, and member engagement.
* Support a 16member Board of Directors and 14–16 committees driving key programs and initiatives.
* Advance GHAR’s 2025–27 Strategic Plan, focusing on member value, professional development, advocacy, governance excellence, and community impact.
* Strengthen GHAR’s role as the region’s premier professional resource, while preparing members for rapid industry change.
* Represent GHAR at the state and national levels, including PAR District 6 and NAR Region 2.
* Oversee major systems and operations, including Rapattoni Magic AMS, Supra lockbox services, Sage 50 accounting, and inhouse professional standards administration.
* Champion innovation, including education expansion, MLS partnerships, and new member centric services.
⭐ What You Bring
We’re seeking a CEO who is:
* A strategic thinker with a track record of leading organizations through change
* A relationship builder who inspires trust among members, volunteers, staff, and industry partners
* A skilled communicator who can articulate vision, navigate complexity, and elevate GHAR’s voice
* A mission driven leader committed to ethics, professionalism, and community impact
* An operational expert who can manage finances, governance, staff development, and organizational systems
* A forward looking innovator ready to guide GHAR through the next decade of industry transformation
Live, Work & Thrive in the Harrisburg Region
From the Appalachian Trail to Hershey Park, from the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra to local wineries, the region blends natural beauty, culture, recreation, and affordability. With easy access to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and NYC, it’s a perfect home base for a dynamic executive lifestyle.
⭐ Lead the Next Chapter of GHAR’s Legacy
If you’re ready to make a lasting impact on the real estate profession, strengthen acenturyold organization, and shape the future of a growing region, we invite you to apply.
This is more than a CEO role. It’s a chance to lead a legacy—and build a future.
To apply, send your resume to MartinandDowns@gmail.com
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
The Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS® is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.
Let us help find you someone to fill that empty chair!
Does your association have a CEO opening or expecting one soon?
Whether it’s to help you with the entire executive search or parts of it, Martin & Downs can assist your association with finding the ideal candidate to help lead your association into the future. We'll work with you to determine what skills and experience you’re looking for and will help you match the successful candidate with the culture of your group. Professionalism and confidentiality are key factors in a search and both will be assured with this service.
We will offer you the best search facilitation you've ever imagined!
Martin & Downs facilitated these CEO placements
Leighun Brabec, CEO, Greater Kalamazoo Association of REALTORS®
Teresa Hatton, Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®
Patrick McGuire, North Shore REALTORS® (MA)
Tiffany Claxton, Spokane Association of REALTORS®
Jeff Hornberger, Residential Real Estate Council
Josh McFall, Minnesota REALTORS®
Nicole Novotny Smith, Wyoming REALTORS®
Michael Parent, River Counties Association of REALTORS®
Nathan Gorton, Washington REALTORS®
Maranda DeSanto, Kansas REALTORS®
Andrew Magallanez, Tri-City Association of REALTORS®
Cy Cain, Mobile Area Association of REALTORS®
Amanda Hobbs, Winston-Salem Regional Association of REALTORS®
Gregg Orloff, Los Angeles Dental Society
"Martin & Downs was simply fantastic to work with! From the very beginning, we felt the process was incredibly organized, and the communication was excellent. Our Association hadn’t had a new AE in 18 years, so the idea of starting this search was a little daunting, to say the least. After interviewing several search firms, our choice was clear — and what a great decision it was!
Alice and Ginger were professional, caring, and truly kept us from getting ‘into the weeds.
They kept us on track, focused, and confident every step of the way.
We are absolutely thrilled with our outcome and highly recommend Martin & Downs to
any organization seeking expert guidance and genuine partnership.”
Tammy Bykema-Halloran
Assoc. Broker, REALTOR, SRES, ABR
"I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you both for your time, guidance, and support throughout the GKAR CEO search process. It was such a pleasure working with you. Your professionalism, insight, and kindness made the experience both meaningful and enjoyable.
I truly appreciate how thoughtfully you approached each step of the process and how clearly you represented GKAR’s vision and values. Your encouragement and genuine care made a lasting impression. I will gladly share my experience with other Associations that may be looking to secure your services. I am excited for the future at GKAR and am anxious to get started in the role.
Thank you again for everything you did to make this process so positive. I truly enjoyed getting to know you both and appreciate the confidence and support you extended along the way".
Leighun Brabec, Managing Broker
Home Real Estate
"I absolutely loved working with Ginger and Alice on the Mobile Area
Association of REALTORS CEO search. Navigating the search can be daunting.
As Chair of our Search Committee, Ginger and Alice helped me navigate every step from start to finish. Their personalities complement each other which
gave us the advantage of their extensive past experience .
I can't imagine doing a search without them!"
Julia M Minto, Chair CEO Search Committee
Mobile Area Association of REALTORS
"It is critical to have the right search firm in place when hiring your next CEO, and I can without hesitation recommend Martin and Downs. I had heard rave reviews from many that I respect in the industry, prior to our decision to hire Martin and Downs, but I know, no two searches are the same, and no two search committees are the same. I can now speak based on first-hand experience. From our search inception to final CEO contract and terms negotiation, M&D provided professional, discreet, and organized guidance. Communication was exceptional and each step followed the detailed outline they provided prior to commencement. You owe it to your board, search committee, and members to interview Martin and Downs. I wish you the same level of success we experienced. Our council's future is bright and we thank Martin and Downs for their part in the process."
- Holli Woodward, 2022 RRC National President
“It is my great pleasure to recommend the firm of Martin & Downs Consulting for your consideration. Over the years I have worked with both Alice Martin and Ginger Downs and have observed their work with others. In 2019, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors® engaged their firm to support the search for a new Chief Executive Officer. As Chair of the Selection Task Force I saw firsthand how their ability to understand the needs of multiple stakeholders and to articulate clearly the needs of their clients were impressive. Additionally, their ability to leverage their considerable networking skills leads to a smooth and successful process. We could not be more pleased with their efforts, insights, and skills. If you have a chance to work with Alice and Ginger, seize the opportunity"
- David Peretti, Chair for the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® Selection Task Force
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It was such a pleasure to work with Alice and Ginger recently as they represented Spokane Association of REALTORS in their search for a new Chief Executive Officer. Martin and Downs ensured this was a seamless process. As a CEO/AE, there are parts of the search process that must be present: confidentiality, feedback, open dialogue, expectations, timelines, and timely communication. Alice and Ginger handled each aspect of the process with the utmost care and were respectful of my time and the search committee's time. I was particularly pleased with their expedited responses and the nature to which I received their feedback both by email and phone. As such, it was an honor to be selected by the search committee and we are most gracious for the services provided by Alice and Ginger and highly recommend them for other associations doing executive searches.
With gratitude,
-Tiffany Claxton, CEO Spokane Association of Realtors
Our organization had the pleasure of working with Martin and Downs in our search to replace a retiring CEO. I was very impressed with their professionalism, attention to detail, and their deep understanding of our industry. The team at Martin and Downs had a thorough process that was personalized to meet our needs and timeline. They took the time to understand our desire to make the most of this opportunity and guided us through every step. I highly recommend their services and wouldn't hesitate to use them again in the future.
- Emily Green, 2023 President MN Realtors