Testimonials

Working with Martin and Downs on the development of our strategic plan was a highly professional and insightful process. Taking the feedback we received in our membership survey, Alice and Ginger were able to provide tangible solutions and direction for our association to consider. Alice facilitated a thought-provoking strategic planning session with our committee and the results are a solid road map for our association as we move into our next chapter. I would highly recommend Martin and Downs for your strategic planning needs.

Shanna Terroso, CEO, REALTOR Association of York and Adams Counties (PA)

Ginger, thank you for a fantastic presentation at our state 2022 Leadership Summit. That was unquestionably one of the best sessions I’ve seen about member engagement and culture. I’ve seen you do a lot of great things but you outdid yourself on this one. The members and AEs loved it! -

Steve Francks, RCE, CAE, CEO

Washington REALTORS.

"Ginger and Alice bring a wealth of experience to planning for your association's future and dealing with the issues you have here and now. Whether you need a high level look at volunteer leadership skills or some basic tools and policies to help your association operate better, Ginger and Alice deliver."

Russ Hokanson, CEO and recipient of Martin and Downs Strategic Planning consultation in 2021

Succession Planning – More than just a drill!

With the importance of ensuring that our association can appropriately handle any unexpected disruption from the absence of a staff member, whether short-term or permanent, having Ginger Downs guide our Sr. Staff through succession planning, was essential. Not only did Ginger help us realize the gaps we needed to cover, but her session put us on the road to finding new direction for staff professional development at all levels of the organization! Ginger’s process not only helped us put a plan in place, but it also set us up for the future growth of our individual staff members. Our Sr. Staff were blown away with the creative ideas and motivation that evolved from the process! I highly recommend utilizing Ginger for your succession planning needs!

Janet L. Kane, Chief Executive Officer

MetroTex Association of Realtors

“When it comes to navigating the complicated business of leadership in association management, Ginger Downs was the perfect trainer to help our incoming and current leaders prepare for the future. Many topics in today’s environment are controversial and difficult. Learning what steps to take to determine the correct course is vital to the success of the organization. Hiring Ginger to work with us was an important first step in guiding our volunteers in that process.”

Melissa Maldonado, CEO

South Metro Denver REALTOR Association

"Ginger Downs changed the culture of our Association during our training and strategic planning retreat. Participants appreciated her engaging and and professional leadership and she helped us realize the Association's strengths and opportunities for improvement. Her candor was needed and helped staff and volunteer leaders understand their roles while mapping a plan for future success. Ginger achieved more in a few hours than we could have accomplished in many meetings. The time spent with Ginger was so successful, that we are having her back to work with us on policies and to work with our Leadership NETAR group. I highly recommend Ginger Downs to help your Association. "

Edithann Buckles Wadewitz, RCE

Northeast Tennessee Association of Realtors

"The search committee for our nonprofit organization dreaded the anticipated burdensome task of finding our new Executive Director. We engaged the firm of Martin & Downs to facilitate the search and were very impressed with how they approached the task. They conducted thorough research, including interviews with our committee about the position, in-depth discussions regarding our organization's vision, and compensation and benefits bench-marking. They helped us update the position description and did the ad placement for our organization. What we most appreciated was the involvement they sought from our committee throughout the journey. They successfully narrowed the field of applicants from sixty to six, then to three, arranging interviews with our committee, suggested interview questions, and providing guidance and analysis. We are happy to report we have a great new Executive Director. Thank you Martin & Downs!"

Western Los Angeles Dental Society (WLADS)

Executive Director Search Committee

"Most people are not excited to attend training on Governance and Bylaws. The 2020 Board of Directors, Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and participants of the Orange County REALTORS® Leadership Academy are no exception. When our previous speaker elicited comments such as "It was so boring and awful and felt like receiving a red-hot poker to the eye," we knew we had to find a new speaker, and Alice Martin was an awesome referral.

The comments after Alice's presentation speak for themselves: "Phenomenal," "I wasn’t looking forward to four hours of Governance, but she made the time go fast," "Took a dry subject and made it interesting."

Alice was a joy to work with, and we were very pleased with how she customized her presentation to be particularly relevant to our Association and audience. She was very well prepared and reviewed copious amounts of our proprietary material to ensure that she hit the nail on the head with the objectives we wanted to achieve.

Alice had an engaging presentation style and had no problem getting the audience to interact with her and the custom materials she created and supplied.

Would we hire Alice again? In a heartbeat."

Dave Stefanides, CEO

Orange County REALTORS

"Ginger came highly recommended and was a wonderful keynote speaker at our annual AE conference. She presented timely, practical content while keeping the audience connected and engaged. Ginger took the time to survey the AEs prior to the event and then catered her presentation to fit the specific needs of our group. Her presentation left the AEs feeling inspired and excited to put the new tools they learned into action."

Lauren Feigin

Vice President of Legal and Risk

Colorado Association of REALTORS

"It is my great pleasure to recommend the firm of Martin & Downs Consulting for your consideration. Over the years I have worked both Alice Martin and Ginger Downs and have observed their work with others.

Recently, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors® engaged their firm to support the search for a new Executive Vice President. As Chair of the Selection Task Force I saw first hand 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 lead 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 of the Selection Task Force for the Massachusetts Association of Realtors®

"My journey began with Ginger Downs very early on. Ginger was amazing in helping myself and my team to stay focused. Alice was also brought in to help us to make some great decisions prior to SEARCH. The care and concern and expertise was amazing and so very helpful in a very successful search. My personal thanks to both of you during a very difficult time and helping to pave the way for success."

Rita Coffey

2018 President

Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®

"Ginger’s business planning session was exactly what we needed to fill the gap between the strategic plan and implementation. My board members now feel empowered to accomplish the goals in our strat plan. Ginger brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and is exactly what our Association needed. "

Tina Grimes, RCE, e-Pro
Chief Executive Officer
Rogue Valley Association of REALTORS® & Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service

"Martin and Downs did an excellent job of researching our needs and providing a clear and concise procedure for hiring a new CEO. Their vast experiences in the field were extremely helpful and provided the good insight we needed. I would highly recommend their services for a CEO search."

Annie Blatz

Past President

Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®.

"Meeting Core Standards can be a challenge, however, Alice an Don Martin make the Leadership Professional Development requirement so easy and fun with their REALTOR Leadership (RLP)200/300 courses. They kept my leadership engaged over the day and half session and my group walked away educated and excited about the year ahead thanks to what they had learned from Alice and Don. I could write so much more as their session was wonderful and my leadership so enjoyed it!!"

DaVina Lara

CEO, Oakland Berkeley Assocition of REALTORS

"I cannot say enough good things about Ginger Downs. She is the consummate association management professional and, as importantly, she is a gifted presenter and facilitator. I have asked Ginger many times to speak to our local REALTOR® association executives in Washington State, and I recommend her services without hesitation. Ginger is a pleasure to work with for many reasons: Her experience and expertise is unsurpassed. Her presentations are well organized, interesting and relevant. Her demeanor is spot on; she respects her audience, understands them, and speaks their language. She delivers useful information and ideas that AE’s can implement immediately, regardless of staff size. And her background and experience is so diverse and deep that she can cover almost any topic that may be needed. I look forward to many years of continuing to work with Ginger Downs."

Steve Francks

CEO, Washington REALTORS®

"The depth of Ginger's knowledge and experience as an association executive is beyond compare. Ginger has successfully translated this wisdom and real-world experience into her leadership presentations for association staff and volunteers. Without hesitation I would recommend Ginger Downs for any association related presentation. We can’t wait to have her back.”

Jenny Pakula

CEO, Oregon REALTORS®

"Alice Martin is a versatile trainer who can deliver effective training to a variety of groups from her own real-world experiences. She facilitated a full day session for our state and local leaders at our Leadership Conference to prepare them for their coming year. Her no nonsense approach effectively gave them essential information about leading during their year. She also led training specifically for our local association execs that provided them with management knowledge and role play examples for handling difficult situations."

Steve Stevens

CEO, Kentucky REALTORS®

"Alice Martin is a joy to work with. Not only is she highly knowledgeable and a fantastic speaker, but she is a dream to work with. There are never any worries about getting items on time, because you generally have them ahead of your deadlines. Alice checks in to ensure a smooth experience and provides valuable content in an easy to learn manner that attendees enjoy."

Cindi Ferguson, RCE, e-PRO®

Professional Development Director & Professional Standards Administrator REALTORS® of South Central Kansas

"Ginger Downs was our opening speaker for our annual Association Executive Seminar in June 2018 and what a great way to kick it off. Ginger’s expertise on association management and dealing with leadership is invaluable to new and experienced AEs. Thank you Ginger for sharing your knowledge with us!"

Patricia Webb. RCE

Director, Board Services, Texas Association of REALTORS®

"Leadership training can be pretty dry stuff but Alice engaged my volunteer leadership from the very start. They not only learned from her presentation, they enjoyed it. And I appreciated her incorporating my ideas into her presentation. Would definitely recommend her and use her again!"

Charay Palmer

Association Executive, Egyptian Board of REALTORS, Marion, Illnois

"As a person I have admired in the industry as the CEO of Chicago Association of REALTORS®, Ginger Downs does not disappoint. Her dedication and passion shined through as she delivered a spectacular and uplifting keynote. Just as she is a servant leader, she is a servant speaker. Ginger cares about the outcome and success of those in attendance, as well as, the event facilitator."

Cindi Ferguson, RCE, e-PRO®

Professional Development Director & Professional Standards Administrator REALTORS® of South Central Kansas

"In the five years that I have been going to GAD Institute, I found your program to be one of the most honest and insightful programs."

Matthew Church

Director of Government Affairs, Greater Forth Worth Association of REALTORS

"Ginger Downs facilitated the 2019 leadership summit for our Board. Her industry knowledge and breadth of experience at associations of all sizes gave her instant credibility with our volunteers. Our leaders came away with a better understanding of their roles in our increasingly complex and competitive industry, and the staff appreciated the emphasis she placed on their importance in running a great organization."

Russell Hokanson, CEO

Seattle King-County REALTORS

"I have had the great fortune of working with Alice on a number of projects during my time as an association executive. Her insight, efforts, and understanding have assisted the association and its leadership in making decisions and providing the best possible experience for our members. I enthusiastically recommend contacting Alice to discuss any association project you may be thinking of."

Roger Nelson, CEO

West Maricopa County Association of REALTORS®

"Ginger Downs presented Leadership 300 at our 2019 Leadership Retreat for committee chairs and Board of Directors. Evaluations unanimously confirmed Ginger’s presentation to be extremely valuable in understanding their duties as association leaders!"

Stan Collins, CEO

Columbus REALTORS®

"Our three associations engaged Alice Martin to facilitate 3 separate day-long strategic planning sessions the fall of 2016 (and more in subsequent years). Alice thoroughly prepared for all, taking the time to understand each association’s current mission, structure and culture while constantly collaborating with us in advance of her visit. At each session, she guided our participants efficiently, covering a lot of information through a concise process and engaging them to capture their contributions. The end result was a solid final report with realistic objectives. Alice also provided insight and tools to ensure accountability for the plan. As a result, we achieved higher levels of communication and understanding of each association’s purpose. I would not hesitate to recommend Alice as a strategic planning facilitator. She is poised and professional, communicates well, is fair-minded, understands our industry and is well-versed in managing strategic planning processes."

Suzanne Silva, CEO, RCE

Greater Providence Board of REALTORS®, Northern Rhode Island Board of REALTORS®, Rhode Island Commercial and Appraisal Board of REALTORS®

"Ginger would be a tremendous asset to any association that she has the chance to interact with. She can be counted to go above and beyond deliver on the goals of the project at hand. I highly recommend Ginger, and we at NAA are looking forward to a long-term partnership with her."

Kevin D. Watkins, MBA

Senior Vice President, Affiliate and Member Engagement

"Alice has been instrumental in helping NAR customize the Ontario Association of REALTORS®’ REALTOR® Leadership Program series from its inception. Having worked with volunteer leaders at the local, state, and national levels, Alice is a seasoned leadership training facilitator whose sense of how this audience learns is right on the mark."

Cindy Sampalis

Director, NAR Leadership Development Department

"I’ve worked with Alice Martin in a variety of ways over many years and have always been impressed with her professionalism, sage advice, and thorough understanding of the needs of my association and members. Her work is always thoughtful, thorough, and highly reliable. Additionally, it’s a pleasure tackling any project with Alice. She has such a breadth of experience and knowledge that any REALTOR® AE would be well-served to consider hiring Alice for whatever solution you may need."

Anne Rendle, CEO

"I have known Alice for many years as a colleague and an association executive whose association hired her to do programs for us. She was always professional and knowledgeable as she presented information and tips for our members. Most recently when I underwent over 60 search processes while looking for the perfect job, I found Alice’s to be the best. You would benefit by engaging her executive search services. When the Louisiana REALTORS Association engaged her services, each time she put her personal touch on the presentations and the audience went away informed, educated and most of all they know that Alice Martin cares about their success and that she is their partner in succeeding with their programs."

Malcolm Young

REALTOR, past Lousiana REALTORS CEO, Former Executive Director, Tennessee Real Estate Commission

"Ginger is a highlight of NAR’s biannual New AE Orientation Program. She provides our new AEs with an insightful “when I walked in your shoes” presentation that is interesting, engaging, and full of practical advice that you can’t find in a manual. Through this orientation Ginger has become a mentor to so many new AEs who have accepted her generous offer to contact her with questions. Her breadth of knowledge and experience are a gift to this audience."

Cindy Sampalis

Director, NAR Association Leadership Development

REALTORS

"The Las Cruces Association interviewed several professionals to facilitate our strategic planning. Alice quickly rose to the top of the list due to her professionalism, her understanding of our industry, and her calm, get this accomplished attitude. She worked with the diverse Association leadership where there were vast differences of perceptions and leadership styles. She was able to reach a consensus with the group and the product that was produced by Alice, the Strategic Plan, was designed to be a living guide to continuous improvement for the organization.
I would highly recommend her wisdom and expertise to any group looking for assistance in facilitating the hard decisions that Leadership must make."

Doris Nurenburg

Chief Executive Officer, North Carolina Regional MLS, and former CEO of the Las Cruces Association and MLS (NM)

“Alice Martin is an expert, experienced speaker and trainer. Our leadership have loved and enjoyed her as their leadership trainer.”

Glenda Gasparine, RCE, CEO

Southern Indiana REALTORS® Association

"Alice, thank you for being so easy to work with. Your communication with me was exceptional and you made the whole process a very personal experience for all of those involved. Kudos to you!"

Kat Downes

Whitman Co. Association of REALTORS, WA

"We are steadily working to implement the strategic plan we put into place with your guidance. You are a big reason for our confidence. You were wonderful to work with, and we could not have done this without you"

Susan Sokeland

Association Executive, Bedford Board of REALTORS, Indiana

"Reflecting on our workshop yesterday, I came to the realization that you are a Jedi, Alice. You are so calm and unassuming, and you quietly lead the group through a process at the end of which we: have a brilliant strategic plan and have addressed the anchors and ways to grow our wings!"

Kehaulani Costa

Hawai’i Island REALTORS, Hilo, HI

“Alice is very experienced in real estate association matters and comes from the excellent background of both the Arizona and NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. I have worked with her for years in a number of different REALTOR® venues and would recommend her highly for her knowledge, expertise, and ethical standards of business.”

Richard Mendenhall

2001 Past President of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Richard Mendenhall

2001 Past President of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

"When I was CEO at the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS, Alice Martin facilitated our governance review committee’s background study and first meeting, and we were fortunate to have her experience and skills as we approached this difficult subject. Alice has a deep knowledge of the REALTOR® organization and the ability to use that knowledge to better direct a conversation about a complex subject like governance. It was highly advantageous to have her objectivity and insight, as well as her ability to manage a group discussion as we began our thinking process. We are happy to recommend her for other opportunities she may have to serve as a facilitator."

Lisa G. Noon

CAE, RCE

“I have known Alice Martin for most of my REALTOR® Association career that has spanned over 30 years. Alice understands the organization, the industry and the needs and expectations of the membership. She is an outstanding asset to any planning or leadership session through her advanced planning, thoroughness and effective facilitation style. She gains her strength and wisdom through helping others achieve greatness – which is truly a testament to her commitment to the REALTOR® organization.”

Travis Kessler

RCE, CAE, President/CEO, Texas Association of REALTORS®

"Simply put, Alice ‘gets it’! She’s a wonderfully intelligent and engaging consultant, trainer and facilitator with agreat background and understanding of the association world. I’ve seen Alice work with all types of associations, large and small, and she has a real knack for getting to the core of the issues and helping REALTORS and Association Executives solve problems, plan for the future, and address members’ needs. I’ve also worked with Alice as a co-facilitator on Leadership Training and she is very successful at getting people engaged in conversation and also being prepared for leadership roles. I’d highly recommend Alice for your association’s training, consulting and or facilitation needs!"

Diane Ruggiero

RCE, CAE CEO, former Kansas City Regional Association of REALTORS® & Heartland Multiple Listing Service

“Our association, Sierra Nevada REALTORS® retained the team of Martin & Downs, better known as Alice & Ginger to facilitate our strategic planning for us. It was much needed as it had been more than a few years that an in-depth plan had been done. Alice & Ginger brought such energy and they demonstrated it as they got engagement with the strategic planning committee. It was fun, it was lively, but it was task focused to get the plan done in a day and one-half session. With their help we developed a clearer mission statement and vision statement as well as showcasing our targeted value words. We would have them again as everyone enjoyed the planning which as most know is not always the case. They are knowledgeable about our industry and able to provide great insight. SNR is pleased to recommend them for your association’s planning.”

Cheryl Smith, CEO

"Ginger Downs was our opening speaker for our annual Association Executive Seminar in June 2018 and
what a great way to kick it off. Ginger’s expertise on association management and dealing with
leadership is invaluable to new and experienced AEs. Thank you Ginger for sharing your knowledge with
us!"

Patricia Webb, RCE
Director, Board Services
Texas Association of REALTORS®