Congratulations to PSAR REALTOR® Sean and Martine Hillier, recipients of a PSAR Good Neighbor award.quarterly finalist.

REALTORS®, PSAR members, and Good Neighbor Award nominees Sean and Martine Hillier have been active in educational and non-profit causes for nearly 17 years. They started out wanting to help senior citizens. This led them to become volunteers for San Diego’s Meals on Wheels in June 2008, delivering meals to seniors across East County once or twice a month. In June 2024, Sean expanded his Meals on Wheels involvement, joining the staff as a paid Site Coordinator and Driver. That same summer, Martine was hired at the non-profit group Oasis, which offers dozens of classes for seniors.

Martine, a native French speaker and also fluent in Spanish, is now on her third semester of teaching Beginning and Intermediate French at Oasis’ Grossmont Center campus.    

In addition, Sean has spent many years volunteering in various roles to help his fellow real estate agents and brokers. Sean spent six years hosting PSAR’s weekly East County broker caravan, plus two years as an elected member of PSAR’s Board of Directors.

Sean and Martine also spent four years on PSAR’s East County Government Affairs Committee. Sean was a panelist on several educational forums for agents at Windermere Real Estate SoCal. And Sean remains chairman of the Broker Independent Group (B.I.G.), a twice-weekly meeting of Southern California smaller brokers he co-founded in 2021. 

Good Neighbor Information and Nominations can be found HERE

PSAR congratulates PSAR broker Amy Saflar for being named a finalist for the Champions of Home Impact Award by the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

Amy was selected for her dedication to the Alpine Woman’s Club, which has 100 members. Her roles have included board secretary, trustee, luncheon hostess, and grant writer. From January 2023 to February 2024, Amy contributed more than 340 volunteer hours, impacting approximately 15,500 people.

Over the past 12 years, Amy’s grant writing has secured over $126,000 in grants for the Woman’s Club. These grants, from San Diego Gas & Electric and the County of San Diego’s Community Enhancement program with support from District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson have been used to maintain the Alpine Historic Town Hall and provide scholarships for graduating high school seniors in Alpine.

“I have a service heart and love to volunteer,” Amy said. “I’ve supported food nonprofits, Soroptimist International, and school PTAs, but my longest service has been with the Woman’s Club.”

Amy’s nomination included this testimonial:

Amy Saflar’s steadfast dedication over the past 12 years has enhanced our community. Her efforts in preserving and improving the Historic Town Hall of Alpine. A pivotal hub for community engagement, have been instrumental. Her leadership and commitment to the Alpine Woman’s Club have ensured the sustained maintenance of this cherished landmark.

Amy’s resourcefulness in securing funding has made the Town Hall a vibrant center of activity and a source of community pride. She has strengthened the bonds that unite Alpine’s residents, enriching the community for generations to come.”

The Champions of Home Impact Award honors California REALTORS® who significantly impact their communities through volunteer efforts. This year, C.A.R. received 75 nominations, and Amy is one of nine finalists. One winner and two honorees will be selected and announced in mid-August.

The winner will receive a $5,000 donation for their nonprofit, a trophy, and will be featured in California Real Estate magazine. The two runner-ups will receive a $1,000 donation for their nonprofits, framed certificates, and will also be featured in the magazine. All three will have their travel expenses covered for C.A.R.’s REimagine Conference, the annual fall real estate conference and expo.

Congratulations to PSAR REALTOR® Tracy Giordano, a recipient of a PSAR Good Neighbor award.

Volunteering and serving her community isn’t an obligation for Tracy. Rather, it’s her passion. “It gives me a sense of fulfillment and purpose, knowing that I’m making a positive impact on the lives of other people,” she said.

Tracy was born and raised in La Mesa. She is a fourth-generation San Diegan. Family members relocated from Nova Scotia and Boston to San Diego in 1909, the same year Tracy’s great-grandmother was born in San Diego.

Tracy has deep roots in the community and a strong commitment to its well-being, as seen in her involvement as a volunteer with several organizations.

Tracy graduated from Helix Charter High School in 1998 (her husband Gabriel, a business consultant, graduated from Helix in 1994). Since 2021, Tracy has served as a board member on the Helix Charter High School Foundation. For the past two years, she has chaired the Foundation’s largest fundraiser, a golf tournament that recently raised $13,000 for scholarships.

From 2010 to 2022, when her three children were attending St. Martin of Tours Academy in La Mesa, Tracy supported the K-through-8th-grade school’s fundraising activities and served as a school board member for eight consecutive years, including as president her final year. For six years, from 2015 to 2021, she chaired the school’s Walkathon fundraiser. She also chaired the school’s 2014 Gala which raised more than $75,000.

In 2022, Tracy became a member of the La Mesa Village Association, a non-profit organization of local business owners. In 2023, she furthered her commitment as a board member and currently serves as membership officer and community liaison.

She works closely with village business owners and community members to foster collaboration and enhance the local area while supporting small businesses. She also organizes several community networking mixers in the Village, as well as weekly spotlight interviews to showcase local business owners (you can find all her interviews on Instagram, @lamesavillageassoc.

The La Mesa Village Association organizes several annual community events, including the La Mesa Car Show, the weekly Farmer’s Market, and Holiday in the Village. In addition, the La Mesa Village Association also sponsors several local events and foundations, including Octoberfest, La Mesa Parks and Recreation Foundation, and the Mt. Helix Park Foundation

Earlier this year, Tracy joined the Mt. Helix Park Foundation board of directors. The Foundation is responsible for preserving and enhancing the park that includes an outdoor amphitheater with a 1,600-person capacity and cross memorial on top of Mt. Helix. The Foundation was formed in 1999 to maintain the preserve of Mt. Helix Park, a registered California Point of Historical interest.

“As a child, I remember climbing the amphitheater’s stone rows and admiring the cross,” said Tracy. “The preservation of this historic landmark is something that is very important to me. So, it was a no-brainer for me to join the board and give my direct support to the Mt. Helix Park Foundation.” 

In 2018, Tracy earned her California real estate sales license. As a REALTOR®, she represents clients with both residential and commercial property transactions.

“I love real estate because it’s a relationship-type business,” she said. “I’ve been successful with referrals from previous satisfied clients.”

Tracy’s involvement with PSAR has included supporting YPN events and attending weekly pitch sessions. “I also appreciate the educational events, which help all of us gain more knowledge and extend our expertise as REALTORS®. Our association feels like family to me.”

The PSAR Good Neighbor awards are intended to recognize individuals, not associations or companies.

Nominees must be REALTOR® or Affiliate members and an active licensed practitioner in good standing with PSAR.

Judging of nominees will be based on the level of personal contribution, especially volunteer (unpaid) hours, though contributions of money and other resources also will be considered.

Some portion of the nominee’s work must have taken place within the 12 months before the nomination rolling deadline of the last business day of each month.

If an individual within your company can be singled out as instrumental to the success of a group effort, then he or she is eligible. If the achievements of two people (such as a married couple or co-founders of an organization) cannot be separated, then they can enter as a pair and their entry will be considered as one.

Nominations for a quarterly PSAR Good Neighbor award can be submitted by emailing Sally Valdez, PSAR VP of Operations, at sally@psar.org.

Congratulations to PSAR REALTOR® Marlow Martinez, a recipient of a PSAR Good Neighbor award.

Since 2013, Marlow, a Chula Vista resident, has been making friends and changing lives via the Marlow B. Martinez Sr. (MBM) Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Named after his late father who passed away in 2013, Marlow and his MBM foundation have been easing burdens and assisting families during their most tumultuous times for more than a decade.

Marlow’s volunteer efforts have included providing families with Christmas gifts, supplying Thanksgiving dinners, and organizing holiday toy drives, backpack and school supply drives. Other activities include surprising children in low-income families with birthday parties, and delivering meals to military families and the elderly during the Covid-related lockdowns.

Marlow’s inspiration for helping others is based on his father’s example of community service. At age 14, Marlow’s father took on a fatherly role for his single mom and eight siblings. During his 40-year government career, Marlow’s father created a nonprofit to ensure minorities had ample and fair opportunities at management-level government jobs.

Two of Marlow’s father’s favorite sayings were “Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition,” and “A community is much better if we look out after one another versus taking from one another.”

Here is Marlow’s story about the founding of the MBM Foundation.

“I was living in Murrieta in 2011 when my dad had a severe stroke,” said Marlow. “He was 62 years old and in great shape. He went from working full-time to being 100% dependent, requiring 24-hour care with a feeding tube and tracheotomy in his neck. Rather than send him to a care facility, we took him home. My brother and I became full-time nurses overnight.

It was a two-year battle. He was in a wheelchair and learning to walk again. The doctors said his progress was nothing short of a miracle. I was determined to give him the best opportunity to live.

Then, he had another stroke and we lost him. His funeral drew 300 people from all over the country. I had no idea how many people my dad had helped. He helped people get better jobs and encouraged them to get an education. He was a dedicated father and community friend with a heart of gold. Even today, strangers ask me if I’m Marlow’s son.

When he passed away, I wanted to keep his work and spirit alive. So, I created the MBM Foundation in his honor. We’ve been lucky to have blessed so many families.”

Marlow says his real estate career has paid for his living expenses for nearly 20 years. He has worked as a loan officer and real estate agent. He earned his broker's license in 2011. He also has worked as a property-and-casualty insurance broker and substitute elementary school teacher. He has been a member of PSAR since 2008.

“Over the past 14 years, I have bought and sold out-of-state flips and still continue to own an out-of-state portfolio of homes,” he said. “I’m working on my first apartment building purchase."

“Real estate has taught me to look for opportunities and know a good market when I see one. Real estate will always be part of my life because it allows me to remain involved in the community and with disadvantaged youth. My heart is filled with passion to try and make these kids’ lives better and prepare them for a better future.”

For more information about the MBM Foundation, visit www.facebook.com/marlowbmartinezfoundation/.