NAWRB is proud to announce Elizabeth Perez as the winner of the 2020 NAWRB Veteran Leader Award! Perez is a Native American with Latin roots, a service-disabled veteran with a proud history of advocacy, entrepreneurship, and public service. Despite the adversities she has faced, Perez persevered and secured a job with a construction company and eventually started her own construction company, GC Green Inc. She later was appointed to the position of Deputy Secretary of Minority Veterans at CalVet where she spearheaded successful programs focused on a pathway to citizenship for deported veterans; became a tribal veteran representative connecting them to benefits they earned while serving; facilitated collaboration within the veteran LGTBQ community; and focused on reducing fraud within the Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (CA DVBE) contracting spear.  Before she took the position, there had not been very much emphasis on any of these subset groups within the veteran community and she created awareness and made long-lasting positive change for veterans not only in California but across the country through groundbreaking policy and programming.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor exceptional women leaders in the housing and real estate ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise, passion and drive to redefine leadership and facilitate additional growth in their industry and local communities. Congratulations, Elizabeth Perez!

NAWRB is proud to announce Leora Ruzin, CMB as the winner of the 2020 NAWRB Media Leader Award! Ruzin is the Director of Real Estate Lending at Valley First Credit Union and managing editor of Mortgage Women Magazine. With her involvement in a host of committees within ACUMA, MBA, CU: REALM, and Mortgage Women Magazine, Ruzin has been able to share her knowledge and passions with a vast audience that spans across all financial sectors. Leora was acknowledged for her passion and willingness to help others in 2019 by being selected as one of the “Most Powerful Women in FinTech” and “Lending Luminary” by Progress in Lending, and as one of 30 “Women with Vision” by 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching. In addition to her volunteer work, she lends her time to teach the next mortgage professional as an instructor for the MBA’s School of Mortgage Banking and Certified Mortgage Banker program. She uses every opportunity she can to pay it forward and share her passion with the world.

Each year, the NAWRB Leadership Awards honor exceptional women leaders in the housing and real estate ecosystem who are utilizing their expertise, passion, and drive to redefine leadership and facilitate additional growth in their industry and local communities. Congratulations, Leora Ruzin!