Jim Zurn, owner and Associate Broker for Coldwell Banker Hearthside, Jim Thorpe, was sworn in as the new president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors (GLVR) at a Jan. 20 induction ceremony at the Renaissance Hotel, Allentown.

He is the first Carbon County resident to be named president of the professional association which, in 2014, was formed by the merger of the Lehigh Valley and Carbon County Associations of Realtors.

“I am very proud, and humbled, to be the new president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors. Thank you, everyone, who has made this moment possible,” Zurn said before a packed room of GLVR leadership and members.

Zurn replaces former GLVR President Chris Raad. The president of the association holds the position for one year and is elected by a Nominating Committee, which consists of the past president and two directors.

During his induction speech, the 62-year-old Jim Thorpe native cited the successful merger between the Carbon County Association of Realtors, where he was the president for three consecutive terms, and Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors, and how the newfound partnership has been rewarding for Realtors in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties, saving members money, delivering more member benefits and eliminating unnecessary overlapping of services. He also noted how his election to GLVR president exemplifies how well Carbon County association members have been accepted into the Lehigh Valley-based organization.

“I think I can speak for all members who live in Carbon County when I say we have really been accepted with open arms by everyone here at GLVR,” said Zurn. “Justin [Porembo], our new CEO, is a Carbon County native. I’m the association’s new president. And our president-elect is also from Carbon County. Just one year into this, and we are truly all one organization and moving forward as one.”

Two goals that top Zurn’s agenda for what he hopes to accomplish during his presidency are regional expansion of services and property tax reform. As a Pennsylvania Association of Realtors Director, Zurn has been vocal at the state level about property tax reform. He said during his speech that “it is not acceptable when escrow taxes are surpassing mortgages.” Zurn said he sees firsthand the need for reform when a home buyer’s escrow is two to three times more than the mortgage payment itself, which is often the case for Carbon County home buyers.

Zurn attended Bloomsburg University and worked for the Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England (PBNE) railroad, a subsidy of Bethlehem Steel Corp., where he continued his education and assumed a supervisory position with the railroad. He had the opportunity to purchase the operating rights of the Panther Valley Railroad, ultimately creating CNS Railroad where he became president and chief operating officer.

In 2005, he received a real estate license and received a brokerage license in 2012. He purchased a franchise of Coldwell Banker Hearthside in 2015.

Zurn has four daughters, one of which is also a real estate agent, and a son. He lives in Lehighton, Carbon County.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors is a not-for-profit trade association representing more than 2,000 Realtors in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. The association provides professional development and training resources, competitive market information, legislative advocacy, peer review and mediation processes for members, and a dispute resolution service for consumers.

The Association owns and operates the Greater Lehigh Valley Multiple Listing Service (MLS), the Greater Lehigh Valley Real Estate Academy, and is publisher of the Greater Lehigh Valley Real Estate Weekly.

Information: GreaterLehighValleyRealtors.com