Board of Directors
2021
Denise Forman-Gaines
President
Denise Forman-Gaines
President
Denise has been a REALTOR® with Century 21 Gold Key Realty for 16 years. She has served as Vice President, Chairperson of Member Engagement Committee, and a Director of NCCBOR and DAR, in addition to sitting on the Public Policy Committee and Lockbox Task Force.
She is also involved with the Annual Breast Cancer Walk and as a volunteer with the Career Wardrobe. Denise feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR to understand how we can affect change, and to assist our communities with change, so recently she worked with other agents in the community to assist those affected by the tornado in Middletown, and with her church on planting outside of Glasgow High School. Similarly, she feels that the minority homeownership gap is the biggest challenge real estate is currently facing and hopes to work with the Minority Homeownership Task Force on affordable housing issues during her tenure as President. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her three awesome grandchildren.
Chuck Lax
President Elect
Chuck Lax
President Elect
Chuck is a REALTOR® with the Coldwell Banker Preferred Wilmington office. He has served as Chair of Public Policy, and as a member of the Professional Standards Committee, the Minority Homeownership Task Force, and the Member Engagement Task Force.
He feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR because everyone needs to be involved in serving and moving NCCBOR forward. Chuck has also served in numerous capacities for DAR and NAR, including 2021 appointments to the NAR Commitment to Excellence Committee and the NAR Professional Standards Committee. He was the 2018 recipient of the NCCBOR REALTOR® Spirit Award and recently he earned NAR’s At Home with Diversity® Certification. Outside of NCCBOR, Chuck has served as a Board member for Plastic Free Delaware and for the NCC Reentry Program. During his tenure as President-Elect, he hopes to work on affordable housing issues with the Minority Homeownership Task Force and on increasing NCCBOR member participation. Outside of work, Chuck loves to spend time with his wife, four sons and one daughter, three grandchildren, and two dogs, Charlie and Maggie.
Linda Cole
Vice President
Linda Cole
Vice President
Linda has served as a NCCBOR and DAR Director as well as a Grievance Committee Member. Outside of NCCBOR, she is a volunteer for the Delaware Humane Association.
Linda believes it is important to be involved with NCCBOR to protect homeowner rights and to better serve the communities in which we live and work.
David Harrell
Treasurer
David Harrell
Treasurer
David has served as a Director for NCCBOR and DAR. He feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR because the Board needs active REALTOR representatives in order to flourish and better serve the R.E. community.
David believes without volunteers, important real estate matters in our community would not be addressed and that there is strength in numbers.
Carl Wahlig
Immediate Past President
Carl Wahlig
Immediate Past President
Carl Wahlig has served as President, President-Elect, and Director of NCCBOR and committee member of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Advisory Committee.
He feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR for the opportunity to grow personally and professionally in an organization that represents its’ members and their interests at all levels of government and related industries. Carl believes that serving on the Board grants the opportunity to have a voice and influence over the day to day issues the real estate industry faces and the ability to craft solutions that allow REALTORS® to flourish.
Gail Renulfi
Executive Committee Appointee
Gail Renulfi
Executive Committee Appointee
Gail is a Broker and Manager for BHHS Fox & Roach and has been licensed in real estate in the states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland for 30 years.
She has served in several capacities for NCCBOR, including being a member on committees and task forces; and being a member of the Board of Directors as Treasurer and President (2006). Currently, Gail serves on NCCBOR’s Professional Standards Committee. She has also been DAR’s Public Policy chair, Federal Political Coordinator (FPC) for then-Congressman John Carney and is the 2021 Chair of DelPAC and FPC for Senator Chris Coons. For NAR, Gail is currently a member of the Board of Directors and the Public Policy Committee, and was a previous member of the Risk Management Committee. Outside of NCCBOR, she has volunteered with Fox & Roach Charities, Delaware Hospice Jazz Brunch, Family Promise of NCC, Stockings for Soldiers, Meals on Wheels, and Office Soup’s ON Annual Event. In her capacities with NCCBOR and DAR in 2021, she is looking forward to helping President Gaines achieve her goals and helping the Delaware real estate community navigate and overcome the pandemic. She believes there is no better place than Delaware to get outdoors and enjoy time with her husband, Alan, and their two dogs, Bode & Cali.
Andrew Taylor
Legal Counsel
Andrew Taylor
Legal Council
Andrew serves as legal counsel for NCCBOR and DAR and finds it important to be a part of the Board to support the REALTOR® cause.
Stephanie Rizzo
Director
Stephanie Rizzo
Director
Stephanie has served as the Public Member Director with NCCBOR for many years.
She also is a part of the Chestnut Hill Estates Civic Association, the Greater Newark Civic Alliance, and is a Court Appointed Support Advocate. Stephanie feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR to stay informed and believes in getting involved with anything that puts a spark in your heart and soul.
Anthony Santoro
Director
Anthony Santoro
Director
Anthony Santoro is a professional photographer who partners with businesses as well as residential and commercial real estate professionals to provide photography and video content for their properties, people and products.
In 2015, Anthony took his passion for photography and created DiamondState Photography. Anthony’s photos have been published in a many local and national magazines. Prior to starting a photography business, Anthony spent a number years in sales, operations and executive management in the fields of fire protection, security, and access control as well as the HVAC and electrical industries. He has a proven ability to manage complex business units, as well as sales and service operations. He has developed and implemented process improvement and efficiency programs that have significantly reduced overall operating costs, billing cycle times and customer loss ratios while improving employee/workflow efficiencies and overall operating profits for companies such as Fire Protection Electronics, Honeywell, Wayman Fire Protection, Service Unlimited and Electric Unlimited. He has been involved in a number of professional and community organizations over the years including: Delaware Crime Stoppers (Past Chairman) Wilmington Skate Project (Past President) Christiana Rotary (Past President) Newark Morning Rotary (Member) Delaware Hospice (Development Committee) New Castle County Board of Realtors (Board of Directors) Commercial-Industrial Realty Council of Delaware (Member) Anthony lives in Newark with his wife, Kristina. They have two children, Anthony (30) and Brandon (17).
M.Daniel Nelson
Director
M.Daniel Nelson
Director
M. Daniel Nelson attended Pennsylvania State University and then Temple University, graduating from Temple in 1993 with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree while working at the Prudential Insurance Company.
After graduation he became an insurance agent. After year at Prudential Insurance, he moved to Lucent Technologies in 1997, the largest telecommunication equipment manufacturer at the time, becoming a sales manager quickly and soon after the branch manager. Four years later he moved to AT&T Corporation as a Strategic Account Manager, managing multi-national accounts. While at AT&T he got an MBA degree, specializing in global management, from the University of Phoenix. He took an early retirement from AT&T to pursue the dream of running his own business. M. Daniel Nelson entered the fascinating world of Real Estate in 2006, joining the Keller Williams Realty Company. He later opened the Effort Realty Co and continued to work in association with Keller Williams Realty and became an Associate Broker. In late 2019 he moved to The House of Real Estate where he has his license currently.
Jacob Lipton
Director
Jacob Lipton
Director
Jake Lipton is the Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Premier Properties and has been a REALTOR® since 2003. He currently serves on the 2021 NCCBOR Board of Directors and the DAR Bylaws Committee and will chair the NCCBOR Young Professionals Network Committee in 2021.
He is the broker of record for Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. He began his career at Prudential and quickly moved to RE/MAX. After working as an agent for 14 years he received his Brokers license and opened his own business, RE/MAX Premier Properties located in Bear, Delaware, in 2017. He has worked with individuals, investors, and developers on a multitude of real estate transactions including residential, new construction, land, short sales, and investment properties. In addition to being an agent and Broker/Owner, he also owns a small construction company and enjoys renovating properties. As an agent, he was awarded #2 RE/Max agent in closed transactions in the state of Delaware in 2017 and #3 in 2018. He is also a member of the RE/Max Hall of Fame. Jake was nominated for the NCCBOR REALTOR® of the Year award in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He prides himself on being a professional, ethical, and reliable real estate agent. As an incoming director of NCCBOR he plans on sharing his experience, skills, and ideas to strengthen the relationships in the real estate community and improve the ethical standards threshold.
Monica Hill
Director
Monica Hill
Director
Monica has served as an Ombudsman, Chair of the Education Task Force, a member of Public Policy, Membership Engagement, Grievance, Professional Standards, DAR Board of Directors, and Chairperson of the DAR Convention committee.
Outside of NCCBOR, Monica has been a Girl Scout for over 38 years and volunteers at her church, for the Delaware Housing Opportunity Fund, and throughout her community. Monica feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR because it gives you the opportunity to have a positive impact on matters that impact our clients and in turn, our livelihood. She truly believes in the Code of Ethics and in protecting our clients’ home ownership rights.
Scott Farnan
Director
Scott Farnan
Director
Scott has served as a member of Public Policy and the Community Outreach Committee.
He is currently serving on NAR’s 2021 Leading Edge Advisory Board. Scott feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR because as REALTORS® we have a duty to the community that is much more than assisting people with buying and selling homes. We need to help, educate, and assist the community whenever we can to ensure that there are stable, caring communities for future generations.
Octavia Samuels
Director
Scott Farnan
Director
Octavia Samuels is a full-time real estate agent at Century 21 Gold Key Realty in Newark, DE.
She received her real estate license in 2006 and has been actively practicing for 15 years. Her residential business base is a mixture of listings and marketing homes for sale, representing home buyers in the purchase of their first home and subsequent homes, managing investment portfolios, navigating buyers and sellers through the short-sale process, and servicing distressed properties and bank-owned homes. Octavia is a Top Sales Agent and has achieved CENTURY 21 Corporate’s Masters Ruby Status and Quality Service Pinnacle Awards. She has sat on the Member Engagement Committee and the Diversity & Inclusion Committee at NCCBOR and has successfully completed NAR’s At Home with Diversity Certification Course.
Scott Deputy
Director
Scott Farnan
Director
Scott has served as Director and Treasurer of NCCBOR as well as a member of the Professional Standards Committee.
Outside of NCCBOR, Scott volunteers for the Special Olympics of Delaware as well as Move for Hunger. Scott feels it is important to be involved with NCCBOR to be on the forefront of issues facing our membership, homeownership, and to be a positive voice as a representative of the membership.
Deborah Harris
Director
Scott Farnan
Director
Deborah Harris, Associate Broker with RE/MAX Associates in Newark, DE has been a licensed REALTOR® since 2003.
She provides personalized real estate services to homebuyers and sellers in Delaware and Maryland. Deborah believes that volunteerism is the substance of change; that the more REALTORs who show up in our communities and give voice to our experiences through active involvement in our own governance, the better our entire community continues to be. Outside of NCCBOR, Deborah has supported her community in various ways, including participation in neighborhood planning initiatives, service on non-profit boards in Wilmington, as a member of the Union Hospital Foundation Board in Elkton Maryland, and most recently through her role as the 2019 NCCBOR Community Engagement Task Force Chair. She received the 2020 REALTOR Spirit Award and currently serves on the NCCBOR Professional Standards Committee. Deborah is a native Delawarean, currently residing in Middletown, DE. She is married with four children, six grandsons, and two beautiful granddaughters.
Ruth Vella
Director
Scott Farnan
Director
Ruth A. Vella, GRI, owner of Omega Real Estate School, brings 50 years of experience in the Real Estate Industry to the podium.
She has earned a place of distinction and respect among her peers in the industry and is ranked among the best for her ability to manage and teach. She has served the local, state, and national community for many years. Ruth was named "Educator of the Year" in 2002 for NCCBOR. She has taught courses all over the Country for The National Association of Realtors and locally for the Delaware Association of Realtors, The Kent County Association of Realtors, the Sussex Association of Realtors as well as the NCCBOR. She has lectured at the Realtor's Institute and the Delaware Realtors Convention and is featured in five distinct volumes of Who's Who in America. Ruth has also received awards for "Outstanding Leadership" from the National Association of Realtors, as well as the "Omega Tau Rho Award" and she has been honored as a "Realtor Emeritus." Ruth was inducted into "The Realtor's Hall of Fame" in 2009. She has served as a Director for the Delaware Association of Realtors and NCCBOR. Ruth is Dean of the Omega Real Estate School and has served on the faculty of Wilmington University and Delaware State College.
Ron Marini
Director
Ron Marini
Director
Ron is a Mortgage Loan Originator with 27 years of experience.
He is currently with Concord Home Loans in Chadds Ford, PA but has also worked at Margaretten, Gilpin, Mortgage America, Annie Mac, and AFN. Previously, Ron served on the NCCBOR Affiliate Board in 2019. In the community, he has conducted informational seminars for first-time home buyers and has volunteered with Meals on Wheels. Ron believes that one of the biggest challenges facing the real estate industry is educating REALTORS® on changes in the lending business and hopes to address this challenge by including REALTORS® in spaces such as Affiliate meetings.