Howard Schaeffer, a Realtor with RE/MAX Real Estate in Allentown, was sworn in as the new president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors at an induction ceremony held at the Saucon Valley Country Club earlier this year.

Schaeffer was born in Hazleton and raised in Tamaqua. He is a 1987 graduate of Marian Catholic High School.

Schaeffer, a full-time Realtor since 2003 who specializes in commercial sales, residential home sales, new construction sales, and investor relations, replaces former GLVR President Tim Tepes of Assist 2 Sell Buyers & Sellers Realty. 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.

George Raad, a Realtor emeritus who served as president of GLVR (then the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors) in 2005, installed Schaeffer as GLVR’s president.

Schaeffer is a former active-duty United States Marine, and he spoke passionately in front of more than 130 real estate professionals about his mission and goals for the next year.

“Having a plan for my mission is how I am programmed as a Marine,” Schaeffer said. “We have had amazing presidents in the past. It is my job to preserve their hard work, but to also leave the association better than I found it. My number one goal is to take professionalism to the next level, and to construct a better sense of teamwork within our profession.”

Highlighting the Greater Lehigh Valley Real Estate Academy, which the association owns and operates, and the association’s professional standards process, Schaeffer told the group he was looking forward to working with his fellow board members and GLVR staff on strengthening both areas.

In addition to serving on the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors Board of Directors, Schaeffer served on the association’s Grievance Committee from 2016-2018.

Schaeffer has been awarded the prestigious RE/MAX Chairman’s Club Award and was elected to the RE/MAX Hall of Fame in 2012. He is the team leader for Howard Schaeffer & Associate’s Real Estate Team.

Schaeffer is an active member of the Lehigh Valley Marine Corps League Detachment 296; Chairman of the Board for the Chapel of Four Chaplains Foundation; National Chaplain, Marine Corps League; President of the Marine Corps League National Foundation and the United States Marines Youth Foundation Inc.