The Iowa Association of REALTORS® congratulates Byron Menke of Treynor, this year’s recipient of the O.G. Powell/Joan Ballantyne Distinguished Service Award. This award was presented recently at the Iowa Association of REALTORS® Inaugural Gala in Coralville.
The O.G. Powell/Joan Ballantyne Distinguished Service Award, the highest award given by the Iowa Association of Realtors®, is designed to honor a person who has given long-term and outstanding service to the real estate industry.
Byron Menke has been in real estate for almost 20 years. He started in home construction with his grandfather which led him to earning his construction degree from Northeast Community College of Nebraska. Shortly after college, he went to auctioneering school and developed his love for the business. He started auctioneering in the local cattle sale barns.
As he grew his auction business, he decided to obtain his real estate license. He worked several years in the Council Bluffs areas as a Realtor and achieved his broker’s license in 2009. He has grown his business and now has 9 agents.
Byron has been very busy at both the local and state REALTOR® associations. He was President of the Southwest Iowa Association of REALTORS® (SWIAR) in 2007 after serving on numerous committees and the Board of Directors. He was named SWIAR’s REALTOR of the Year in 2009. Menke was a Regional Vice President for the Iowa Association of REALTORS® (IAR) for many years. Byron served on the IAR Executive Committee and continues to serve on the IAR Legislative Committee. He also received an IAR Good Neighbor Award a few years ago.
Community involvement and giving back has always been a priority for Menke. While raising a young family, he went through the EMS training and volunteered for the local fire department. He served as President of Westfair and continues to volunteer. He has worked with countless local charities to develop silent and live auction fundraisers.
Byron enjoys spending time with family and friends, golfing, and riding his motorcycle. Byron adores his family of two adult children and three grandchildren. He loves the history behind antiques and is an avid watcher of Antiques Roadshow, American Pickers, and Barnwood Builders.
He is known as a practical joker. This year, however, IAR Staff and Realtor leaders had the last laugh. We created a story about about a hunting lodge package that had to be auctioned during the Inaugural Gala. This ensured that he attended the event and did not miss the announcement of his award. He was pleasantly surprised to be honored and enjoyed the joke.