On Thursday night, November 5, Jen Burkamper was installed as the 2021 President of the Iowa Association of REALTORS® (IAR) along with the rest of the IAR officers. Per the IAR Bylaws, Jen and the other 2021 IAR Leadership will begin their terms at the conclusion of the National Association of REALTORS Board of Directors meeting on November 13.
“The Iowa Association of REALTORS® has a long history of strong leaders, and Jen will continue to hold that mantle. I know we are all excited to see what lies ahead for us with Jen leading IAR out of the pandemic into a strong 2021 real estate market. She will be the right leader at the right time for IAR® ,” stated IAR CEO, Gavin Blair.
Jen Burkamper has been in real estate for 20 years, and the past 10 years with RE/MAX Real Estate Center. Jen is a proud member of the Central Iowa Board of REALTORS (CIBR), Des Moines Area Association of REALTORS and IAR.
Jen grew up in Muscatine and graduated from Muscatine High School. She married her high school sweetheart, Court, and they’ve been married for 24 years. Jen graduated from Muscatine Community College and finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), graduating with a Business Management degree. During her time at UNI, she kept very busy between college classes and working 3 part-time jobs.
After working for a few years in customer service for a large corporation, she realized she couldn’t work for a company with different values than her own. Following a life-long passion for people, design and homes, she decided to start her real estate career and moved from Waterloo to Boone.
Early in her career, she attended a National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Conference and met many Iowans at an Iowa Realtor networking event. Jen was encouraged to get involved and help start a statewide Young Realtors Group. Shortly after, her local board asked her to volunteer for some of their committees and work groups.
From that point on, Jen became involved in a variety of committees, task forces and workgroups at the national, state and local levels.
She served as a Regional Vice President for IAR for over 8 years and was President of the Central Iowa MLS in 2007. She enjoyed the courses from CRS (Council of Residential Specialist) and was soon involved in their leadership and committees at the state and national level. Twice during her time in leadership roles at CRS, the Iowa CRS Chapter won the prestigious CRS Chapter of the Year. Jen Burkamper was named as the Iowa CRS of the Year in 2010. In 2011, she served as the President of the Iowa CRS Chapter.
Jen has served on almost every IAR committee during the last 18 years. Jen’s strong support of RPAC throughout her career led to her induction into Iowa’s RPAC Hall of Fame. In addition to her involvement at IAR, Jen has served on the NAR RPAC Participation Committee, NAR’s Member Communications Committee and the NAR Board of Directors.
Outside of real estate and her Realtor volunteer roles, she helps manage The Strength Shop, a full service gym and fitness center, in Boone that she owns with her husband, Court.
Jen and Court have two grown children. Their daughter, Jaelynn is a graphic designer living in southern California. Their son, Caden, is in pharmacy school at the University of Iowa. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, decorating, gardening, and enjoying nature. Someday, Jen hopes to own a bed and breakfast or flower shop.
“Being a Realtor isn’t just about making a living, it is about making a difference in people’s lives,” stated Burkamper. Jen’s guiding quote is - “Success is knowing what you're doing, believing what you’re doing and loving what you are doing.“
Congrats to the entire 2021 IAR Leadership
President:
Jen Burkamper, Ames
President-Elect:
Byron Menke, Treynor
Vice President:
Krista Clark, Newton
2nd Vice President:
Shaner Magalhães, Coralville
Past President:
Scott Wendl, Des Moines
Treasurer:
John Dunn, Des Moines
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
Region 1:
Brad Sanderson, Spirit Lake
Region 2:
Mike Franey, Carroll
Region 3:
Zelda Elwood, Mason City
Region 4:
Jen Stanbrough, West Des Moines
Region 5:
Renae Forsyth-Christy, Cedar Rapids
Region 6:
Tyler Riddle, Coralville
Region 7:
Anna Mack Smith, Muscatine
Region 8:
Steve Campbell, Ottumwa
All of these members of IAR leadership are Realtors members that volunteer many hours of their time each month to help shape the direction of our association!