Long Island Board of REALTORS® Chief Executive Officer Tessa Hultz Named One of Long Island’s Top 50 Women in Business

Tessa Hultz, RCE, CAE, CIPS, Chief Executive Officer of the Long Island Board of REALTORS® (LIBOR), has been named one of Long Island’s 2020 Top 50 Women in Business by Long Island Business News (LIBN).

Launched in 2000, the Top 50 Women in Business program recognizes Long Island’s top women professionals for business acumen, mentoring and community involvement. The program’s honorees are selected by a judging committee and represent the most influential women in business, government and the not-for-profit fields.

Tessa has served as a REALTOR® Association Executive for nearly 15 years, prior to being named Chief Executive Officer of LIBOR, a leading regional REALTOR® trade association serving Long Island and Queens with over 28,000 members.. Tessa is a leading industry advocate for fair access to safe, affordable housing for all. 

A nationally sought-after speaker and presenter, Tessa presents seminars on a range of topics from new association executive training, women in leadership, and how the 30-year mortgage creates household wealth. She also serves as a mentor both inside and outside the industry for personal and professional development and accomplishing goals. 

Tessa’s dedication has earned her several notable achievements and honors including the REALTOR® Association Certified Executive (RCE) and the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designations. She has been recognized by her peers as an inaugural recipient of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Association Executives YPN Leaders of Tomorrow Award, and was inducted into the Bud Smith Leadership Society, whose members play an active, ongoing role as leading contributors to the industry and innovative mentors for the AE community. 

In 2018, Tessa pioneered a first-of-its-kind local REALTOR® Association affordable housing study. Using MLS data, this study measured the impact of Habitat homes on surrounding properties compared to homes in similar neighborhoods without Habitat built homes in proximity.  The study measured nine metrics and found neither the control nor study group were consistently favored, and that study subdivisions with sizeable Habitat built homes continued to draw for-profit builders. This study has since been cited by regional affordable housing groups to argue favorably for affordable housing projects.

"The Long Island Board of REALTORS® is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of Tessa Hultz as a talented and innovative leader within the Long Island business community.  Since taking the helm of our association in early 2019, Tessa has made a positive and impactful difference during a challenging time in our industry,” said LIBOR President Matthew Arnold. “Her unwavering commitment to advocating for equality and opportunity in homeownership for all is an exemplary representation of true leadership.”