Second award for local realtor
For his efforts to enhance economic development in and beyond the Windsor community, the Windsor Chamber of Commerce is honoring Tom Lawrence with a “Spirit of Sonoma” award, the second for the longtime Windsor resident.
With a career in real estate that stretches over 40 years, Lawrence currently works with Wine Country Group Realtors. He received his first “Spirit of Sonoma” award several years ago from the North Bay Association of Realtors.
“To have your fellow realtors and your fellow chamber members vote for you is really humbling,” Lawrence said. He has lived in Windsor since 1990, and has a long association with the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, both as a member and volunteer.
Under the auspices of the county Economic Development Board, chambers of commerce throughout Sonoma County, as well as organizations such as the Farm Bureau and Sonoma County Winegrowers, distribute the “Spirit of Sonoma” awards annually. A luncheon will be held to honor this year’s 19 recipients in December.
In 2004, Lawrence became the chair of the Windsor chamber’s board of directors and currently lends his time as a volunteer. He also serves on the chamber’s Business Expo Committee and was a co-recipient of its 2014 Community Spirit Award.
“I’ve always known the importance of a chamber to the local community and the regional area as well,” Lawrence said, adding that he finds that the networking opportunities offered through the chamber are invaluable to business professionals.
According to Windsor Chamber of Commerce CEO Christine Tevini, Lawrence was also instrumental in developing the chamber’s Economic Development Task Force in 2012. The 13-member group was tasked with retaining and attracting businesses to the Windsor area and has since morphed into a business roundtable run through the chamber and Town.
“He put together a team of individuals from different industries of business,” Tevini said, including the construction industry, residential and commercial real estate, the restaurant industry, the fire district and the Town. The eclectic mix of participants were able to provide feedback on developments in their respective industries, according to Tevini.
Lawrence said he formed the task force because he felt the Town wasn’t prioritizing Windsor’s economic development. “I was fortunate enough to get the Town to, in a way, partner with the chamber in this task force to provide some members,” he said. “I felt there was a real need out there to take a proactive start to getting the business community healthy.”
Beyond his involvement in the Windsor chamber, Lawrence has also served as the director of the North Bay Association of Realtors, a trade organization that represents Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties. He was also a member of their professional standards committee, which handles all complaints that are brought to the association.
“[Lawrence] has also volunteered a lot of time into the North Bay Association of Realtors, which is not only then benefitting our community – it benefits a larger area with economic development through real estate,” Tevini said.
For his efforts, Lawrence has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Bay Association of Realtors, as well as the prestigious Realtor Emeritus Award from the National Association of Realtors, which is given those who have provided services and been association members for at least 40 years.
As a longtime Windsor resident and real estate professional, Lawrence has been a presence in the community throughout Windsor’s development, according to Tevini. “As a real estate broker here in Windsor he saw Windsor before the development went in,” she said. “He was able to be the selling broker for Brooks Creek, the retirement community. That’s his business – he’s been able to be a part of it as Windsor has grown.”
Lawrence is a graduate of Santa Rosa Junior College and San Francisco State University. Currently, he lives in Windsor with his wife Sharon, who is a retired teacher. They have a son named Steve who lives with his wife Jodi and their two children in Scottsdale, Ariz.
In addition to his work with the chamber and realtor organizations, Lawrence has also participated in the Santa Rosa East Rotary in the past and is a lifetime member of the Windsor High School Boosters Club. He also lends his support to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation.
For Lawrence, volunteerism is not an idle or optional pursuit – it’s payback for a lifetime of blessings. “I’ve been very blessed with a lot of success in my industry, a lot of success personally, a lot of success health wise – and family wise I’ve been very blessed,” he said. “It’s just my way – and a good way – to give back.”
“Spirit of Sonoma” recipients are chosen for their contributions to the economic development and enhancement of their respective communities through their time and professional expertise.
The “Spirit of Sonoma” Awards Luncheon will be held on Friday, Dec. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel Sonoma Wine Country (1 DoubleTree Drive) in Rohnert Park. RSVP by Dec. 1. For more information, www.edb.sonoma-county.org, and click “EDB Events.”
