CCAR Pathways to Leadership
Growing your business goes hand-in-hand with developing your leadership skills. CCAR offers multiple pathways to support your leadership journey.
These opportunities include:
Participating in CCAR activities and events
Committee involvement
Leadership Academy Cohort Participation
Director of the Board of Directors
Officer of Board of Directors


Participating in CCAR events allows you to learn more about the association, make new connections with Affiliate members and REALTORS® from other brokerages, and to learn more about the formation of these events. CCAR committees and involvement groups are the drivers behind nearly all events of the organization that are held throughout the year. A sampling of the events include:
- Networking events: Holiday Party, YPN Happy Hours, and the Golf Outing
- Educational sessions: CE classes, Lunch-N-Learns, and the Wake Up with YPN
- REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) fundraising events
- Member Luncheons and the Association Installation and Gala all members are invited and encourage to attend these event.
- Committees and the members on these committees are the key elements of our volunteer driven Association. Committees meet throughout the year from October - September.
- Visit the CCAR Committees and Volunteer Opportunity page on the website
- The CCAR Leadership Academy provides leadership development opportunities through participating in a six-month program offered for FREE to CCAR members (REALTORS® and Affiliates). The program includes 7 events and the cohort creates a final project that is presented to the membership.
- Learn more here.
Pathways to becoming a CCAR Director
- Director Candidate must have completed at least two years as a REALTOR® member in good standing in CCAR in the past two years.
- Per the CCAR Bylaws, the candidate must have served at least two years on a CCAR Committee, Involvement Group, or Working Group and have met the attendance requirements.
- Attend 6 Board of Director meetings, every other month, with each lasting up to 2 hours.
- Participates as a liaison between the Board and a Committee or Working Group by attending 1-hour meetings throughout the year.
- Attend CCAR events when possible.
- Set the strategic direction and vision of the Association.
- Determine policies, new and revised, that benefit members and advance the mission.
- Provide oversight of the annual budget and programs, products, and services.
- Be a promoter of the organization to members and the community.
- Applications open in June of most years.
- The CCAR Nominating Committee interviews all viable candidates and proposes a slate for approval by the CCAR Board of Directors.
- CCAR members participate in an online election to determine the Board of Directors.
Pathways to becoming a CCAR Officer
- Must have previous CCAR Director Experience. (This includes anyone who has ever served on the CCAR BOD, and those currently serving).
- Must be willing to take time away from work to travel for Illinois REALTORS® and National Association of REALTOR® conferences and events.
- Must be willing to commit four consecutive years, by serving these Officer roles in this order: Secretary/Treasurer, President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past-President.
- Attend 6 Board Director meetings, every other month, with each lasting up to 2 hours.
- Attend Executive Committee meetings, every other month, with each lasting up to 2 hours.
- Respond promptly to emails from the CEO and make recommendations or decisions as needed in between meetings.
- Attend CCAR events when possible.
- Attend Illinois REALTORS® events around the state. The CCAR Travel Policy covers all travel, lodging, and good expenses.
- Attend NAR events. The CCAR Travel Policy covers travel, lodging, food and registration expenses.
- People that want to grow in their leadership abilities.
- Passionate members who want to help advance the mission of CCAR.
- Members who have the desire to truly help the organization and take the time to see that goals and objectives are met.
- Understand and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Usually, the third Thursday of every other month, with meetings beginning at 8:30 am.
- The BOD meetings are finalized in September, with the first meeting beginning in October.