On March 31, 2026, we gathered at the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors® office in Hughesville for our annual awards gala—an evening dedicated to celebrating exceptional achievement, honoring lasting contributions, and giving back to the community that supports us.

The event brought together agents and staff from our Waldorf and Lexington Park offices, along with company leadership and corporate team members from across our multi-state footprint, including Virginia, Delaware, Ohio, Louisiana, and beyond. Together, we recognized outstanding performance, celebrated a remarkable 53-year career, and presented a $1,000 donation to the Humane Society of Charles County.

Kitty Mausen Joins Elite Global Performers with Diamond Society Award

Kathryn "Kitty" Mausen received the Coldwell Banker International Diamond Society award based on her 2025 sales performance. The recognition places her among the top 7% of all Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide, a benchmark that represents 3,267 individuals out of 101,973 agents internationally. The achievement demonstrates the caliber of elite performance that Premier's training infrastructure produces within its agent network.

Jason Waugh, President of Coldwell Banker Affiliates, extended congratulations to Mausen and other award recipients globally, stating, "Their exceptional performance exemplifies the best and brightest in real estate today." The international-level recognition validates Premier's agent development systems and positions the company's training approach as competitive infrastructure rather than motivational programming.

Mausen's achievement reflects a broader pattern within organizations that invest in systematic recognition. Companies with strategic recognition programs report 48% higher employee retention rates, according to industry research. For a brokerage executing ten mergers in five years and targeting 500 agents across its network, recognition functions as retention engineering that protects integration investments and compounds performance across distributed teams.

Recognizing Excellence Beyond the Numbers

Twelve additional agents received regional awards from Coldwell Banker Premier for sales production, growth, and upholding the company's core values. The dual recognition criteria reveals an organizational priority that extends beyond transaction volume to include how agents conduct business and represent the brand in their markets.

Stephen Meadows, Coldwell Banker Premier's Chief Operating Officer, served as the gala's emcee and emphasized the importance of recognizing hard work, celebrating accomplishments, and showing gratitude for each team member's contribution to shared success. "Our agents and staff are the reason Coldwell Banker Premier is known as 'Where the Pros Work,'" Meadows stated. "They bring a high caliber of expertise, care, and collaboration that truly sets us apart."

The recognition structure addresses a documented retention challenge in the real estate industry. Research indicates that 55% of employees who plan to switch jobs cite lack of recognition as the primary driver of their decision. In an industry where agent retention determines merger integration success and protects market share gains, systematic recognition prevents the leading cause of voluntary turnover.

Meadows also expressed optimism for the company's continued growth trajectory, noting, "We're continuing to invest in new tools, technology, and support to help our team continue to grow, succeed, and deliver even more for the clients and communities we serve." The statement reflects Premier's operational focus on providing agents with infrastructure that moves them from current capability to desired income levels through systematic support rather than motivational initiatives.

Honoring 53 Years of Dedication: Camay Davis's Lifetime Achievement

The gala presented a Lifetime Achievement award to Camay Davis, whose real estate career spans 53 years with the same brokerage. Davis has remained with the organization that became part of Coldwell Banker Premier in 2025, representing the type of legacy preservation that defines the company's merger philosophy.

Davis's recognition connects to a broader principle that guides Premier's acquisition strategy. When brokerage owners choose to merge with Premier, they select a transition pathway that protects rather than erases their market presence. The company has systematized succession planning as a product offering, allowing selling brokers to step back from daily operations while preserving the names and relationships they built over decades.

The lifetime achievement recognition demonstrates how Premier honors sustained contribution and maintains continuity through organizational transitions. For agents like Davis who have built careers within acquired brokerages, the award signals that longevity and loyalty remain valued attributes within the combined organization. This approach to legacy preservation functions as competitive differentiation in a market where acquisition often means erasure.

Coming Together for a Cause That Matters

The gala finalized a $1,000 donation to the Humane Society of Charles County (HSCC), combining employee contributions with company matching funds. The donation responded to an urgent appeal from HSCC, which operates entirely through private donations and faced a critical funding shortage that threatened its ability to continue providing care for animals at its Waldorf shelter.

Andrea Ronaldi, a Coldwell Banker Premier real estate agent, spearheaded the collection effort during the weeks leading up to the gala. Ronaldi gathered contributions from local team members, which the company then matched to reach the final donation amount. April Hodges, HSCC's Director and Kennel Manager, received the check during the event and stated, "Thank you for standing with us during this critical moment. Because of [supporters like] you, HSCC can continue providing safety, care and second chances to the animals who depend on us."

Ronaldi's initiative reflects a personal commitment to community organizations that deliver direct impact. "Animals have always been an important part of my life. I've adopted and loved several dogs over the years," Ronaldi explained. "When I shared the idea of supporting HSCC with our team, it resonated with many of us because we feel the same way about our pets - they're truly family."

The agent's volunteer history includes working with Cosmo, a dog she adopted from HSCC, as part of Pets on Wheels visits to local senior centers. She has also volunteered with the College of Southern Maryland for their Day of Service and with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that builds and delivers beds to children without suitable sleeping arrangements.

Corporate matching gift programs represent a proven philanthropy model that increases both participation rates and donation amounts. Research shows that mentioning matching programs in fundraising efforts increases response rates by 71% and average donation amounts by 51%. The matching structure also aligns with broader consumer expectations, as survey data indicates that nearly all respondents believe companies should support their communities and work to improve the world around them.

A Commitment to Community That Runs Deep

Steve DuBrueler, Coldwell Banker Premier's Founder and CEO, expressed support for the team's charitable initiative. "I couldn't be prouder of our team for lending a hand to such a great cause," DuBrueler stated. "We are always looking for ways to give back and help improve our communities." The company has provided support to more than 175 different charitable organizations, integrating community investment into regular business operations rather than treating philanthropy as separate from core activities.

The systematic approach to charitable support represents a competitive positioning strategy in a market where corporate values influence consumer decisions. The integration of community investment into business operations addresses a documented gap in the real estate industry, where only 3% of charitable giving involves gifts of real estate despite real estate being the largest asset class globally. Premier's support of 175+ organizations positions the company as differentiated within an industry that underperforms in philanthropic engagement.

DuBrueler's leadership philosophy extends beyond charitable giving to encompass how the company approaches agent development, merger integration, and service delivery. His focus on building institutions that outlast transactions shapes the company's operational structure, from its vertical integration across mortgage, title, property management, and other services to its systematic approach to preserving seller legacies during acquisitions.

Why This Annual Tradition Matters

The awards gala serves as an annual institutional ritual that reinforces culture, creates recognition pathways, and demonstrates the company's evolution from regional brokerage to integrated service platform. The event's structure - combining performance recognition, legacy celebration, and community support - reveals the company's operational priorities and values in tangible form.

The geographic representation at the gala, with attendees from multiple office locations and corporate staff traveling from various states, illustrates how the event functions to unify distributed teams across Premier's expanding footprint. As the company operates 24 office locations serving Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Florida, and Washington D.C., the annual gathering provides a mechanism for maintaining organizational cohesion across jurisdictions.

The recognition pathways established through the gala support broader retention objectives. Data shows that well-recognized employees are 45% less likely to leave after two years, a retention advantage that becomes particularly valuable for companies managing rapid expansion through acquisition. For Premier, which has completed ten mergers in five years while targeting 500 agents across its network, the annual recognition event represents retention infrastructure that protects the human capital gained through each acquisition.

The gala's charitable component also reflects systematic community integration rather than opportunistic giving. By selecting a local organization facing an emergency funding crisis and structuring employee participation with company matching, the event demonstrates how Premier embeds community support into regular operations. This approach aligns with the company's documented support of 175+ charities and positions community investment as an operational priority rather than a public relations initiative.

About Coldwell Banker Premier

Founded in 1995 by Steve DuBrueler, Coldwell Banker Premier provides comprehensive real estate services across residential and commercial sales, leasing, property management, foreclosures, auctions, mortgage, title, and relocation services. The company operates 24 office locations with approximately 400 agents and 50 staff members, serving Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Florida, and Washington D.C. Coldwell Banker Premier ranks #19 among Coldwell Banker affiliates nationwide and holds the #1 position in Delaware and Maryland. The firm ranks in the top 1% of real estate brokerages in the United States.

For information about the Humane Society of Charles County or to make a donation, visit HumaneSocietyCC.org.