Longtime agent recognized for community service

Maryland Realtors honored longtime real estate professional Merrilie Ford for her innumerable volunteer efforts at its annual conference last month. Ford, a Realtor with Long & Foster Real Estate’s Easton office, received the Community Service Award, which “honors individual Realtor members who give unselfishly of their time to assist in the communities in which they live.” Ford qualified for the statewide award after earning a similar honor from the Mid-Shore Board of Realtors in June.

Amongst Ford’s many volunteer efforts, she has been a Talbot Mentor for 15 years and is currently mentoring her third child. These relationships started in elementary and continue through high school and college. Talbot Mentors also has had the benefit of having Ford on its board of directors for the last four years.

Another highlight to Ford’s extensive community service resume is the 15 years she has spent on Character Counts, through which she was honored as the “Queen of Character Counts” for outstanding service and commitment. Ford also is a dedicated patron of the arts, volunteering for Plein Air Easton each year, and supporting the Talbot Hospice Festival of Trees, among many other nonprofits.

“Merrilie is a fantastic role model and an inspiration to all our agents and the community at large. We value her energy and she is always super optimistic,” said Martha Witte Suss, branch manager of Long & Foster’s Easton office.

Long & Foster is the nation’s No. 1 independent real estate brand, as part of HomeServices of America. For more information, visit LongandFoster.com.