Governor Abbott Appoints Three To Texas Real Estate Commission
Governor Greg Abbott appointed Bob Leonard of San Antonio, Rayito Stephens of Pearland and re-appointed T.J. Turner of Austin to the Texas Real Estate Commission for terms set to expire on January 31, 2021. The commission's primary purpose is to protect the public in its dealings with real estate brokers and salespersons.
Bob Leonard is a licensed realtor and broker with Re/Max Associates in San Antonio. He is a member of the Texas Association of Realtors Legal Review Committee and chairs the Public Policy Sub-Committee for Taxation. Previously, he served on the Texas Association of Realtors on the Board of Directors, Executive Board, MLS and Public Policy committees, Political Involvement Council, Broker Responsibility Task Force, as Regional Vice President, and various other committees and task forces. He has represented Texas at the national level with service on the National Association of Realtors Board of Directors and Public Policy Coordinating Committee and is the chairman of the San Antonio Liaison Committee for Governmental Affairs. Leonard received a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.
Rayito Stephens is a licensed realtor and broker in Pearland. During twenty-one years in real estate she has been active in many facets of the industry including home construction, track and custom building, and new home sales for major national builders, winning numerous sales awards. She specializes in representing buyers and assisting with housing needs for individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities including veterans and those with Court-created Trusts. She is a certified real estate negotiator. She is a former board member of the Alliance for Multicultural Services in Houston. She graduated with an Associate in Arts from Cottey College, a Bachelor of Business Administration from Northern Arizona University, a Master of International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and a Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University.
T.J. Turner is a partner at Cain & Skarnulis, PLLC in Austin. He is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Austin Bar Association. Additionally, he is a member of the First United Methodist Church of Austin, serving on the Board of Trustees and Administrative Board. He served as a briefing attorney for the Eleventh Court of Appeals, and has served as Assistant General Counsel to the Governor of Texas and an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas. Turner received a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Texas Tech University and Juris Doctor from Baylor University School of Law.