Julie Hall of Patton Hall Real Estate, Warsaw, left, was named the 2021 Realtor of the Year at the annual Kosciusko County Board Of Realtors Christmas party, Friday, Dec. 3. Shown with Hall are her parents Judy and Steve. InkFreeNews photos by Deb Patterson.

By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

NORTH WEBSTER — The annual Kosciusko Board of Realtors Christmas celebration is an event all KBOR associates and members look forward to attending. This event is an opportunity to give back to the community and raise funds for a non-profit organization within the county.

This year funds were raised for KBOR’s own children’s charities such as Boots for Scholars, Back-To-School Backpacks and three scholarships to graduating high school seniors throughout the county. At the end of the evening, the silent and live auctions raised approximately $5,398, with an additional $900 raised through the purchase of reserved tables.

The evening is also a time to recognize the Realtor and Associate of the Year.

Jamie Miller, Gold Key Inspection Services, Shipshewana, was named the 2021 Affiliate of the Year at the annual Kosciusko County Board of Realtors Christmas party, Friday, Dec. 3.

Julie Hall, Patton Hall Real Estate, Warsaw, was presented the 2021 Realtor of the Year. During the introduction of Hall, Angie Jarrett, 2020 Realtor of the Year, listed the most important thing about the recipient — coffee, obsession and lifelong search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and watching “The Young and The Restless,” a daily activity that started more than 40 years ago with her grandmother.

Hall grew up in Winona Lake and attended Jefferson Elementary, graduating from Warsaw High School. She graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, working her way through college at Steak and Shake. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. She was a regular at Tippy Dance Hall.

She worked as a social worker for a few years, then opened the first of three clothing stores in Warsaw. She earned her real estate license in 1999 but did not start as a realtor until 2011, teaming up with her mother, Judy, and eventually her husband, Jason Patton. She is a former IRMLS director, KBOR board member, past member of the Warsaw Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary and current vice president of Altrusa.

Jamie Miller of Gold Key Inspection Services, Shipshewana, was named the 2021 Affiliate of the Year. Miller’s skill set was described as diverse. He has a bachelor’s in elementary education and a minor in math and history, an elementary and middle school teacher of history and English and a boys basketball coach for middle and senior high schools. He was also a university maintenance department team leader.

Miller grew up in Topeka. He and his wife, Donna, have been married 27 years. They both have a passion for Notre Dame football and basketball, gun training and shooting and vacations in the Virgin Islands. They are on the board of directors for Indiana Right to Life and their firm supports many causes such as Ark Animal Rescue and Adoption, Compassion Pregnancy Center, the Tim Tebow Foundation, Answers in Genesis and the Ribbon of Hope Cancer Support Ministry.

The fun for the evening was the bidding wars going on about 20 mystery silent auction items with such themes as Winter Warm Wishes, Day at the Beach, Road Trip, Date Night, Doggy’s Christmas morning, Good Days Start with Coffee and Jesus. But the fun didn’t stop there. Throughout the evening guests had the opportunity to purchase gift boxes for a chance at winning such prizes as wine and dine, smart home security, New Year’s Eve get-away, an ATV Jeep and a holiday survival cooler.

The final fun of the evening was again a bidding war on six themed Christmas trees. Themes were A Fabulous Spa, a Dog Day at the Beach, We’re Getting Lit, The Man Tree, Keeping It Local and Purse tree. The highest priced tree was the purse tree that featured various named brand purses, which was bought for $1,400.

All silent and live auction items, as well as the drawing prizes, were donated by members and affiliates which had a total value of more than $6,000.

Approximately 160 attended the evening, which was held at The Owl’s Nest, North Webster.