Virginia Realtors CEO retires

Virginia Realtors CEO Terrie L. Suit is retiring after 11 years heading the state’s largest trade association, according to a Sept. 14 announcement.

Glen Allen-based Virginia Realtors, which represents 36,000 Realtors, has appointed Martin K. Johnson as interim CEO. He has held varying roles with the association, including senior vice president of advocacy, chief lobbyist and, most recently, chief external affairs officer.

A former state delegate and state secretary of veterans affairs and homeland security, Suit became CEO of Virginia Realtors on Sept. 13, 2013. She entered the real estate industry as a Realtor in 1985 before transitioning into mortgage lending, an industry she worked in for 20 years.

“Throughout Terrie’s tenure with our association, we have achieved significant progress on behalf of the real estate industry — both in Virginia and beyond,” Virginia Realtors 2024 President Tom Campbell said in a statement. “Under her leadership and vision, we have been able to advocate for homeowners across Virginia and pass meaningful legislation to help protect our industry. Virginia Realtors thanks Terrie Suit for her steadfast dedication and wishes her the very best in her retirement.”

In 1996, then-Gov. George Allen appointed Suit to the Virginia Real Estate Board. A Republican, she also served in the Virginia House of Delegates, representing parts of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, from 2000 to 2008, chairing the House of Delegates’ General Laws committee and the Virginia Housing Commission.

In April 2011, then-Gov. Bob McDonnell appointed Suit as Virginia’s first secretary of veterans affairs and homeland security.

Reared in a military family and born in Orléans, France, Suit graduated from Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She completed her MBA at the University of Mary Washington. In 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed Suit to Mary Washington’s board of visitors; her first term ends next year.

“I want to thank the many talented leaders I’ve been fortunate to work alongside during my time as Virginia Realtors CEO,” Suit said in a statement. “I believe in the power of this organization and the importance of its mission. I believe in the power of owning property, and I know that this organization’s tireless efforts will continue helping more and more Virginians to realize that dream.”