Our Team

The team at Minnesota Realtors® is committed to supporting association members with the tools, knowledge and support they need to thrive.

Leadership Team

Board of Directors

Staff

2026 Leadership Team

Minnesota Realtors® all-volunteer leadership team draws on the deep experience and far-reaching vision of dedicated leaders in our industry.

Wendy Uzelac portrait

Wendy Uzelac

President

RE/MAX Advantage Plus
Grand Rapids, MN

With over 31 years as a Realtor® and 20 years as broker of the RE/MAX Thousand Lakes office in Grand Rapids, Wendy Uzelac is a deeply experienced real estate professional dedicated to maintaining high ethical and professional standards. As first vice president, Uzelac will serve as vice chair of the Finance Committee and manage the development and rollout of MNR’s annual strategic plan. During her year in office, she will participate in local and state events, attend legislative meetings and a conference and expo hosted by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Additionally, she will fill in during events that the president and president-elect cannot attend.

Uzelac holds a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) real estate designation and is a recipient of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame Award, which honors agents who earn more than $1 million in commissions during their careers. A past president of the Itasca County Board of Realtors®, she serves the Grand Rapids community as Centennial Rotary Club past president. She belongs to the local chapter of Business Network International (BNI).

Babatunde Shonoiki

President-Elect

Lakes Area Realty
Minneapolis, MN

Babatunde (“Tunde”) Shonoiki is a dedicated real estate professional with over 20 years of experience in residential and commercial real estate. He holds a BA in Finance from University of St. Thomas and a Minnesota Real Estate Broker’s License. He his Passionate about helping first-time and first-generation homebuyers, one of his areas of expertise is in assisting clients with unique financing options such as Riba-free and Sharia-compliant program. Notably, he partnered with the African Development Center to close Minnesota's first non-interest-bearing mortgage loan. Guided by a philosophy of prioritizing clients' needs over commissions, he values honesty and client satisfaction in every transaction.

Babatunde is also deeply involved in the REALTOR community, serving over a decade on the Professional Standards Committee, including roles as Chair of Professional Standards and Vice Chair of the Policy Committee for Minnesota REALTORS. Additionally, he has contributed as a board member for his local association. Outside of his professional commitments, Babatunde volunteers at local food banks with his grandchildren and actively supports fundraising efforts for various non-profits across Minnesota.

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Lee Porter

First Vice President

EXIT Realty
Jackson, MN

I am a licensed real estate broker and CEO with more than 20 years of experience in the real estate and abstracting industries, serving Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. Throughout my career, I have benefited from strong volunteer leadership within our industry, which inspired me to intentionally prepare—personally, professionally, and financially—to step forward into leadership myself. I am deeply committed to bringing people together, strengthening professionalism, promoting education, valuing and enforcing ethics, and providing meaningful advocacy for REALTORS® and the consumers we serve. I am fully committed to what it means to be a REALTOR®, including strong support for Government Affairs, DEI, RPAC, and advancing a profession we can be proud to represent.

I am the founder and CEO of EXIT Realty – Great Plains, a veteran-owned brokerage operating across Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. Through deliberate planning, collaboration, and sustainable growth strategies, we expanded the company from 5 agents to 95 agents and staff over the past eight years. Today, the organization serves 70 counties and operates 15 office locations across three states, centrally managed to ensure consistency, efficiency, and high standards of service. Our team has ranked in the top five EXIT Realty companies in North America for both sales volume and gross commission income for multiple years. Personally, I have had the honor of being recognized with seven Bronze sales awards, one Silver sales award, recognition for Superior Growth and Development from EXIT Realty Corp. International, and being named 2024 Central U.S. Broker of the Year.

My leadership philosophy is rooted in service. I believe true leaders do not seek titles, but answer the call when encouraged to step forward. Leadership requires continuous learning, accountability, and a commitment to developing others so the collective organization grows stronger. The relationships built through leadership allow us to better serve one another, our members, and the public. Effective leadership is never about personal power or influence, but about preparing future leaders and ensuring the organization is positioned for long-term success.

I am a strong advocate for property owner rights, homeownership opportunities, the REALTOR® Party, and RPAC, firmly believing that the challenges facing our industry are best solved through collaborative, bipartisan solutions. I also support responsible growth in sustainability, recognizing Minnesota’s challenges related to water and energy and our responsibility to be thoughtful stewards of our communities and resources.

In addition to my professional leadership, I served for 12 years in the Army National Guard, where I trained and served as a Medic and NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) NCO reaching the rank of Sergeant. That service reinforced the values of discipline, service, accountability, and leadership under pressure—principles that continue to guide my professional and community involvement today.

I am grateful for the mentors, leaders, and colleagues who paved the way before me and provided encouragement throughout my career and was blessed to attend and graduate from the National Association of REALTORS® Leadership Academy in 2025. I have learned that leadership starts from within, and I remain committed to serving our members and industry with integrity, collaboration, and purpose.

LeRoy Bendickson Portrait

LeRoy Bendickson

Treasurer

Edina Realty
Minneapolis, MN

LeRoy Bendickson currently serves as Treasurer of the Minnesota Realtors® Leadership Team, playing a key role in the association's financial strategy and initiatives. He previously served as Treasurer for Minneapolis Area Realtors® (MAR) in 2020.

Bendickson began his career in the office products and furniture industry, owning and operating his own business before transitioning to real estate in 1992 with Edina Realty.

A U.S. Army veteran (1966–1969), Bendickson earned a business degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business in 1974 and a mini master’s in real estate from St. Thomas University in 2004. He is currently pursuing a master’s in advocacy and political leadership at Metro State.

As a dedicated advocate for housing issues, Bendickson attends Realtor® Day at the Capitol and the Mid-Term Convention annually. He has served on numerous local, state, and national Realtor® committees and founded the Minnesota Good Neighbor Award to honor Realtors’® community-building efforts.

In addition to his real estate career, Bendickson volunteers with several charities and founded the Real Estate Riders, a nonprofit that has raised over $3 million for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Bendickson holds CRS, GRI, AHWD, Green Realtor, and C2EX designations and has received numerous awards, including MAR’s Realtor® of the Year (2017) and President’s Award (2024).

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Patti Jo Fitzpatrick

Immediate Past President

Coldwell Banker Realty
St. Paul, MN

After pioneering the new role of first vice president in 2023, Patti Jo Fitzpatrick steps up to president-elect for 2024. Bringing more than 30 years of experience to the office, Fitzpatrick is an associate broker at Coldwell Banker Realty in St. Paul. Previously, she was president of the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors® (SPAAR) in 2019 and named SPAAR’s Realtor® of the Year.

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Josh McFall

Chief Executive Officer

Josh McFall is the chief executive officer of Minnesota Realtors® (MNR). He comes to the state association by way of Alabama, where he served as CEO of the Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS® (HAAR) and ValleyMLS.com.

McFall holds the National Association of REALTORS® REALTOR® Certified Association Executive (RCE) Designation, (NAR) ePRO Certification, At Home with Diversity (AHWD) Certification, and the Commitment to Excellence Endorsement (C2EX). He has earned the American Society of Association Executive’s (ASAE) top-level designation, Certified Association Executive (CAE).

Originally from Florence, Alabama, McFall holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Communication from the University of North Alabama and a master’s degree in Communication from Auburn University. Prior to his time at HAAR, he served as vice president of Strategic Development at the Alabama Association of REALTORS® (AAR) where he managed the state association’s strategic initiatives, professional development, and association communications. McFall has also served on faculty at Auburn University, Huntingdon College, Auburn University-Montgomery, and Jefferson State Community College teaching courses in communication.

Board of Directors

Managing the business and affairs of Minnesota Realtors®, the Board of Directors is a volunteer body comprised of diverse real estate professionals from across the state.

View List of Board Members

Staff

From expertise in law and government affairs to education, marketing and events, Minnesota Realtors®’ team is dedicated to helping our members thrive in their careers.

Senior Staff

Carrie Andersen headshot

Carrie Andersen

Chief Member Engagement Officer

Since joining Minnesota Realtors® in 1994, Carrie has held many different positions.  In her current role, she directs the activities of Member Services, including board administration, outreach, education and events such as Housing Day at the Capitol and UNITE, the association’s annual member convention. Born and raised in Racine, WI, she is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority.

Heather Meier

Chief Finance & Operations Officer

Heather Meier comes to MNR with considerable experience having served as CFO/COO at both the American Clean Power Association and The Nature Conservancy (External Affairs), and as a finance executive at General Mills. Additionally, she serves as a board member for the Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, a member of the Minnesota Chapter of the CFO Leadership Council, and a mentor with TeamWomen and Menttium.

Heather holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Admin-Accounting and a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics (from Penn State). She and her husband reside with their two terriers in a historic home in Monticello.

Paul Eger

Senior Vice President, Governmental Affairs

Leading the activities of Minnesota Realtors®’ Government Affairs team, Paul advocates at the state capitol for legislation that supports Realtors® and protects the rights of homeowners.

Joining Minnesota Realtors® after nearly 14 years in the Executive and Legislative branches of state government, Paul served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) from 2009 – 2010 during the tenure of Governor Tim Pawlenty. Before that, he held a variety of positions at MPCA, including Legislative Liaison, Clean Water Policy Manager, Assistant Commissioner for Water Policy, and Deputy Commissioner.

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Jonathan Kopecky

Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs

Jonathan Kopecky graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in political science and theology. He then received his Juris Doctorate from the Saint Louis University School of Law in 1998, and has been licensed to practice law in both Iowa (since 1999) and Minnesota (since 2003). Jon practiced real estate law for five years as an associate at Ackley, Kopecky & Kingery, LLP and then practiced canon law for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for eight years.

In May 2013, Jon started as MNR’s director of professional standards. He was responsible for processing and reviewing formal ethics complaints filed by both the public and other licensed real estate agents. His duties included interfacing with the public and agents regarding potential ethical concerns, administering grievance reviews to ascertain the merit of ethics complaints, and administering hearing panels to ensure that all parties to an allegation are heard. He has extensive knowledge of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Code of Ethics, in addition to real estate law. Jon holds a Certificate of Scholastic Achievement for Instruction in the Professional Standards Administration Program from the NAR Executives Institute.