2027 Board of Directors Election

Katie Ridgway, an Affiliate Broker with Realty Executives Associates, is seeking the position of 2027 First Vice President of East Tennessee REALTORS®. A REALTOR® for more than 15 years and an ETNR member for 14 years, Ridgway has served on the ETNR Board of Directors and as Treasurer, as well as on numerous association committees. Her leadership extends to the Women’s Council of REALTORS® Knoxville Network, where she is a Past President and chaired its 2026 Fashion Show Committee, and to Tennessee REALTORS®, where she serves on the Grievance Committee and as Vice Chair of the Convention Committee, with plans to chair that committee in 2027. A 2024 graduate of the Tennessee REALTORS® Academy of Real Estate Advancement, she is also an RPAC Major Investor and has remained active in state and national REALTOR® meetings.

Ridgway views association leadership as a responsibility to represent members, listen to differing perspectives and make informed decisions that strengthen both the member experience and the profession. She emphasizes accessible communication, collaboration, professionalism, ethics and the need for ETNR to remain flexible as the industry and member expectations evolve. Her commitment to service also extends into the community through her daughters’ schools, her neighborhood HOA and charitable fundraising efforts. Ridgway says she would welcome the opportunity to continue learning, growing and leading through ETNR while helping ensure the association remains strong, relevant and responsive to its members and the communities they serve.

Cyndi Sweet, a Broker and co-owner of LeConte Realty, LLC, is seeking the office of Treasurer. A lifelong East Tennessean, she has been an ETNR member for nine years and currently serves on the ETNR Board of Directors, where she has served since 2024. Her association involvement also includes service as ETNR’s MLS Committee Liaison, a former MLS Committee member and DEI Committee Co-Chair. At the state level, she serves as a Tennessee REALTORS® Director, a member of the Professional Standards/Grievance Committee and the Tennessee REALTORS® Committee Advisory Committee. She is a 2025 graduate of the Tennessee REALTORS® A.R.E.A. leadership program and regularly participates in state conferences and Day on the Hill.

Cyndi’s leadership extends into the community, where she chairs the LeConte Realty Foundation and serves as Treasurer of A Place to Stay Blount County. Her previous nonprofit service includes six years on the Haven House Board and five years with A Place at the Table, and she received the association’s Good Neighbor Award in 2019 for her community involvement. As Treasurer, Cyndi says she would emphasize accountability, fiscal responsibility and strong financial oversight, while working collaboratively with ETNR leadership, staff and the Board. She views the Treasurer’s role as extending beyond reviewing reports to understanding the association’s financial position, asking questions, anticipating future needs and helping the Board make informed decisions that support ETNR’s long-term financial stability and member services.