Eileen Spinola, the long-serving senior vice president at REBNY, has announced her retiral.
Spinola is stepping down after 21 years at the Real Estate Board, much of it working alongside her husband Steven Spinola, who announced his own retirement late last year.
“About a year ago, my husband and I made the difficult decision to retire; time stands still for no one and although I am leaving a dream job I will now have the time to pursue dreams deferred,” said Eileen.
A former teacher, Eileen joined the board in 1994 and has overseen the expansion of REBNY’s education programs, the exponential growth of the residential division and the development of a host of new membership programs, including seminars, events and tew systems to increase efficiency and facilitate the sharing of listings.
A force in the industry, Eileen’s partnerships have helped to bolster the Board’s reputation and increase membership
Through her efforts, REBNY’s residential and commercial Deal of the Year awards have become ever more coveted, attracting more submissions each year.
Most recently, she worked with REBNY members to launch the New York Residential Specialist (NYRS) designation course and the New York Commercial Professional (NYCP) designation which debuted in 2014.
REBNY announced that Joe Barbaccia has been named replace Eileen and he will start at REBNY on February 17. He will work with Eileen Spinola for several months to ensure a smooth transition.
Barbaccia was most recently the sales director for Essential New York Real Estate. Throughout his long career in real estate, he has been an active member of REBNY and had the distinction of serving on REBNY’s Board of Governors.
“I am excited to join REBNY and build on the great work they do serving and educating the 16,000 members of New York’s real estate community,” said Barbaccia. “I’ve learned so much over the years at REBNY, I look forward with enthusiasm to take on this great opportunity at this dynamic and prestigious organization.”
In 1994, Barbaccia founded REBNY’s Rental Committee for the Residential Division and has also served on the Residential Division’s Board of Directors.
He and his sales team have received numerous honors and citations throughout his career. In 2007, 2006, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999 and 1997 they received awards for REBNY’s Deal of the Year. In 2006, he received the Henry Forster Award for his record of achievement in residential real estate and display of character and ethical conduct in the profession.
