Virginia Cook Named 2011 Women in Business Honoree

Virginia Cook, chief executive officer of Virginia Cook, Realtors, has been selected as an honoree in the 2011 Women in Business Awards program by the Dallas Business Journal.

According to Dallas Business Journal publisher Traci Merzi, honorees were selected based on professional achievements and leadership in their industry and the overall community. “Winners were selected by a judging panel comprised of Dallas Business Journal editors and former Women in Business Award recipients,” said Ms. Merzi. “There was a very competitive field of nominated women, and we are very proud to honor Virginia Cook.”

Prior to founding Virginia Cook, Realtors with Executive Vice President Sheila Rice, Ms. Cook was president of one of the largest independent real estate firms in the nation for 28 years.

Ms. Cook was also the first woman president of the MetroTex Association of Realtors and of the Texas Association of Realtors, both of which named her Realtor of the Year. Named One of the 25 Most Influential Thought Leaders in National Real Estate, she has served on the Board of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) for 19 years and is currently liaison to NAR’s largest member firms in the United States. In 2003, she became the 63rd Realtor in the 104-year history of the organization to receive the Distinguished Service Award.

The 2011 Women in Business honorees will be featured in the July 15 issue of the Dallas Business Journal and recognized at a special awards luncheon and trade show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 18 at the Irving Convention Center.