MingleInstructorList

Aldo Iemma, CIPS

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:28:06 GMT

Aldo Iemma, CIPS is the broker/owner of Empire State Realty Group, a brokerage serving New York City and its suburbs. He is a member of several boards and MLSs—including Brooklyn, Staten Island, Hudson Gateway, Long Island, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), and the New York State MLS. With over 30 years of experience, Aldo has worked as a broker, investor, property manager, and instructor, and he currently serves on several local, state, and national committees.

In 2018, he was named the Brooklyn Board of REALTORS®’ REALTOR® of the Year. He also served as NAR’s Presidents’ Liaison and as Global Ambassador to Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Additionally, Aldo is an approved instructor for several of NAR’s Certifications and Designations and teaches at the Real Estate Business Institute (REBI), where he is the 2024 Chair of the Global Forum. He has taught courses for real estate associations across the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Register for one of Aldo's classes at Canopy Calendar

Ashley Patterson, GSI

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:30:20 GMT

Ashley Patterson, GSI is an instructor for both Prelicensing and Postlicensing courses at Canopy Real Estate Institute. She is also the owner and broker-in-charge of KŌZĒ Realty and KŌZĒ Real Estate Co., where she specializes in short-term rental investments and consulting.

Ashley holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is an active member of both the local and national chapters of the Real Estate Educators Association.

Outside of the classroom, Ashley loves taking her two dogs for beach walks and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

Her motto is, “Live life like a sunflower—find the sunshine and follow it each and every day.”

Register for one of Ashley's classes at Canopy Calendar

To learn more about Ashley, you can email her at hello@ashleylynnpatterson.com or visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleylpatterson/.

Brian Pate

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 19:16:51 GMT

Brian Pate is a seasoned Realtor®, real estate instructor, and coach with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Based in Wake Forest, NC, he has trained and mentored more than 20,000 students and led sales teams responsible for over $2 billion in real estate transactions. As founder of Brian Pate Seminars, he continues to teach regulatory and professional development courses, while also coaching agents at all levels—from new licensees to top producers.

Brian’s professional background spans real estate sales, brokerage leadership, and classroom instruction. He has served twice as CEO/Team Leader at Keller Williams Preferred in Raleigh, guiding the office to become the #1 listing office in the Triangle MLS. His teaching style is known for blending humor with practical insights, making him a popular instructor across North Carolina.

In addition to his real estate work, Brian has a rich history in radio broadcasting and entertainment, and he served as a Town Commissioner for Wake Forest from 2015 to 2019. He’s deeply involved in his community and currently serves on the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Brian has earned numerous accolades, including multiple top producer rankings, business leadership awards, and recognition as a top instructor. He is the current President of the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association (2025–2026).

Register for one of Brian's classes at Canopy Calendar

Charlotte Hicks

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:57:24 GMT

Charlotte S. Hicks, CPA, CIC, ARM, AAI, CWCA is the past owner of Glasgow Hicks Insurance Agency LLC, now AON. She holds degrees in International Economics and Accounting. Charlotte has been a frequent speaker at many industry events across the country and is the co-author of A Business Success Journal – Straight Talk by Real People.

Charlotte worked for Electronic Data Systems for 12 years, spending the majority of that time in Corporate Tax with responsibilities for federal and international tax planning and compliance. Additionally, she developed the first plant systems for Saturn Corporation, wrote system enhancements for General Motors’ robotics operation, and oversaw the development of the initial automated systems to control financial and HR authorization within EDS.

Charlotte was awarded the Young Agent of the Year honor by the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina in 2001. She was President of IIANC from 2009-2010. Additionally, she served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the NC Surplus Lines Association, Vice President of the National Instar Users Group, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Upper Delaware Captive Insurance Company. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association.

A long-time advocate for professional education, Charlotte is an instructor for the Risk and Insurance Education Alliance, the NC Department of Insurance, and other insurance companies and organizations. She has been a speaker for state, national, and international events on insurance, marketing, and business management.

As a business and insurance consultant, Charlotte has worked with clients all over North America and as far away as South Africa, Slovenia, and Russia. She is the founder of Nowpreneur, which helps companies implement marketing strategies that result in sustainable and profitable growth.

Charlotte is a Past President of the Wilmington West Rotary Club and the Commodore of the Carolina Yacht Club. A former competitive sailor, she is a Certified Race Officer, and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. She devotes most of her free time to regatta management and underwater photography.

Register for one of Charlotte's classes at Canopy Calendar

Cheryl Crawford

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:12:36 GMT

Cheryl Crawford, CDEI, NCCP, is Broker-in-Charge and owner of C. Crawford & Associates CRE firm that works with commercial buyers and sellers and offers tenant representation. She currently teaches residential and commercial Continuing Education courses for Canopy Real Estate Institute.

Prior to entering real estate, Cheryl was a teacher, coach and consultant in secondary and adult education. She is a member of the Charlotte Regional Commercial Board of Realtors®, the South Carolina Commercial Board of Realtors®, and the local and national chapters of the Real Estate Educators Association. She has lent her expertise to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission’s Special Advisory Task force and has served as chairperson on the Land Development Adjustment Board for the Town of Cornelius.

Cheryl enjoys spending time with family, soaking up the sun by the beach or lake, traveling, golf, pickleball and volunteering as a youth coach.

“Never stop learning because life never stops teaching,” is her philosophy.

Register for one of Cheryl's classes at Canopy Calendar

Cheryl Sain

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 17:06:47 GMT

Cheryl Sain, CDEI is a Certified Distance Educator Instructor (CDEI). Cheryl has firsthand experience in land and lot listings, sales and purchases. She is a broker, investor, trainer and author, with 20+ years of experience in the industry, and has worked with national and regional residential builders, commercial and residential developers, investors, and landowners. Because of these encounters with landowners and other residential agents, she saw the need for and wrote a book titled “10 Things You Need To Know About Land”, which is the foundation of this course and for using the same title. Cheryl’s passion to influence others in a positive way and to help agents learn in a short period of time what has taken her many years to learn about land, is the motivation behind both the book and this course.

Cheryl hopes you enjoy this course and gain a lot of valuable information to help you grow your career and serve the consumer and the public more confidently, and that you will be better equipped to navigate real property transactions especially those involving raw land.

Register for one of Cheryl's classes at Canopy Calendar

Chris Yaeger

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 15:09:54 GMT

Chris is Owner / Broker-In Charge of Yaeger Development Services, experienced in all areas of Commercial Real Estate, property management and teaching real estate. With over 30 years of experience in Corporate America, his ability to over deliver is in his DNA. Putting clients first and moving at their speed is critical to our success. Chris was a past President of a local Business Network International (BNI) Professional Connections Chapter located in Huntersville and is currently a member of the Lake Norman Small Business Network.

Register for one of Chris' classes at Canopy Calendar

Cindy Chandler

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:24:16 GMT

Cindy Chandler, CCIM, CRE, DREI, CDEI has an extensive background in commercial real estate in Charlotte and surrounding areas and teaches Continuing Education for residential and commercial agents at the Canopy Real Estate Institute.

Cindy’s plethora of professional and educational accomplishments speaks to her experience in her field and dedication to education. She has received the Program of the Year Award from the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association, South Carolina Real Estate Educators Association and the national chapter of the Real Estate Educators Association.

She holds the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation, recognizing her as an expert in commercial and investment real estate fields in addition to several additional certifications. She has served on the North Carolina Real Estate Commission for 11 years, including as chair person. Her membership and affiliations include CCIM, the Charlotte Region Commercial Board of Realtors®, the national and local chapter of the Real Estate Educators Association and Counselors of Real Estate. Recipient of the 2026 Larry Outlaw Education in Excellence Award.

During her downtime you can find Cindy buried in a book or walking along the water in Hilton Head.

Her favorite quote is “It’s fine until it’s not fine.”

Register for one of Cindy's classes at Canopy Calendar

Craig Grant

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:24:06 GMT

As the lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) of NAR’s upcoming rebuild of ePro, RIS Media Newsmaker as an Industry Futurist, over 150 in-person & virtual speaking engagements around the world each year, including sessions for NAR, several state conventions, franchises, CRS, REBI, & other key industry events, Craig Grant is considered one of the most sought-after technology, marketing & cybersecurity speakers around.

Whether it be at an industry event, in the classroom, or online via Zoom or the RETI.us portal, one thing that fuels Craig is to help today’s real estate professionals embrace and get over their fear of technology so that it can work for them and not against them.

As his motto, “Advanced Real Estate Technology & Marketing Instructed at a Pre-K Level,” states, Craig is able to take extremely complicated topics & present them in a way that the average non-technical person not only understands but is able to apply & improve their business.

In addition to being the CEO of the Real Estate Technology Institute and RETI.us, the Real Estate Industry’s Home for Online Technology Education, Craig Grant is an avid sports fan & music lover who can be found watching and/or participating in events and concerts with friends.

Cynthia DeLuca

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 19:52:19 GMT

A real estate powerhouse turned mentor, Cynthia DeLuca has sold thousands of properties and guided countless Realtors to success. From building a top real estate brokerage and then later selling it, she's not just talking the talk, she’s sharing real life experiences. While investing in her industry, she's been building her own rental empire for over 25 years alongside her husband.

In Cynthia’s former life, she worked at an advertising firm, winning multiple Addy awards, including an individual gold. Cynthia has done every form of advertising from tv and radio commercials to magazines, billboards and more.

Author of three books including the #1 seller "The Standout Agent," Cynthia has been recognized as Educator of the Year by Florida Realtors, ORRA, and Miami Realtors. When she's not managing her property portfolio or teaching others the ropes, you'll find her at her second home – Lowe's.

For more information, please visit http://www.CynthiaDeLuca.com

Dr. Aimy Steele

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:32:16 GMT

Dr. Aimy Steele launched her real estate career in 2005, starting as a broker with Prudential Real Estate and later with Wilkinson Real Estate. During her tenure, she became a multi-million dollar producer, excelling in property management, land deals, and residential transactions. Dr. Steele currently serves as an instructor at Canopy Real Estate Institute, where she teaches Prelicensing and Postlicensing courses.

Dr. Aimy is fluent in Spanish and holds a Master’s degree in School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2013) and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Urban Education (2017).

Outside of the classroom, Dr. Steele is deeply involved in her community, dedicating time to volunteer work, land development, and helping others build businesses and generational wealth. She also enjoys traveling and unwinding at day spas.

Her favorite quote comes from Command Sergeant Major Archie Lee Davis, Jr.: “Asking is not checking. Checking is checking.”

Register for one of Dr. Aimy Steele's classes at Canopy Calendar

Ginger Unger, CCIM

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:33:12 GMT

Ginger Unger, CCIM, is a seasoned commercial and residential real estate professional and the owner of Secor One Commercial Group in San Antonio, Texas. Since founding her brokerage in 2005, she has led leasing, development, and investment operations across a wide range of property types, including residential communities, office parks, shopping centers, and hotels.

With decades of experience that began in her family’s construction business, Ginger brings a unique understanding of both development and investment analysis. She holds the prestigious CCIM designation, earned through rigorous coursework and a portfolio of multimillion-dollar transactions demonstrating her expertise in financial, market, and user decision analysis.

As a Senior Instructor with Texas REALTORS®, Ginger teaches and authors commercial courses for agents, brokers, and investors, and she is also a Gold Standard Instructor (REEA) and CREI-certified educator. Recognized for her engaging and practical teaching style, Ginger continues to broker real estate across Texas while inspiring professionals to elevate their standards in ethics, negotiations, and market insight.

Ginni Field

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 19:44:21 GMT

"I’ve always believed that the more educated my agents are, the more successful their careers will be, and that’s more true now than ever."

Virginia (Ginni) Field began her real estate career in 1986 in Fairfield, Connecticut, later relocating to San Diego, California, where she continued to grow her career and influence in the industry.

Over the years, Ginni has held numerous brokerage management positions in both states, leading highly productive and profitable offices, including one with over 250 agents. She also served as Vice President of Leadership Development for an international real estate franchise sales company, where she created curriculum for both agents and brokerage leaders, focusing on skill-building and leadership excellence.

Ginni’s true passion lies in helping others succeed. She prides herself on her ability to connect deeply with coaching clients, guiding them to unlock their potential and reach their professional goals. To further expand her coaching expertise, she completed the Brian Tracy Focal Point Coaching and Management Program and the International Coach Federation’s Foundations Course.

Today, Ginni continues to consult with real estate companies, develop training content, and coach individual agents and teams, driven by her commitment to education, growth, and lasting success in real estate.

Grant Simon

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:10:18 GMT

Grant Simon is an award-winning mortgage originator and educator. He is a Florida Realtor Educator of the Year recipient and a 3 time ‘Educator of the Year’ for Orlando Regional Realtors® Association. Grant is on Florida Realtor Faculty and instructs for NAR’s Center for Real Estate Development teaching the Military Relocation Professional (MRP), Investor Financing and the leading subject matter expert for NAR’s newest certification course Home Finance Resource (HFR) Grant is a retired National Competitor in Water Skiing – having skied in (10) consecutive National Championships and is happily married with 2 incredible sons with MBA’s that are almost off the payroll. On a side note, Grant is an avid cyclist and connoisseur of fine bourbons.

Register for one of Grant's classes at Canopy Calendar

Jim Garrison

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:34:18 GMT

Jim Garrison started his career in the real estate industry in 1984. Jim’s interest in finance and bringing the deal to closing is what lead him to migrate to the lending side of real estate transactions 30 years ago. Jim is passionate about structuring real estate deals in a manner that is beneficial to the homebuyer. Jim also enjoys the challenge of aiding Realtors learn the art of making the sale happen. This combination of experience and passion blended with his engaging communication style and dynamic PowerPoints removes the boring out of his CE class.

Register for one of Jim's classes at Canopy Calendar

Jo Mangum

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:05:37 GMT

Jo Mangum is a 30+ year REALTOR®, coach, leader, and teacher. During her time as a full-time active agent, she found her passion in helping others be successful too. This led her to teach and coach agents.

At Realogy/Anywhere, Jo created and launched manyprograms to build real estate careers. While at the Anywhere ERA Global and the Century 21 Global organizations, she led their strategic agent and leader productivity initiative, led recruiting efforts, and set up and led international productivity consulting divisions.

As the Vice President of Global REAL Coaching, Jo created andlaunched a coaching division focused on building leaders, coaching skills, and providing 1-on-1 and group coaching for the Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby’s International Realty, ERA, Better Homes & Gardens Realty, and Corcoran Realty internationally. She has developed strategies to assist agents in building their businesses that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of real estate professionals growing their businesses worldwide.

Register for one of Jo's classes at Canopy Calendar

Julia Iden

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:43:25 GMT

Julia Iden has spent her career working with homeowners experiencing mortgage default and guiding industry professionals through complex loss mitigation and workout processes.

She began her career in 1987 as an auditor for GE Mortgage Insurance Company (GEMICO). In 1995, she transitioned into GEMICO’s Loss Mitigation Department as a negotiator—serving as the decision-maker responsible for approving short sales and alternative workout solutions. In 1997, Julia was promoted to Corporate Default Manager, where she traveled nationally to train mortgage companies on structuring effective workout strategies that maximized successful closings while ensuring homeowners were offered appropriate loss mitigation opportunities.

In 1999, Julia became the on-site Loss Mitigation Consultant for Freddie Mac at Washington Mutual, where she held a $5 million loss-authority approval level.

In 2003, she began developing continuing education courses approved by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, the North Carolina Banking Commission, and the North Carolina State Bar. She was the first to introduce Short Sale continuing education classes in North Carolina for real estate agents, loan officers, mortgage brokers, paralegals, and attorneys.

Julia has served as Southeastern Regional Vice President and National Board Member of the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women (NAPMW), as well as President of the Raleigh Triangle chapter. She has also been active with the Raleigh Mortgage Bankers Association.

Her contributions to real estate education have been widely recognized. She received the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association “Program of the Year” Award (2013), and her continuing legal education course, “What Options Does My Client Have?”, earned the North Carolina State Bar Association’s “Best of the Best” Award (2012).

Additionally, Julia was selected by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission to update Chapter 13: Legislation, Practices, and Procedures for the 2008–2009 edition of the North Carolina Real Estate Manual.

Register for one of Julia's classes at Canopy Calendar

Kandyce Ellis

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:20:59 GMT

Kandyce Ellis, DREI, GSI, CDEI is a seasoned real estate instructor and strategist with over 20 years of experience in North Carolina’s real estate industry. Licensed since the early 2000s, she has spent the past 16 years teaching and guiding aspiring real estate professionals. In addition to her instructional work, Kandyce has managed real estate offices, served as a coach, and authored comprehensive education and training courses for the industry.

As an expert in multiple NAR (National Association of Realtors) certifications, she regularly teaches specialized courses, including the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designation, AHWD (At Home with Diversity), and Bias Override. Her instructional efforts have earned her accolades, including the prestigious NC Real Estate Educators Association’s Program of the Year award for her Real Estate License Laws and Rules video series.

Kandyce holds numerous professional designations, including the DREI (Distinguished Real Estate Instructor), GSI (Gold Standard Instructor), CDEI (Certified Distance Education Instructor), AHWD, PSA, SNS, SPS, Smart Home, and e-Pro. A proud graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she is known for her dynamic teaching style and her passion for helping students experience their "Aha" moments during class.

When she’s not in the classroom or developing new courses, Kandyce enjoys exploring diverse subjects as a true polymath.

Register for one of Kandyce's classes at Canopy Calendar

Check out Kandyce's Youtube Channel

Kathy Rufiange

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:50:24 GMT

Kathy Rufiange is a training mortgage professional and Realtor with over 30 years of experience in mortgage lending and banking. She also has extensive knowledge in all Conventional, FHA, VA, NCHFA, and USDA products. She attended Gaston College.

Register for one of Kathy's classes at Canopy Calendar

Kris Brown

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:39:51 GMT

Kris Brown is a seasoned NC & SC home inspector, NC general contractor, certified inspector trainer and the proud owner of KAB Enterprise Inc/Five Star Home Inspections, based in Davidson, NC. With more than 45 years of experience in these fields, Kris has developed a reputation for his meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to client education and satisfaction. His extensive knowledge of residential construction and home inspection standards of practice makes him a sought-after instructor for real estate professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of the industry.

Kris Brown holds multiple awards and certifications from his long career in the home building and home inspection industries. Including twelve-time builder of the quarter and seven-time builder in customer satisfaction with Colony Homes. He was also awarded Colony Homes 2000 builder of the year and Cambridge Homes 2002 builder of the year.

In 2011 Kris started building KAB Enterprise Inc/Five Star Home Inspections. In the years since it has established itself as a premier multi-inspector firm dedicated to providing exceptional home inspection services within the NC & SC regions. With a commitment to excellence, his team of certified professionals is renowned for delivering thorough and reliable inspections.

Outside of running his company and teaching classes, Kris spends his time outdoors, with loved ones, restoring vintage cars, following sports and racing events, and attending social functions.

Register for one of Kris' classes at Canopy Calendar