June 2 – In 1999, local businesswoman Barbara Alexander affiliated herself and her company, Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, with national real estate firm Howard Hanna in appreciation of its focus on community and family. Nearly thirty years later, Alexander has received the Anne Freyvogel Hanna Legacy Award in recognition of her advocacy of the same values.
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, founded in 1957 by Howard Hanna Jr. and Anne Freyvogel Hanna, is ranked as the third largest real estate company in the country and prides itself on the family and community-oriented values at the heart of its operations. Freyvogel Hanna was known for her philanthropy and dedication to her community, and after her death in 2005, the agency established an annual award in her honor for its corporate representatives: the Anne Freyvogel Hanna Legacy Award. The award honors Howard Hanna members selected for their role in continuing Freyvogel Hanna’s legacy, and this year one of Morgantown’s own members made the cut.
In college, Alexander was set to study fashion merchandising and pursue a career in New York’s fashion hub. However, after taking a position in the real estate industry and falling in love with the sector, it was a series of open doors and forged paths to get to where she is today, where she is known not only for her successful business, but also for her philanthropy focused on cancer research and treatment in West Virginia.
Moments of recognition and accolades like these are opportunities to not only reflect on the past, but to feel strengthened for the future, Alexander said.
“I continue to strive with hard work, dedication and perseverance as their mother [Freyvogel Hanna ] did. Her legacy still lives on. It’s just a great reminder of the importance of leading with integrity and excellence in any endeavor.”
Leadership is an important facet of Alexander’s mission and another way she spreads Freyvogel Hanna’s values across West Virginia. Through Premier Properties, she is able to pass on her guidance to agents, clients and the community.
“I’m happy that I can give many other people the opportunity to do the same,” Alexander says of her business partners. “I just try to help them and give them the direction they need and the tools they need, and it’s just been a great way to work.”
As Alexander joins her colleagues in celebrating her acceptance of the Anne Freyvogel Hanna Legacy Award, the company will experience a new milestone: Premier Properties’ 25th anniversary. Alexander attributes many of her business and life practices to her family, both in honor of their own real estate projects and their commitment to serving their community. In light of this, Alexander encourages the importance of leading by example and communicating your strengths and principles, no matter what they are.
“If you can be a mentor or a leader in whatever you do, it doesn’t matter what it is, do it,” Alexander said. “You can make a difference.”
For more information about Howard Hanna and Premier Properties, visit HowardHanna.com and MorgantownRealEstate.com.
