Charlie Ponde, former Governor and Chair of the Foundation, passed away on October 4, 2022.

Charlie sat on the Foundation’s Board of Governors for six years, joining in 2012 as an appointee of the Alberta Real Estate Association. He then served as our Board Chair in 2015-2017.

For nearly 30 years, Charlie was a proud and very active realtor within the industry and his community. He sat on the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton (RAE) Board of Directors from 2004 to 2010, serving as its President in 2009. RAE presented Charlie with its Realtor of the Year Award for 2015. He also sat on the Edmonton REALTORS® Community Foundation Board for several years, serving as the Foundation’s President in 2000. Finally, Charlie joined the Alberta Real Estate Association Board in 2013 where he served as a director until 2018.

He was a very kind and generous man. I always appreciated how much he looked after staff. In the past I would frequently work industry tradeshows or events alone. Charlie would attend every event as a realtor and representative of the Foundation and would drop by frequently throughout the day to check in, ensuring I had the opportunity to eat or even take a short break. He would then spend the rest of his time networking, handing out AREF pens, and directing people to our booth. Everyone knew Charlie. – Sarah Stuebing, Grants Program Manager, Alberta Real Estate Foundation

He was incredibly proud of the Foundation and jumped at every chance to engage directly with current and former grantees. Even after he left the Foundation, he continued to be our ambassador. We are so grateful for his generosity and his service.