GRI - Certified Instructors
Donna Austin
Donna Austin, an experienced Virginia Real Estate Broker since 1985, presently operates her own company specializing in sales and consulting. She has managed two referral companies, sold residential and commercial properties, and was a licensed broker in twelve states while employed by a national firm. Donna has offered training throughout the Commonwealth in advanced designation courses including the Accredited Buyer Representative Course, Senior Real Estate Specialist, Seller Representative Specialist and Graduate REALTOR® Institute for the National Association and the Virginia REALTORS®. She has taught Broker Law and Continuing Education as well as Pre and Post Licensing Courses throughout the Commonwealth. She is the past recipient of VAR’s Educator of the Year Award and the Ethics Leadership Award.
Jonathan Coles
Jonathan Coles is a seasoned real estate broker and licensed instructor dedicated to empowering agents through education and mentorship. As President of Queen Academy of Real Estate, he develops dynamic courses that prepare professionals for success in today’s market. With broker licenses in VA, MD, and DC, Jonathan combines hands-on industry expertise with a passion for teaching, offering pre-licensing, continuing education, and specialized NAR designation classes. Known for his engaging approach and deep knowledge of real estate trends, Jonathan has helped countless agents launch and grow their careers while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.
Reggie Copeland
Reggie Copeland, passionately known as “The Bow-Tie Guy'' has been licensed for 25+ years. He has enjoyed serving NVAR, his local association, over the years, serving on the Grievance Committee, Professional Standards, budget and finance, education advisory, leadership institute, BOD, and association president in 2022, when he founded the DEI and also the African American REALTOR forum. He has a passion for giving back to the industry that he loves dearly. He also served on the DEI committee at the state level and was also inducted into the VA Hall of Fame. On the National level, he has served on Professional Standards for years and also been a member of the BOD. Throughout his career, Reggie has managed his own real estate team, managed several real estate offices, and founded CR Copeland Real Estate in 2018. He has especially enjoyed opportunities for teaching, which have been extremely rewarding over the past 20 years. His goal has always been to teach real estate classes with lots of excitement! Reggie is a certified instructor and teaches GRI, ABR, Principles & Practices of Real Estate, CE, PL, Pre-Broker courses, AHWD, Implicit Bias, as well as many other courses. He has sold residential real estate with a passion and loves being a part of the largest investment most people will ever make!
Deb Ellis
With over 20 years of experience in real estate and more than 15 years as an instructor, I am a dedicated educator passionate about empowering real estate professionals. I specialize in teaching pre-licensing, CE/PLE credits, MRP as well as other designations/certifications, offering a wealth of knowledge and experience in broker development, leading agents in classes on working with buyers and sellers as well as business planning to name a few. Known for a dynamic and engaging teaching style, I have helped countless professionals build thriving careers by equipping them with practical skills, industry insights, and strategic business tools to excel in a competitive market.
Michael Guthrie
Michael Guthrie is the CEO and Managing Broker of Roy Wheeler Realty in Charlottesville, VA. He joined the company in November of 2005 after being a Realtor in Northern Virginia since 1983. Since taking over Roy Wheeler, the company has expanded from 1 to 6 offices and now has more than 135 Realtors running their businesses under the Roy Wheeler corporate structure. Michael was named Charlottesville’s Realtor of the year in 2009, the Charlottesville Chamber’s Small Business person of the year in 2010, and was the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors Code of Ethics Award recipient in 2014. Michael currently serves on the Virginia Association of Realtors Board of Directors, as well as hosting his weekly radio show, Real Estate Matters on WINA every Saturday morning. He has taught DPOR-approved courses in Charlottesville and throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Brooke Miller
Brooke Miller is a top-producing REALTOR® with Long & Foster, building her business on referrals and earning recognition as one of the top 500 referral-based real estate professionals in North America. She has consistently been named “Top Realtor” and “Top Team” in Central and Northern Virginia from 2018–2025. Brooke leads a high-performing team known for excellence, community impact, and a culture of service. An industry leader, Brooke served as President of the Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® in 2015 and has held roles on numerous boards and committees. Her experience and leadership make her a sought-after instructor, bringing practical expertise and a passion for real estate education to every class.
Matthew Rathnbun
Self-declared real estate geek, national speaker, and “worst student ever.” Why? Because he's sat in enough boring classes to know exactly what not to do. He believes learning should be fun, practical, and a little bit unexpected. He travels the country helping agents rethink what’s possible in this business. His sessions are packed with real-world strategies, a healthy dose of humor, and the latest tools and tech that actually make life easier. He's a broker licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, and serves as the Executive Vice President of Coldwell Banker Elite, where he gets to mentor over 250 amazing agents and staff every day. Over the years, he's picked up some pretty cool awards—national, state, and local Instructor of the Year honors, and even REALTOR® of the Year. But what really drives him is helping agents grow their businesses without losing their minds (or their weekends). Whether you’re new to real estate or a seasoned pro, his goal is to make every class worth your time—and maybe even make you laugh a little along the way.
Nancy Pav
Nancy, an associate Broker, has been a licensed REALTOR for over 20 years. In addition to being a consistent top producer, Nancy has been a Pre-License Education Instructor since 2007. Teaching GRI classes is a natural extension to her real estate career. Nancy has a B.A. in English from Fordham University, has attained the GRI and e-Pro designations, and holds a seat on her local association’s Board of Directors.
Tim Vohar
Tim Vohar is currently the Director of Education and Training for Berkshire Hathaway Towne Realty, which serves all of South Eastern Virginia with over 400 agents. Tim has been licensed since 1999 in Virginia and 2004 in North Carolina. He also earned his Associate Brokers License in Virginia in 2004. He is a 1995 Graduate of Old Dominion University, with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Secondary Education. He has developed and written over 85 approved Continuing Education/Post Licensing and Broker Management courses in Virginia as well as over 25 Technology courses. He has served on various committees and groups with the Hampton Roads REALTORS® Association (HRRA) and Virginia REALTORS®, including the State Association Professional Development Committee. He has been teaching and training agents since 2002, teaching for Real Estate Information Network (REIN), Hampton Roads REALTORS® Association (HRRA), Eastern Shore Realtors Association, and Richmond Association of REALTORS® (RAR).
Tim’s continued active involvement in resale sales along with his previous Top Producer years, gives him the practical real estate experience to share his knowledge and experience with the agents he teaches and trains. His enthusiasm and charisma for real estate are abundantly evident in his classes. His classroom environment provides real-world experience, causing agents to come back repeatedly.
Doug Wolfe
Doug Wolfe is a principal broker/owner and is a member of the Hampton Roads Realtors Association. He has over 26 years of real estate experience, has seven designations, and is an advocate for REALTOR® education. He is a tenured instructor of the Virginia REALTORS® GRI program and teaches SRES and Code of Ethics courses for local associations.
He is passionate about educating the next generation of real estate professionals. He states that his main goal is to help other REALTORS® look outside the box when it comes to working with buyers and sellers to achieve amazing results.
Jeff Wu
Jeff is passionate about life. His professional mission is to “Impact and Improve the lives of people through Real Estate, Positive Power and Energy!” Besides interacting on a day to day basis with Sellers and Buyers, Jeff also believes in the importance of continuing his education. Jeff is a Virginia Real Estate Broker, and holds many designations, along with also being licensed to sell real estate in Maryland and Washington, DC. He finds it essential to continue learning and improving, especially with others. He has taught in multiple states throughout the country and enjoys helping fellow Realtors improve their lives and their businesses.
Jeff has also been a speaker for CRS on multiple platforms (Sell-a-bration, Buyer Legends, and a Webinar). A lifetime Top Producer with the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, Jeff knows the value of education. In fact, the GRI designation was something he pursued early in his career (even if it meant driving long distances to other associations to complete the designation requirements).
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