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“Her positive attitude is infectious, she gets along with everyone, offers comfort when needed, and reminds us all not to take things too seriously.”
Sounds like a staff member you’d like to have, right? Meet Tilly Holen.
Tilly, a Lab mix, was rescued as a puppy by Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® CEO Michele Holen, RCE, CAE. Tilly has been on staff since Holen took on the CEO role in 2021. “She’s become such a big part of staff culture,” Holen says.
The Portland office has always been dog-friendly and, with Tilly on board, is even more so. Tilly even has her own entry and photo on the staff page of the website—her job title is Canine Relations Manager, and her skills include Puplick Relations, Furnancial Advisor, Barketing Manager, Junior Pawject Manager and Chief Scratchetist.
“I love having Tilly as my co-worker because she is great at reminding me to take a break,” Director of Operations Bee Tyree says. “Too often I become glued to a project, and then I hear Tilly ring her doorbell, and I am reminded that we all need breaks. Taking Tilly for a quick walk is the perfect way to get moving and decompress so I can be productive for the rest of the day. Seeing her cut loose and do a zoomie around the office for no reason always brings a smile to my face.”
“When someone new shows up at the door, she might give a few barks to keep us in the loop—or to show them who’s boss,” adds Diana Colin, professional standards administrator. “Having Tilly around means extra laughs, extra love and an awesome alarm system. Plus, our members always smile when they see Tilly’s picture listed as ‘staff’ on our office roster.”
