Jan. 19. Susan Tillis, an accomplished residential real estate executive in her own right and the wife of US Sen. Thom Tillis, will head up Allen Tate’s Davidson office at 103 N. Main Street.

In her new role, she will manage branch operations for 13 Allen Tate agents and staff.

Davidson is a prized real estate market, with a consistent high-values across a wide range of neighborhoods including River Run and homes near downtown and Davidson College.

Tillis has more than a dozen years in the residential real estate business. She has previously worked as a sales manager and Realtor in the Allen Tate Lake Norman office, as well as a recruiter with the company’s professional development team.

Prior to her real estate career, she worked as a marketing manager and for an advertising agency. Tillis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing management from Bentley University in Massachusetts.

Her husband Thom, who started out on the Cornelius Town Board, was elected to the NC House of Representatives in 2006, defeating an incumbent Republican, John Rhodes, who was voted “least effective” by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research.

Thom Tillis ran for US Senate in 2014, defeating incumbent Kay Hagan.

But two years into his term, he has already told Roll Call, the Capitol Hill political newspaper, that if Congress cannot tackle a criminal justice overhaul and other big-ticket issues with bipartisan solutions in the next few years, he might not run for re-election.

“I don’t run again until 2020, and if we’re not able to get things like this done, I don’t have any intention of coming back,” Roll Call quoted him as saying at The Washington Post Juvenile Justice Summit.

The Tillis’ moved from The Peninsula to a lakefront home in Huntersville.

Susan Tillis is active in her community and currently serves on the board of directors for IFB Solutions, the nation’s largest employer of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. She also heads The Susan M. Tillis Foundation, which supports active duty military families. She is a volunteer coordinator in support of the U.S. Armed Services YMCA Baby Bundles project.

“Susan is a natural leader, both in the real estate profession and in her community. We know she’ll be a great coach and mentor for agents in our Davidson office,” said Phyllis Brookshire, president, Allen Tate Realtors.

Susan Tillis will not be replacing anyone in Davidson. Stephanie Gossett and Angela Standish were “both doing double-duty with Lake Norman and Davidson,” a source at Allen Tate said.

PHOTO: Susan Tillis was the featured guest at a Newsmakers Breakfast