AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is pleased to announce the confirmation of broker members Leslie Lerner and Mark Woodroof and public member Ben Peña as new commissioners for terms to expire on January 31, 2027.  The Commissioners were nominated in March and were confirmed by Senate vote on April 28, 2021. 

Leslie Lerner of Houston is Broker-Owner of Leslie Lerner Properties, LLC. She is a member of the Texas Association of Realtors® and the Houston Association of Realtors®. Lerner currently serves as chair of the TREC Broker Responsibility Working Group. Additionally, she is a Bellaire High School Alumni Association member, the Bellaire High School Safety and Security Committee, and a member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Lerner received a Bachelor of Science in English from The University of Texas at Austin.

Mark Woodroof of Houston has managed and owned residential real estate brokerages for more than 20 years. Currently, he is a Managing Partner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene. Woodroof served as 1999 Chairman of the Board of the Houston Association of Realtors® (HAR) and held leadership roles with the Texas Association of Realtors® (TAR) and the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Woodroof holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Houston and an MBA in Finance from the University of St. Thomas. He has been married to his wife, Ann, for over 41 years, and they have two children.

Ben Peña of Brownsville recently completed his six-year term at the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, where he served as a member of the Executive Committee and chair of the Behavioral Enforcement and Peer Review committees.  Ben received his Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas Pan American in 1996.  He is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Valuation Analyst.  Ben Peña is a board member with the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce and a past board member of the Brownsville Community Foundation. Ben is married to Sonia Peña and has three children.

The newly appointed Commission members’ first meeting will be Monday, May 3 at 10 am in Austin. The Commission is composed of nine members appointed by the Governor for staggered six-year terms. Six members must be licensed as real estate brokers. Three others must be members of the general public who are not regulated by the Commission. The Commission was established in 1949 to safeguard Texas consumers in matters of real property transactions and valuation services, and we welcome the perspective and contributions of these new Commissioners.