Brexus Solutions Completes CEO Search for Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association and FGC MLS; Board Appoints John Leonardi

Retained search moved from engagement to accepted offer in 83 days using the Brexus FIT Score and Executive Alignment Index

CAPE CORAL, FL, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Retained search used Stakeholder Surveys, the Brexus FIT Score, and the Brexus Executive Alignment Index to give the Board scored evidence on every finalist

Brexus Solutions announced today that the Board of Directors of the Royal Palm Coast Realtor^® Association (RPCRA) has appointed John Leonardi, RCE, as Chief Executive Officer of RPCRA and the Florida Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service (FGC MLS), effective October 26, 2026. Leonardi succeeds Sean O'Brien, who is stepping down after nine years leading the Fort Myers-based organizations, which serve Realtor^® members and MLS subscribers across Lee and Hendry Counties in Southwest Florida. The Board retained Brexus to conduct the national search, which moved from signed engagement to an accepted offer in 83 days.

RPCRA has 9,400 members and is the largest trade association in Southwest Florida. Its CEO runs two connected but distinct businesses: a Realtor^® association accountable for governance, advocacy, professional standards, and member value, and an MLS accountable for data integrity, technology, and subscriber service. The Board asked Brexus for a process that would test candidates against both sides of that mandate, not one, and that would replace impressions with evidence.

Brexus began by drafting a modern job description for the dual role and meeting with the Presidential Advisory Group to define what the organizations needed in their next CEO. It then conducted Stakeholder Surveys, confidential and structured surveys and interviews designed to surface the real job to be done, the cultural constraints, and the success criteria before the specification was locked. Those findings were written into a dual-entity CEO mandate covering governance, advocacy, member value, professional standards, MLS data and technology, financial stewardship, and staff leadership. Every later step measured candidates against that document.

The national search drew 253 resumes. Brexus conducted 50 initial interviews and advanced only the strongest candidates to the search committee. Finalists were then assessed with two proprietary instruments. The Brexus FIT Score is a scored measure of how closely each candidate matched the mandate across weighted dimensions. The Brexus Executive Alignment Index is an AI-assisted leadership-alignment instrument that measures the fit between a candidate's operating style, decision pattern, and leadership priorities and the Board's stated strategy, risk tolerance, and dual-entity agenda. Neither tool selects a CEO. Both produce evidence a board can read, compare, and question.

Brexus presented the Board with comparative finalist reports containing FIT Score results, Executive Alignment Index findings, stakeholder themes, reference and background review, and a written recommendation. The Board conducted final interviews and made the appointment.

"Brexus built the infrastructure that executive search has been missing, and it works in any industry," said Jason Jakus, CEO of Brexus Solutions. "Eighty-three days after signing the engagement agreement with RPCRA, there was an offer on the table for the new CEO. In this industry, that speed with that rigor is unheard of. Boards deserve more than a gut check, a resume, and a polished interview, and that is exactly what we gave this Board: the evidence to make the decision with confidence."

"The process gave us a clear picture of what the organizations needed and how each finalist measured against it," said Shane Spring, 2026 President of RPCRA and a broker with The Keyes Company. "We are confident in John's ability to lead both organizations, and we are grateful to Sean O'Brien for his nine years of service to our members.".

Leonardi joins RPCRA and FGC MLS from Buffalo Niagara Realtors in Buffalo, New York, where he has served as Chief Executive Officer since. He concurrently served as Chief Executive Officer of WNY Real Estate Information Services, the region's multiple listing service. He holds the Realtor^® Association Certified Executive (RCE) designation, the National Association of Realtors^® credential for association executives, and has more than 15 years of association and operations leadership experience. Leonardi is a veteran of the United States Army, where he served as a Lieutenant Colonel.

"Leadership is bringing good people together, giving them the freedom to do their jobs, and never being afraid to change what isn't working," Leonardi said.
About Royal Palm Coast Realtor^® Association

The Royal Palm Coast Realtor^® Association (RPCRA) is the Realtor^® trade association serving Lee and Hendry Counties in Southwest Florida. RPCRA provides education, advocacy, professional standards, and member services, and its members subscribe to the Realtor^® Code of Ethics.
About Brexus Solutions

Brexus Solutions is a Cape Coral, Florida-based strategic advisory, technology, and executive search firm serving Multiple Listing Services, Realtor^® associations, brokerages, Chambers of Commerce, and PropTech companies. Its executive search practice uses stakeholder research, the Brexus FIT Score, and the Brexus Executive Alignment Index to help boards appoint leaders aligned to strategy, culture, and operating reality.

Jason Jakus
Brexus Solutions
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