Executive Bios

Larry Brackett (Chairman/Chief Executive Officer)

Lawrence Brackett is Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Frank Howard Allen Realtors, a company he and his wife acquired in April 1989. The Company has grown since its inception nearly 100 years ago to be the largest, locally owned and operated residential real estate broker. Serving the North Bay communities, it is comprised of 23+ offices and 600+ agents. Frank Howard Allen ranks among the top 50 real estate companies in the nation and is affiliated with leading organizations including: The Realty Alliance, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^TM and the Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection^TM.

Larry Brackett has an extensive background in real estate, business and finance. His education includes an Economics degree and an MBA from the University of California and both Elementary and Secondary teaching credentials from Sonoma State University. He is an active member of the community, involved with several professional and non-profit organizations. Larry is a native of California and currently lives in Sonoma, California, with his wife, Brennie.

Noreen Smith (President/Chief Operating Officer)

Noreen Smith has been an integral part of Frank Howard Allen’s success since 1987. Serving as the Company’s CFO for over 10 years, and the President since January of 2008, she oversees Accounting, Human Resources, Legal, Information Technology, Ancillary business arrangements, Purchasing and Facilities Management.

Noreen has an extensive background in business and management. Her career path began at the Southland Corporation. She had day-to-day involvement with all of the Seven-Eleven stores and supervised the work of the other six accounting clerks. At Frank Howard Allen, she was quickly promoted through several positions within the accounting department and became the Company’s CFO in 1997.

In addition, Noreen has served on the Realty Alliance CFO Task force and the FNIS/DPN Steering Committee. She also volunteers at the Italian Street Painting Festival and Rebuilding Together.

Noreen's knowledge is extensive in both real estate and finance. Her background includes an Associate of Science degree in Business Management from the College of Marin. She also has a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration and an MBA in Strategic Leadership from Dominican University of California. Noreen was born and raised in Marin County. She, her husband, Brian live in San Rafael, California.

Ronna Somers (General Sales Manager)

A 30-year real estate veteran, Ronna has been with Frank Howard Allen in several capacities. She joined the company in 1984 as a sales associate and then became Assistant Manager of the San Rafael office. In 1998 Ronna was promoted to Manager of the Novato Office. As a manager, one of her greatest strengths was her ability to teach sales associates how to prospect and build a business. Along with managing a successful branch office, she led the Company’s “Fast Track Sales Training” course, designed for new and experienced sales associates. The curriculum covered goal setting, prospecting, creating a business plan, qualifying buyers and sellers, creating a listing presentation and negotiating contracts.

In 2007 Ronna took the helm of the Business Development department and in 2008 that role expanded to include General Sales Manager. In her current role, Ronna focuses on recruiting, retention, and training, as well as productivity. Some of her main responsibilities include: (a) training new and experienced agents; (b) creating an environment conducive to encouraging and welcoming well-respected agents to our Company and (c) working with Bay Area companies to serve as their reliable source for real estate information

Ronna and her husband, Ken Donaldson, live in Novato, California. On November 2, 2007 they welcomed their first granddaughter, Maya Navarro Somers.