By Evan Cook

evan.cook@jessaminejournal.com

Going into the real estate business was one of many ways for Ruby Mason to get involved in her adopted community.

“Well, when I moved here I was tired of being an accountant,” said Mason, a realtor for RE/MAX Elite Realty in Jessamine County, who moved here 22 years ago from Fort Knox. “You are inside all the time and I love people and I wanted to be out where I wasn’t confined to a desk all the time.”

Not only is Mason being recognized as a good realtor, she was honored as a Good Neighbor by the Lexington-Bluegrass Association of REALTORS. The 2017 Good Neighbor award is presented to a realtor who goes above and beyond when it comes to volunteer work in the Commonwealth.

Mason was chosen out of 3,100 realtors from 22 counties.

Aside from her real estate work, she served as president elect for the Rotary Club, worked with the Planning and Zoning board and is a Sunday school teacher. Ruby is also executive chair for the Jessamine County Democratic Party, won the Ambassador of the Year award from the Chamber and has been a chairwoman of the Nicholasville Housing Authority for 12 years.

“When I see a need for something I just want to be there to help people’s lives,” Mason said, “I know I can’t do everything, but I will try and do my best at it.”

Beyond that, she is involved with the county’s drug court.

“[Drug court] is a program for people that are addicted and have to go in to a program,” said Mason. “We make sure they have a job and that they have curfew, they have to complete GED and they have to have job and give drug test samples to make sure they are not doing drugs.”

She has been involved since the program’s beginning nine years ago. Since then, many people have graduated the program, overcoming their addictions.

Through all this, she makes sure to find time for her family.

“I have two children and two grandchildren who live in Virginia and Louisville.” Mason said. “In my spare time I do a lot of traveling. I just like helping other people.”