Curious as to where you can go with a community college degree? Ask Margaret M. Kelly, who went all the way to the top of RE/MAX where she became President and CEO of one of the world’s largest networks of real estate agents.

A native of Farmington Hills and Detroit, where her family owned a machine shop, Kelly received her Associate degree in Accounting in 1979 from Oakland Community College: Orchard Ridge Campus.

She then earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance and Accounting from Walsh College, and held a number of finance-related positions before joining RE/MAX as a financial analyst in 1987.

After working her way up the corporate ladder, Kelly became vice president in 1992, president in 2002, and finally President and CEO in 2005. In the same, year, she won the Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges.

As President, Kelly was responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of RE/MAX across North America and in more than 95 countries around the world. A survivor of breast cancer, she directed the company’s sponsorship of the Komen Race for the Cure Survivor Recognition Program

Kelly’s success is a testament not only to her determination, but to the transformative role that community colleges can play in helping ordinary people build extraordinary futures.

Margaret Kelly is such a great example of what it means to be #CCReal that we’re changing the name of the series to #CCReal Estate! At least for the day.

Interact Communications. Keeping it #CCReal