Gloria Bone Gunther has been reaappointed to the N.C. Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health for a four-year term, by Labor Commissioner Cherie K. Berry.

She has served on the Advisory Council since 1994 as a representative of the public sector.

According to Berry, Gunther's experience and expertise will continue to play a vital role in the mission of the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Program.

Gunther is president and owner of Gunther Properties Inc., an independent real estate company, in Pinehurst.

She was the founder and owner of a certified rehabilitation agency in Rocky Mount prior to moving to Pinehurst in 1999. She has much knowledge about health and safety issues affecting North Carolina residents.

Gunther has a degree in physical therapy. Her rehabilitation agency provided services to patients in an outpatient clinic, treating numerous industrial and orthopedic-type injuries. Additionally, treatments were given to children in school systems with developmental disabilities and residents in assisted living facilities. Clients ranged from pediatrics to geriatrics.

While in Rocky Mount, she was a consultant to many area industries on workplace safety and injury prevention. Her multi-disciplinary rehabilitation agency with physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists provided diversified services to those needing care in Rocky Mount and surrounding areas.

She moved to Pinehurst to marry her husband, Ed, and sold her rehabilitation agency to a national company. She received her North Carolina real estate broker license in 2004 and founded Gunther Properties Inc.

She has been a real estate investor, business owner and negotiator for more than 25 years. She represents both sellers and buyers in Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Whispering Pines, Seven Lakes, Aberdeen and surrounding areas.

Additionally, she represents clients wishing to buy or sell second homes and investment properties on the North Carolina coast, from Topsail Island down to Carolina Beach, including Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington areas. She is a member of the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors and the Topsail Island Association of Realtors.

Gunther has received numerous accolades throughout her career and has served on many boards. She was elected as one of the North Carolina delegates to the White House Conference on Small Business in 1995 after having received several business awards on a local, state and national basis.

One of these included 1992 Business Person of the Year national award by Phi Beta Lambda.

That same year, the U.S. Small Business Administration named her Women in Business Advocate of the Year for North Carolina after she had originally been nominated by business peers within the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce.

She has the distinction of being one of the first professionals to visit China through an exchange group from the United States in 1984. The group's mission was to promote improved relations between China and the United States through the exchange of professional knowledge.

At that time, the group of medical professionals visited and exchanged knowledge with several hospitals and medical facilities throughout China. In 1990, she accepted a second invitation to return to China, this time traveling in different parts of China from the first visit.

In 1988, as a professional delegate leader, she led a group of physical therapists to Australia on a medical exchange.

Gunther has served on the state board of the American Cancer Society, has been president of the board and later chairman of the board of the Rocky Mount Nash Unit American Cancer Society prior to moving to Pinehurst. Other appointments include being a member of the Board of Directors of Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors Junior Achievement and Board of Directors Rocky Mount Arts Center.

She currently serves as president of the Women of the Chapel at the Village Chapel in Pinehurst. She is also a member of the Pinehurst Southern Pines Area Association of Realtors.

Gunther holds two real estate designations beyond her broker license, including both the GRI (Graduate Real Estate Institute) and ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative) designations.

With the GRI designation, she is in a select group of North Carolina real estate professionals. Nationally, about 19 percent of Realtors complete the course.

The ABR designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. It is awarded by the Real Estate Buyers Agent Council (REBAC), an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors.

This designation requires meeting specified educational and practical criteria. Gunther's commitment to exceeding client expectations and her quest for excellence continue to be demonstrated by the service she provides her real estate clients.

For more information about Gunther Properties, interested persons can contact Gunther at 315-4170 or visit the Web site at www.guntherpropertiesnc.com.