SHELTON, Conn. – (Jan. 16, 2008) – William Raveis, chairman and CEO of William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance, announced today the promotion of Debra Lawergren Eccles to the position of vice president of business development.“Congratulations are in order for Debra on her recent achievement,” Raveis said. “Her leadership and dedication to continuously raising the bar for excellence are key qualities that will help her to excel in her new position.” In her new role, Eccles will work to promote and expand the company’s sales base along the Connecticut shoreline area.Eccles joined William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance in 1998. As senior sales manager, she played an integral role in the foundation of the company’s Milford sales office. In 2004, she earned the title of vice president of sales. With nearly 22 years of industry experience, Eccles is a certified relocation specialist and earned the Manager of the Year award in 2006.“I’m looking forward to this new position and to meeting with REALTORS® in the shoreline region,” Eccles said. Her area of focus will be the New Haven County shoreline area, from Stratford to Old Saybrook as well as Trumbull, Monroe and Huntington.Eccles earned an Associate degree in arts from Jamestown Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Buffalo State University. Very involved in her community, Eccles is a member of the Milford Chamber of Commerce and the Orange Chamber of Commerce. Eccles is a resident of Orange, Conn., and mother to two sons.The William Raveis Family of Companies attributes its success to a consistent emphasis on integrity, service and experience. Offering one-stop shopping for its clients, William Raveis provides mortgage, insurance and closing/title services, all with the additional ability to earn points, services and cash back via the company’s own Visa®/Bank of America credit card, a part of the William Raveis Rewards program. The firm’s Web site, www.raveis.com, offers home buyers property comparisons, price per square foot calculations, online appointment scheduling, online home value capabilities, interactive neighborhood mapping of all active and sold listings, relocation information and the ability to conveniently search more than 100,000 properties listed through various multiple listing services. With the recent launch of a new interactive widget and RSS technology, the site is now capable of delivering the latest customized listing and mortgage rate notifications directly to customers’ computer desktops and favorite RSS readers. Annually, www.raveis.com attracts more than 5 million visitors worldwide.William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance is New England’s largest privately held, family-owned real estate firm. With a 2007 estimated sales volume of $5.5 billion, the innovative company is nationally recognized as an industry leader and is dedicated to providing an unparalleled real estate experience to its customers. Since 1974, the firm’s 1,900 highly trained sales professionals have been dedicated to strengthening their position as industry leaders in technology, marketing and REALTOR® education. The company has 59 offices, including two affiliates, in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Future plans entail expansion into New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.