Gail Romero & Nancy Van Eaton Prince
2016 Spring Gala Honorees

When they were named two of the most powerful women in the nation in real estate by Real Estate Marketing & Relocation Magazine in the mid 1990s, Nancy Van Eaton Prince and Gail Romero already had established themselves as leaders here in Acadiana. 

Nancy was among the first women to create her own real estate firm and to join the male-dominated Board of Realtors®, breaking the glass ceiling of real estate in the early 1960s. She encouraged her friend, Gail Romero, to become an agent/broker which Gail did in 1966. In 1977, the two formed Van Eaton & Romero. With an emphasis on marketing, public relations, technology, and training, the pair quickly grew their firm to the number one position in the region.

By the late 1990s the company was consistently named to the top 500 real estate firms in the nation by RealTrends Magazine while they dominated the local market, growing to more than 250 agents and staff in five locations.  Three years ago, Van Eaton & Romero merged with New Orleans-based Latter & Blum Inc./REALTORS, expanding their reach and their strength beyond Acadiana and Louisiana.

From the beginning, philanthropy was always a part of their mission with a focus on education, the needs of children, and the arts. Their contributions to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have included the Alumni Association, Friends of the Humanities, Friends of Music, Athletics, the College of the Arts, the B.I. Moody III College of Business Sales Training Lab, and, most notably, the creation of a professorship chair in real estate. Their affiliation with Latter & Blum also brought contributions to the University from like-minded CEO Robert Merrick with his own commitment to education.

Nancy and Gail’s willingness to support a wide spectrum of organizations across Acadiana has included Lafayette Ballet Theater, Acadiana Symphony Orchestra & Conservatory of Music, Children’s Museum of Acadiana, Lafayette Science Museum, Acadiana Center for the Arts, Performing Arts Society of Acadiana, Paul & Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, Lafayette Education Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Acadiana, just to name a few.

Even when times were tough, Nancy and Gail never waivered in their commitment to contribute something, investing both time and money for the betterment of Acadiana. They exemplify the kind of leadership that has helped our community and our culture grow.