Tom Vornholt, principal broker of LOGOS Realty, will merge his company into Hills O'Brown Realty and become principal broker for Hills O'Brown starting Monday.

Suzannah Levett Zody, principal broker of Hills O'Brown for six years, has decided to leave the firm to spend more time on economic development projects in town, including volunteer work with the Brown County Playhouse.

Levett Zody and Vornholt made the announcement to the Hills O'Brown staff and the Brown County Democrat this morning.

Levett Zody started working with Hills O'Brown -- the company her parents, Frank and Brenda Zody, own -- in 2002 as a Realtor. She became principal broker in 2006 when her aunt, Karen Zody, retired.

Vornholt started working with Carpenter Realty's Greenwood branch in 2005. In February 2011, he launched his own real estate firm, LOGOS, based in his northern Brown County home.

Levett Zody and Vornholt volunteered on the Brown County Economic Development Commission together for several years. They also have been working with other community leaders to rehabilitate the Brown County Playhouse as a community theater and music venue.

Levett Zody said Vornholt was the ideal choice to succeed her.

"We have worked together on lots of economic development projects and lots of community projects, and also he was just a very professional Realtor and has management capabilites," she said. "I saw him as the person who could take the business to the next step, develop business outside the county, develop our rentals business, which is booming."

Vornholt called the arrangement a merger. His one Realtor employee will join Hills O'Brown's eight Realtors and two unlicensed employees, working out of the Jefferson Street Hills O'Brown office.

Read more details in the June 6 Brown County Democrat.

-- Sara Clifford, Brown County Democrat