Earlier this week, Ed Cline, SRA, AI-RRS and I were fortunate enough to attend the AI’s national conference in Dallas, TX. The event featured more than 50 different education sessions, along with an exhibit hall, networking opportunities and awards dinner. The education seminars covered a broad range of topics such as collateral underwriter, fractional interests, conservation easements, and going-concern analysis, and several seminars addressed current issues such as appraisal challenges of green buildings, on-site and off-site real estate valuation issues surrounding fracking, and drone technology and its impact on the appraisal industry.
The program started bright and early Sunday morning with the Regional meetings. For me, the highlight of the combined region meeting was the summary of the historical and on-going issues with The Appraisal Foundation given by the national president, M. Lance Coyle, MAI, SRA. There have been several meetings at the highest level of both institutions and at this point, have agreed to disagree. There does not appear to be any form of reconciliation in the foreseeable future. To read all about the history of the issues and where we stand currently, click here.
At the afternoon Region VI breakout meeting, Michael Mignogna was named 3rd director of our region for 2016. Also, three people are rolling off the Region VI nominating committee at the end of this year. Please let me know if you are interested in serving on the region nominating committee for 2016-2017. Keep in mind that if you serve on the committee you cannot run for the positions to be elected.
Please join me in congratulating Jennifer Domnitz, SRA from our chapter who was awarded the Noeline Fuller Scholarship. Noeline Fuller, MAI, SRA was a chapter president who served on regional and national committees throughout her career. The Noeline Fuller Region VI Scholarship is a $500 voucher for Qualifying Education or Advanced Education, which can be used for any QE or AE course offered in Region VI.
The national conference officially began Monday morning with award-winning National Geographic magazine photographer and Academy Award-nominated motion picture director Dewitt Jones. An amazing speaker, Mr. Jones spoke about his belief that we should celebrate what’s right with the world. He told a story that his father told him when he was a young boy. A priest came upon two men both hunched over and working hard. He asked the first man what he was doing and the worker barely looked up and gruffly said “I’m cutting stone.” The priest moved on to the second worker, asked him again what he was doing and the worker looked the priest in the eyes and with a huge smile said, “I’m building a cathedral.” It’s all about your perspective.
The other general session speakers were Edward J. Pinto, American Enterprise Institute resident fellow and co-director of AEI's International Center on Housing Risk; and Susan G. Talley, an attorney at Stone Pigman Walther Wittman L.L.C. in New Orleans and co-chair of the firm's Real Estate, Finance and Construction Practice Group. Additionally, eight appraisers were honored during the awards dinner : John P. Fredrickson, MAI, SRA; Jerome Haims, MAI, SRA; and Richard A. Stephens, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Michael V. Tankersley, MAI, SRA, AI-RRS, received the Outstanding Service Award. President's Award recipients were Kerry M. Jorgensen, MAI; Ruth A. Kelton; R. Wayne Pugh, MAI; and Ken P. Wilson, MAI, SRA. Read more about the award winners.
Next year’s conference will be held in Charlotte, NC, July 25-27, 2016. I would highly recommend attending!
Author: Sara Gaskill, MAI, AI-GRS, President, Pittsburgh Metropolitan Chapter of the Appraisal Insitute
