President's Message, December 2023

Dear Appraisal Institute Colleague:

As the year comes to a close, I hope you’re able to spend time enjoying the holiday season with family, friends and colleagues. With my term as the Appraisal Institute President winding down, I am thankful for a year full of progress and change that will lead to a strong 2024 and want to pass on some final sentiments.

During my time as an officer, I’ve already traveled to over 40 chapters, several of them multiple times. This year alone I’ve accumulated nearly 250 flight segments, most of which were connected to serving the Appraisal Institute. These trips have allowed me to attend various chapter activities – business meetings, officer and director installations, holiday parties and flagship events like conferences and symposiums, to name a few. It has been my pleasure to meet with attendees, who have been consistently warm and receptive to the messages delivered, especially regarding the Appraisal Institute’s return to a focus on members and chapters first.

There is certainly a sense of excitement that change is in the air for our respected organization as 2023 draws to a close. Unlike the decades-old image above, where my siblings and I seem more interested in the pile of presents than the photographer, your elected officers and directors are intensly focused on the year ahead and look forward to our members seeing the new clarity and resulting changes in store for the Appraisal Institute in 2024!

Request Your New Designation Emblem Pin or Charm
As I mentioned in my November message, the Appraisal Institute Board of Directors during its Q4 meeting approved an organization brand promotion and awareness plan in which all dues-paying Designated Members will have the opportunity to receive a new designation emblem pin or charm that reflects the AI brand redesign. The pins and charms will be available, at no cost to you, through March 31, 2024. To obtain your pin or charm please log in to your AI Account where you will see a link reading “Click Here to Request Your New Designation Emblem Pin or Charm”. This link will allow you to make your selection. We are excited to be able to offer a new pin/charm to our Designated Members!

AI Seeks Names for 2025 Vice President
The Appraisal Institute is seeking individuals interested in serving as the 2025 Vice President of the Appraisal Institute. The 2025 Vice President succeeds to the office of the 2026 President Elect, 2027 President and 2028 Immediate Past President.

If you are interested in serving or wish to recommend someone for the position, please email your written recommendation to:

(Note: Deadline for submission is February 7, 2024, 5:00 pm CT)

Qualifications for 2025 Vice President can be found in the Appraisal Institute Bylaws and on the Appraisal Institute’s Website.
Candidates cannot serve as a member of the National Nominating Committee at any time during the year in which his or her candidacy would be considered.

The National Nominating Committee will interview candidates on May 8, 2024.

Executive Committee Embraces Change as 2023 Comes to an End
AI’s Executive Committee continues to travel across the country to celebrate a strong year for the organization, as well as a focus on further progress at the chapter level in 2024. In the past month, the Executive Committee has traveled to:

• Long Island Chapter Installation
• Great Lakes Chapter Meeting
• Alabama/Mississippi Chapter Meeting
• Greater St. Louis Chapter Installation
• North Texas Chapter Meeting
• North Carolina Chapter Installation
• Tennessee Chapter Meeting
• Virginia Commonwealth Chapter Meeting
• San Diego Chapter Installation
• Southern New Jersey Chapter Meeting
• Philadelphia Metro Chapter Meeting
• Metro New Jersey Chapter Installation Meeting
• Puerto Rico and Caribbean Chapter Installation

While my journey as the Appraisal Institute President is ending, I am confident that 2024 President Sandra K. Adomatis, SRA, will continue to build on the theme of members and chapters first. I look forward to seeing and speaking with you more in the year ahead as we continue to usher in this exciting new era of strategic focus for the organization.

Craig Steinley, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, AI-RRS
President