President's Message
Greetings!
It has been an honor and the highlight of my career to serve as your President. The past few weeks have been very enjoyable as I have traveled to many chapters for the installation of officers and participation in conferences. The strength of this organization lies in the success of our chapters and members. Thank you for supporting your chapter and this organization - you are appreciated!
Over the years, members have been interested in understanding attendance at international events, especially since our strategic goals no longer include increasing the number of Designated members overseas. Historically, several international conferences were attended by one or more officers or the CEO. During COVID, travel restrictions caused us not to attend and caused many conferences to be cancelled altogether. Post-COVID, we have taken the opportunity to reassess both the number of international events and the appropriate number of AI representatives attending. The Executive team is strategic in making these decisions, mindful of how all membership dollars are spent.
Our brand is recognized and respected around the world, particularly for our body of knowledge and designation programs. We are enthusiastically welcomed by hosting organizations and peer organizations covering the globe. We are commonly invited to speak on critical issues facing appraisers globally.
These international visits support our initiative to create stronger bonds with other professional valuation organizations and share educational and networking opportunities. Two officers attended the Appraisal Institute Canada annual conference where we met with new leadership of AI Canada as well as officers of European appraisal organizations. We maintain a textbook licensing agreement with AI Canada, and we are in conversations about hosting joint networking events.
I attended the Pan-American Union of Appraisal Organizations (UPAV) annual conference with Rob Duke, MAI, Chair of our International Relations Committee. UPAV represents appraisal organizations in Central and South America. Our long-standing relationship includes a cooperation agreement and the offering of AI education in UPAV markets.
President Elect Paula Konikoff, JD, MAI, AI-GRS was invited to address a joint conference hosted by ANEVAR, a peer association from Romania, and the World Association of Valuation Organizations (WAVO) in September. This joint conference was attended by over 700 valuers, providing an excellent opportunity to burnish our brand. The Appraisal Institute is a longstanding member of the International Valuation Standards Committee (IVSC), where a representative of AI attends business meetings of the IVSC boards twice a year and the annual Board of Trustees meeting. The IVSC publishes the International Valuation Standards, which is recognized by many international users of appraisal services operating in the United States.
I am sharing this information because real estate appraisers operate in a global economy, where our important presence helps shape the future of the profession.
May your holidays be filled with peace, good health, and a renewed outlook for a great 2025!
Your friend,
Sandy Adomatis, SRA