Submit Your Nominations for ISA Awards

Libby Holloway, ISA CAPP
Awards Committee Chair

Once a year, ISA’s members are asked to help identify those in the organization who have inspired them by an accomplishment or act of service. ISA is a volunteer-run organization with many members who spend hours contributing to the good of the entire membership. There are others who use their gifts to inform the general public about the importance of using professional appraisers through speaking or writing. Recognizing these people is one of my favorite parts of Assets.

I’m sure you can think of members who seem to be especially generous with their time and who certainly deserve thanks. There are some familiar faces who always seem to be involved. To me, it is really exciting when someone is awarded who is either new to the organization or who has been working quietly for a while and has never been recognized.

I challenge all of you to spend a little time thinking of members you know who deserve recognition and to nominate them this year. You can also promote your chapter by nominating it for Chapter of the Year.

Spend a few minutes looking through the award descriptions and see who you know who fits each one, and submit your award nominations through our online form. The deadline for submission is Friday, January 26.

This year, awards will be given in the following categories:

• Lamp of Knowledge - Awarded to one ISA member for a singular outstanding educational work product pertaining to the appraisal profession as a whole or in a specialty area.
• Leadership - Awarded to one ISA member in a leadership position for outstanding service above and beyond what is normally expected.
• Rising Leader - Awarded to one ISA member who is new to a leadership position for outstanding service above and beyond what is normally expected.
• Distinguished Service - Awarded to one ISA member in each of the following four categories: Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts; Fine Art; Gems & Jewelry; and Machinery & Equipment for outstanding achievements or participation in the appraisal profession.
• Chapter of the Year - Up to two awards available: one for chapters in existence more than three years, and one for chapters in existence three years or less.
• Service - Awarded to two outgoing ISA members who have held volunteer leadership positions in either the Board Member or Committee Chair categories.
• ISA Instructor Distinguished Service - Awarded to one instructor for outstanding appraisal instructional achievements in and beyond the physical classroom; positive reviews from current and past students; and for inspiring appraisal methodology excellence within our membership.

It is now easier than ever to make nominations by filling out the short form. You may make more than one nomination but must revisit the form for each. Awards are given based on merit rather than frequency of nomination so please be detailed when you are describing your nominee’s accomplishments.

All of you who do such a great job representing the spirit of ISA and our industry every day deserve a big thank you. Keep up the good work!

Remember to put registering for Assets 2018 in Pasadena on your holiday to-do list, especially before prices increase on January 31. I’ll see you there!

Libby Holloway, ISA CAPP, is chair of the ISA Awards Committee.

The Case for ISA: Four Members' Stories

Room at the table for young leadership; an exclusive focus on personal property appraising; a supportive network of fellow professionals and a clear, peer-supported path to credentialing - many ISA members cite these benefits as the reasons why the organization has experienced such dynamic growth in the past decade.

With over 800 members and growing, ISA is the professional organization of choice for the majority of qualified personal property appraisers throughout the US, Canada and abroad.

We asked new and long-time members to report what they value most about our society, why they joined ISA, and why they recommend ISA training and membership to colleagues.

Michelle Conliffe, ISA CAPP 

Michelle Conliffe joined ISA in 2013. Michelle holds an MA in American Fine and Decorative Arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. Within three years of joining ISA, Michelle earned her CAPP, ISA's highest designation. She has lead volunteer committees, served on strategic task forces, and last year, her fresh ideas and natural leadership skills were rewarded when she was selected by her peers to serve on the National Board of Directors. ISA's defined personal property focus, strategic plan for growth, and members’ diversity in geography and expertise initially attracted Michelle to our organization.

"In 2012, I made the difficult decision to leave an established auction house and go into business for myself as an appraiser. At the time, I did not know everything that would be required to launch my business, but I knew that I would need an accreditation that reflected the high standards I set for myself and my work.

Of the three major appraisal societies, ISA stood out for a few reasons. 1) The ISA community is focused primarily on fine and decorative art appraisals. 2) The membership has the widest geographical reach, giving me access to a large network of professionals that possess a broad range of expertise. 3) There is a path to growth within the organization that reflects the work and effort I put into it, rather than depending on an arbitrary length of service.

I have found first-hand that if you have a fresh idea or see a part of the organization that needs improvement, ISA wants to hear your voice. With this diversity of ideas, I know that ISA will continue to grow and thrive as the leading personal property appraisal organization."

Glenn M. Rand, ISA, EdD

Glenn M. Rand, EdD, joined ISA in 2016. As a seasoned educator with a doctorate of education and 12 published books in the field of photography, Glenn was looking for a professional organization that would reward the connoisseurship he brought to the field, allowing him to apply his advanced training toward acquiring his appraising credential. Glenn found ISA's unique Specialty and Advanced Studies Committee vetting pathway very attractive, because it allowed him to demonstrate his scholarship without compromising the advanced methodology training he knew he needed to feel fully qualified to begin a second career in appraising.

"Having had full careers in higher education, as an artist, as an author and having recently created a fine art services business, it was natural to see professional appraising as a future path.

Being familiar with appraisals from collecting art and my work with donations to museums, I realized that education and knowledge of prevailing standards would be required to adequately provide appraisal services to clients.

In reviewing the potentials for acquiring this knowledge base, it became clear that ISA provided the most inclusive educational programs and professional potentials. Through ISA, I have meet professionals willing to share their experiences, knowledge and collaboration, helping me chart my new career direction."

Darlene Hines, ISA CAPP

Darlene Hines joined ISA in 1998. Darlene holds ISA's highest appraisal designation, and is a past National Board member with almost 20 years of service in a broad range of capacities. She typifies the generosity of spirit unique to ISA that values supporting colleagues to grow and excel. She has recommended many employees to membership without fear of competition. Darlene's motto is "Givers Gain." There may not be a better illustration of the supportive culture that ISA encourages than Darlene's tireless example to "work together rather than compete."

"When I joined ISA in 1998, my husband and I owned an antique gallery and we were getting requests for appraisals. At the time, I was working toward a Master’s Degree, working full time, and raising three children. Determined to make the great adventure of becoming an appraiser work, I chose ISA for its strong ethical characteristics, options for continuing education, networking opportunities, and because it was simply the best organization in the field.

It's rewarding to speak of ISA to others seeking membership or expressing a zeal for appraising. I have referred many of my employees to ISA over the years, including a new member who I believe will be a rising star. I have also started a local appraisers' group with current ISA appraisers in Michigan. We meet for lunch and discuss the importance of credentialing, continuing education, and service to the organization. If I could help encourage appraisers to work together rather than compete, we would set a positive example for our businesses and ISA."

Pam Campbell, ISA CAPP

Pam Campbell joined ISA in 1994. Together with her husband, Bill, she operates one of Ft. Worth's most prestigious contemporary art galleries with a prominent national reputation. As a long-standing member of more than one professional appraisal organization, Pam migrated to ISA because she valued the society's exclusive focus on personal property appraising, and the superior local support and continuing education she found in her active local chapter.

"ISA offered a wealth of advantages to me as a personal property appraiser that I did not find in the other organization in my geographical area. ISA’s local chapter holds regular monthly meetings, with superior personal property-focused education, in addition to the opportunity to socialize with colleagues.

ISA coursework gets to the point, with a nuts-and-bolts approach rather than abstract concepts. The many courses offered by ISA beyond the Core Course allow members to continue to be excited about learning, with new courses constantly in development.

With ISA, I found a group of colleagues who were and remain welcoming, willing to collaborate, are generous with knowledge, and are interested in strengthening the appraisal profession."

Would you like to become part of the ISA family?

For those new to the profession, learn more about how ISA can help you launch a lucrative career in personal property appraising.

For seasoned professionals, view our complete list of ISA benefits designed to help you grow and succeed as a personal property appraiser.

If you’re currently a member of another appraisal organization, be sure to view our ISA Bridging Policy. Through December 15, 2017, your application fee is waived.

Tips on Getting Started and Starting Over

Karen S. Rabe, ISA CAPP

By Karen S. Rabe, ISA CAPP

I started appraising in 1987 before joining ISA in 1990. And in those 28 years, I have relocated my appraisal practice five times. I have become very proficient at starting over.

I did not know I was destined to become an appraiser. I started as an antiques dealer in Columbus, Indiana. I went to auctions on a weekly basis. I started building my reference library and reading voraciously about antiques and decorative arts. Soon enough, I was a groupie at the estate sales and auctions and was befriended by one of the local appraisers. He was an American art pottery collector and dealer. He asked me to accompany him on one of his appraisal assignments, knowing I had just attended a furniture authentication class at New York University. He felt I may be able to identify some potential period pieces in the estate of the team doctor for the New York Yankees in Mickie Mantel’s heyday. 

The day of the assignment arrived. The appraiser brought his full appraisal kit along, a yellow legal pad of paper and a pen. He made a laundry list with values of the estate items on the spot. There was no room for his signature on the bottom of the list, so he turned the pad sideways, signed the document, and handed it to the estate attorney. My light bulb went on! There was something wrong with this picture.

I had never entertained the idea of appraising, but I immediately decided there had to be a more professional way of doing appraisals. I read Henry Babcock’s book "Appraisal Principles and Procedures." It was like watching paint dry! I needed professional, accessible training. I researched the big three appraisal organizations and chose ISA.

Setting up the Business the First Time: Advertising Tips & Going to Court
Really, setting up the business in each location was essentially the same. In Indiana, I took out the then-mandatory yellow page ad, visited every antique shop in a 50 mile radius and left my business cards, joined the local antique club, and became a member of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). I was elected an officer on the board of IMA’s satellite gallery in Columbus, which allowed me to meet art lovers and collectors. I gave talks on appraising to small groups and clubs interested in antiques and art. I joined the ISA Chapter in Indianapolis, which became a valuable resource. I created a packet of promotional items and mailed them to the banks, attorneys and auction houses. ISA even provides promotional tools for you now.

Your ISA credentials are important for your credibility. Keep them up-to-date. My big break came when I was asked to do a divorce appraisal for a local attorney. I did the appraisal for the wife. A local auctioneer appraised the same items for the husband. I was asked to appear in court to defend my appraisal and was terrified. I was grilled by the opposing attorney as to my lack of experience.  After all, the auctioneer has been working in the area for over 30 years, and I had had just recently earned my credentials and lived there just 3 years. I responded that I had ISA training and my values resulted from attending many area auctions, estate sales and a great deal of research. I also commented that the auctioneer had no appraisal training, had only attended his own auctions, and was using that for the basis of his values. The judge threw out the auctioneer’s appraisal and my client prevailed. I was subsequently hired by the opposing attorney for all of his divorce work. I was in! My business flourished as the word spread about that case. Moral of the story: Don’t be afraid of going to court.

The First Move: Expanding Connoisseurship
After eight years, we were transferred to Charleston, South Carolina. I was very excited to be working in such a historic area, but I knew that I had to enhance my product knowledge to gain the respect of the local curators, auctioneers, dealers and clients. I attended both Winterthur’s Winter Institute and the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts Summer Institute. I was in antique heaven in Charleston, visiting every shop on King Street at least once a month to examine their inventory. After the dealers realized that I was genuinely interested in learning, and I posed no threat to them, they were eager to show me their wares. I often consulted with them on appraisal projects and, in turn, sent my clients to them to buy and sell.

There are numerous opportunities to build your product knowledge. Join the English Ceramic Circle and attend a few of their summer schools in England. Attend Sotheby’s Decorative Arts program in London. Attend ISA’s annual conference or the Foundation for Appraisal Education Seminar. Connoisseurship education is never ending in this profession and builds your credibility as an appraiser. You don't necessarily have to travel in order to learn. Attend local antique shows, view ISA’s webinars, take advantage of your local chapter presentations, use the ISA forum for both appraisal and product knowledge questions, or go to auctions to get hands-on exposure. MESDA, Colonial Williamsburg, Winterthur, The Historical National Trust, American Friends of Attingham, and many regional museums offer programs to boost your knowledge of the decorative arts. The Foundation of Appraisal Education offers scholarships for these learning opportunities.

The test of my new product knowledge came when I was asked to reevaluate a huge estate on the Battery in Charleston. The heir felt that the established Charleston appraiser had misidentified some items, resulting in incorrect values. I did extensive due diligence. I first learned everything that I could about the items and then as necessary reached out to my contacts at Winterthur, MESDA, and the antiques dealers on King Street. An appraiser cannot know everything, but his or her greatest expertise should be knowing who the experts are. I also learned that you should never consult with these experts until you have exhausted all of your own resources and know as much about the item as you possibly can when you contact them. It turns out the heir was right, and there were major valuation issues with the initial appraisal. As the news spread, my business grew. And, when it was time to leave Charleston, I was able to take my expanded product knowledge and new contacts with me.

Moving to a Locale with Many Qualified Appraisers can be a Good Thing
My next move was to Lake Forest, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, one which had many established ISA and ASA appraisers. Here, in addition to all of the usual procedures, I sought out opportunities for wider exposure. For the first time, I set up a website, a necessity for an appraiser in today’s market. I did monthly appraisal fairs for the local community center and worked as an appraiser on "The Appraisal Fair," an HGTV program hosted by Leslie Hindman. Both experiences brought in a great deal of lucrative work. While local and regional appraisal fairs can be time consuming, do not discount the exposure that they can bring to you, particularly if broadcast on television or radio.

In every city, there is an antiques "underground," a network of individuals you should get to know while establishing your business in a new area. These include the obvious: attorneys, trust officers, auction house staff, museum curators, dealers and collectors. But do not forget your local ISA appraisers! The Chicago Chapter was a great resource and helped me quickly learn the "underground." We were also able to refer business to one another. Get to know your fellow ISA appraisers; sometimes, they may be your best resource.

Moving Yet Again: Connoisseurship, Again! And, the Internet Age
Moving to Arizona posed new challenges, in that I had limited knowledge of Native American items, a category of personal property common in this state. Fortunately, the ISA has many members who are knowledgeable in this field. Remember to offer compensation for consultations. The local dealers have been a great resource as well. My daughter, Kirsten Smolensky, ISA CAPP, retained a reputable Scottsdale dealer to give us a hands-on course on Native American rugs, basketry and pottery. This experience did not substitute for consulting on important items, but it at least gave us an idea of what to look for and where to start. Network with the dealers in your area. Gain their respect.

I no longer advertise in the yellow pages. I find it is expensive, and it does not bring me the type of clients I want. Instead, the best advertising tool is a great website. Keep it up-to-date and fresh, using keywords that will assist with search engine optimization (SEO). If this is Latin to you, do not be afraid to hire help. Join Angie’s List. Create a business page on Facebook and LinkedIn. Network with businesses that have a great Internet presence and ask them to link to your website. For example, I was asked to be an appraiser on the Arizona PBS TV show "Arizona Collectibles." Not only did I get great exposure from the show, but my name now appears higher on the search engines because I am listed on their website. I have gotten many calls through Google searches by appearing on this program.

ISA membership makes it easy to get started as an appraiser. Starting over in a new location has  frequently forced me to expand my product knowledge, network extensively, and build a solid reputation in the industry. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about getting started or starting over at ksrabe@gmail.com. I look forward to connecting with you!

Why Volunteer?

Volunteer - a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking. A person who performs a service willingly and without pay.

Why would anyone volunteer for anything if they are not going to be paid? This is a question I often ask myself and am often asked by members of different groups.

I think I have always volunteered for things and groups. Perhaps it was my mother’s lead of working with a group called Caritas when I was a child. Or maybe it was having all those cookies arrive at our house because she was the Cookie Chair when we were in Girl Scouts.

Then when my own children were young, there was always Girl Scouts, Baseball Leagues, Cub Scouts, Church, PTO, and all those other groups that needed a chair person, a hotdog seller or just an extra pair of hands that were free.

But the real reason I volunteered was to make friends and to better understand the workings of whatever group I was with.

Then there is ISA.

When I first joined ISA, I would go to my chapter meetings and just listen and get to know the players. The first conference I went to in Boston, I only knew one person there before I arrived. I didn’t know there would be committee meetings so I didn’t go to them – I went shopping (after all I had three pre-teens at home and I was free to do what I wanted for three whole days). But through that first conference I met members and started to network with them. I still know exactly who the first person I met at that ISA conference in Boston was and I still have her as a colleague and friend to this very day.

As time passed, the local chapter asked me to do a little of this and a little of that. I started to get involved and began to feel a real part of the group. A conference or two later, I decided to attend the ARC Committee meeting and I was somehow appointed their Vice-Chair. The exact details of how this happened are a bit hazy to me but I do remember that the Chair told me my job was to make sure that the needs of the committee were fulfilled. I already had a lot of leg work that needed to be done for the Chicago Conference that I had volunteered for as well as everything in my personal life. They were certainly asking a lot of me and I just wasn’t sure I had the time. That's when the "What was I thinking getting involved with this group!" thoughts began to run through my mind. Despite my reservations, I buckled down and made the time. It was a lot of work, but led to the tremendous side benefit of  getting to meet and getting to know a lot of local experts that I might not have if I hadn't been so involved. Those connections have proven incredibly useful as I have worked with a number of those individuals throughout the years for help in my appraisal business.

During that particular conference – I volunteered to be the guide for the ARC Pre-Conference Tours – I had set up the venues, had been raised in the city and area all my life – and I have never been one to keep my mouth shut so it was a natural fit. That little bit of volunteerism was where one of the CORE instructors saw me in action and said – “you should be an instructor, get your CAPP and we can talk about it” I took that advice and the rest, as they say, is history.

Through my volunteering I have met and worked with some fabulous people. I have been able to see some of my vision for ISA come to fruition. And through it all I have learned so much about the profession I live and work with on an everyday basis.

Volunteering can start with small steps , a single piece of a project, a leader of a task force, a local chapter officer, a chairman of a committee, a member of the BOD – all it takes is your time and talents, you will be surprised how much you will get in return for your effort. Certainly more than money can buy!

~Judy Martin

The Generosity of Others

We would like to send a big thank you to the following local Chicago area ISA members, who generously gave up a portion of their Monday afternoon to come into ISA headquarters and count election ballots.

Ellen Kornhauser, ISA CAPP, GG
Kim Morrison, ISA AM
Cathy Peters, ISA CAPP

Thank you, for helping to make this process run so smoothly and efficiently!

Be sure to check out next week’s blog post for the results of 2012 ISA Board of Directors election.

Tales of an Appraiser

Personal property appraisers have to learn a lot.  They have to take courses, read books, attend seminars and talk to experts.  In my opinion, if you are not working, you are learning, and if you are not learning, you are working. I learned two lessons this year: One – always check the information your clients give you, and two – you probably know more than you realize. Here are some war stories unique to my area – Washington DC.  I would love to hear other appraisers’ tales!

One appointment, for equitable distribution had a large painting over a center stairway of a real big house. The client hated it, but it was in the house when they bought it. As we passed by it to look at items upstairs, the client told me, ”I’ve wanted to throw it away, but it is too big to put out with the trash.”  It measures 62" by 50" in a carved wood frame. The owners sniffed that it was just decorative, and not in their taste. I had never heard of the artist, but I peeked at the back and the canvas was good and old and the front had great craquelure. I told the client I thought I should look it up. Well, the painter was Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida (Spanish 1863 – 1923) and is worth about $2 million. How did they get it? The clients had bought the house from a Saudi Sheik who used it for his kids attending college. The kids apparently forgot to bring it home.  It is now in the process of getting authenticated to be sold.

The other example is the opposite. The client, the wife of a collector of fine art from old masters to modern, needed an inventory.  None of the art had been catalogued as her husband had kept all the information in his head, but he was developing Alzheimer’s, which was the reason for the appraisal. His office, was decorated with fabulous Art Deco furniture, with family portrait of the era, signed “Lempicka”. I asked the client when and where she got it and she said her husband bought it from a dealer in the sixties and paid over $100,000 for it.  I used the “Readily apparent identity clause” and calculated a value of $5 million. That made the son interested in selling it, so I offered to authenticate it before sending it to auction.  The same day that I spoke to the expert who wrote Tamara de Lempicka's cataloque raisonne, I spoke to the dealer. Slam, bam.  The expert curtly said it was not a Lempicka.  The dealer hedged a bit, then said, "Well they wanted a Lempicka so badly, and we could not find one.  So we painted them one."  The value changed to $500.00.

As appraisers, I believe we develop a network of knowledgeable people, and people deep in the business of our specialty. Don’t underestimate your resources! A few months ago I appraised a collection of art at the CIA. One modern painting had to be identified quickly because they had no idea where, or who, the painter was.  Ben Affleck, the movie star, was filming at the building in Langley and wanted the painting in the movie, but they needed the artist's permission.  The agency had sent agents all over the country looking for painters with the name on the frame, with no result. Within a few days, I asked a client, a widow of a painter in the Washington Color School group, who put me in touch with an art mover who remembered the painter, who put me in touch with the widow of the artist who shared the studio in DC where the painting was made, who lived a block away from the artist in New York. I called him and he was delighted to give permission.

So, the point is to be really careful with what your clients tell you, and your own network of experts may be better than you think.

Nini Hamalainen ISA CAPP

WHY ISA?

When I began to consider a career as a fine art appraiser I was advised by someone in the art field to join one of the other three professional appraisal organizations. It was one that this person deemed to be more esteemed for appraising fine art. Valuing this professional’s advice, I took it under consideration but joined the International Society of Appraisers in the end.

I’m often asked by individuals in the art field why I joined ISA as opposed to one of the other appraising organizations. My most honest answer is I was attracted to the openness of ISA members and the fact that ISA has strong and active local chapters. The opportunity to meet and develop relationships with appraisal professionals in your area can’t be understated.  I have found other members to be helpful, friendly and encouraging.  I can’t imagine trying to appraise full time without having trusted colleagues to consult with occasionally.  

Getting to know the other members in your organization allows you as an individual member to become involved in your organization first on a local level and then on the national level. Overall, I chose ISA because in the end because I had more opportunity to participate and “get out of the organization what I put into to it”.

I believe that an organization is only as good as the members who belong to it.  Each one of us has a responsibility to reflect well on our organization by presenting ourselves to the public and our clients as professionally and specifically trained and educated in our area of expertise as possible. I also believe the organization stays strong and healthy through the volunteer efforts of its members in various positions and tasks in the organizations. If we all don’t do our part, the organization suffers and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

As Chair of the Fine Art Division I volunteer my time to help make our organization responsive to the needs of the Fine Art Appraising members. One of the more enjoyable tasks I have with this position is helping to place speakers for the annual conference. This allows me to have a real voice in what topics we hear and who comes to speak at conference based on input that members have provided me through past conference meetings, questionnaires and personal correspondence.  Two threads of thought most requested by FA members is quality of speakers and subjects that are relevant to our daily work. If members are going to sacrifice time away from the office and money to travel they want to return feeling like they’ve learned something. It is quite a challenge to find speakers for 4-5 breakout sessions on such a limited budget which meets the needs for so many diverse specialty areas and years of experience.

I am really excited about the speakers we have lined up for the 2012 Annual Conference in Tempe, AZ. Rather than specialty area topics, all speakers will focus on various methodology topics which I hope all level of appraisers will find useful.  Topics will include: What’s New in Art Research and How to Use the Findings; Auction Houses and Galleries: How do They Value; Inspection and Condition: How Does it Impact Value; and Connoisseurship: What is it and How Can it Help the Appraiser. It has been a real pleasure working on the conference with my committee and various other volunteer committees. I have really enjoyed getting to know more appraisers within ISA and learning from them. I hope that you all will attend Conference this next year. It promises to be terrific!!

Christine Guernsey, ISA AM

ISA Fine Art Chair, 2011

Getting involved with an ISA Chapter

In a recent ISA Now blog, Sally Ambrose asked the question, “How do I get involved with ISA?”, and answered, join a local ISA chapter and volunteer to serve on a committee.” Soon, another question was asked at ISA headquarters, “How do I get involved with a chapter?”

For most members of a large organization, the local chapter is the face of their group, and usually the place where the closest friendships are made. As appraisers, our business is primarily a solitary endeavor. The local chapter provides the opportunity to spend time with and learn from other appraisers. What should also be stressed is that members of the chapters can acquire the necessary CEUs, or “Continuing Education Units” that are part of maintaining a professional standing.

A chapter meeting contributes one CEU for every hour of documented professional activity or program. This can be as simple as a presentation by an authority or professional service commonly used by appraisers, i.e. Art Insurance brokerage, or Identification and valuation of different carved bone and ivory, to a planned outing to a conservation shop or museum for hands on professional demonstration. More PDCs, or “Professional Development Credits” are earned by those members who spend hours of their time organizing and producing these meetings.

The meetings can be scheduled as often as desired, with a minimum of four per year. Their venue can be a convenient restaurant or alternating member’s homes. The chapter must adhere to the structure defined by the ISA Chapters Manual, which is easily downloaded from the ISA website.

This past year, the formation and exuberance of the Tennessee Chapter, spearheaded by Carol Wamble was a major factor in the success of the 2011 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The previous year, the Canadian Chapter developed the great 2010 Conference in Toronto. So many appraisers enjoyed and learned so much about their profession by small groups of dedicated ISA chapter members.

The ISA chapter network is open to anyone who wants to join, and members are always encouraged to start or re-invigorate a chapter if a minimum of five members agree to do so. The information chart of the chapters and the Chapter Manual can be downloaded from the ISA website. I am happy to answer any questions via my email at ahamalainen@comcast.net.

Aloysia Hamalainen ISA CAPP
Chapter Networking chair

Chapter Networking Committee Update

There is good news in the Chapters front! Carol Wamble and her devoted ISA appraisers created the Tennessee Chapter and have a lively group of over twenty members. The Tennessee chapter is a major impetus in the 2011 Conference, so we are very fortunate that Carol worked so hard over the past two years so all the ISA can benefit from the Tennessee Chapter.

Interest has been expressed by members in Northern California to re-activate the Northern California chapter of ISA.  Right now there are approximately 20-25 ISA members who would be interested in joining and being involved if the chapter was to re-activate.  

I spoke to the current secretary of the South Florida chapter. She has many good ideas and has a lot of passion and interest.

The following chart has the most current information on the chapters. Joining a local chapter is a great way to network and meet fellow appraisers in your area.

ISA CHAPTERS 2010-2011

 

Nini Hamalainen ISA CAPP

Chapter Networking Committee Update