President's New Year Message: A Year of Accomplishment - What's On the Horizon for ISA

Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg,
ISA CAPP, President

Happy New Year ISA! 2014 has been a year of significant accomplishment for our society. Substantial advancements are also in the planning stages for 2015 with increased benefits and services to members, expanded education offerings, and increased industry recognition. Here's a wrap-up of what we've achieved in 2014 and what to expect from 2015.

Where We Are Today

• With more than 800 members, ISA is distinguished as the professional organization of choice for personal property appraisers in the United States and Canada. Nothing speaks more convincingly: The majority of personal property appraisers continue to choose ISA for our training and professional association.
• For the first time in our history, sponsor exhibition space is sold out eight weeks in advance of our annual conference! Only a handful of advertising opportunities to partner with ISA at conference remain. New partners this year include Artnet, Chubb, Eli Wilner & Co., Freeman's Auction, Great Gatsby's, Modernism.com, Prices 4 Antiques, The Potomack Company, Stevens Company, William Bunch Auctions and Worthpoint, while our longstanding supporters, Bonham's, Collector Systems, Estatesales.net, Heritage, Jackson's, and Quinns maintain their commitment to ISA. 
  
  This is an indisputable indicator that networking with loyal ISA appraisers is increasingly recognized as a significant opportunity for industry allies. It also speaks to the strength of our conference program. Many thanks to our Resource Development Committee chair, Fred Winer, for organizing the RDC's directed efforts over the past two years to this dramatic result.
  
• In March, 2014, we completed a three-year process of significantly tightening and raising our credentialing and requalification policies. Our requalification requirement is the most rigorous in the industry. In addition to 85 hours of continuing education and current USPAP compliance, every ISA member is required to attend our 15 hour requalification course every five years. Our Requalification Course covers advancements in appraisal theory and methodology and reports are submitted for peer and instructor review. In choosing to strictly enforce our unique requalification requirements, ISA demonstrates faith in the professionalism of our members and your commitment to advancing excellence. Requiring uniform adherence to our standards also ensures that the public's trust in the ISA credential is well placed. 
• Our unique approach of marrying appraisal theory and methodology to advanced product knowledge, and a collaborative culture of shared expertise, is gaining recognition as the gold standard in the discipline of appraising.
• Another very strong financial year, where we have added significantly to ISA's reserves and long-term economic health and security.

What's New and on the Horizon: Education and Credentialing

• In 2014, more than 500 members participated in ISA's online and onsite courses. Hundreds of members have now participated in our new, state-of-the-art, dynamic online learning system, including 68 new members who have begun our Core Course in Appraisal Theory and Methodology at their own pace. Our 2014 Educational Roundup may be found here.
  
• In 2014, ISA instructors Leon Castner and Cathy Peters became qualified by the AQB to teach USPAP, enabling ISA to offer members USPAP compliance in-house.
• Also for the first time, USPAP 15 hour and 7 hour courses are available to our members through our online platform.
• ISA's Requalification Course is now available online, allowing members who are challenged to find the time or resources to travel to requalify, an affordable and accessible way to maintain our hard-earned credential. 
• Expanded Asian Studies courses are in development. ISA's Asian Studies Week 2015 will be held at the Northern Illinois University campus in Naperville, Illinois. In June, two courses will be offered: Dr. Daphne Rosenzweig's course: The Appraisal of Japanese Prints, and a new course developed by Susan Lahey, A Foundation in Asian Ceramics. A total of six related courses are planned to be available by Spring 2016. An Asian Studies Specialty will be available to candidates who complete a minimum number of required courses. 
• The Appraisal of Antiques and Residential Contents Course Manual has begun a full color
  update and content revision under a taskforce chaired by ISA Board Secretary, Libby Holloway. Substantial new content will be added including comprehensive chapters on research methodology, comparable selection criteria, and advanced report writing. 
• An Educational Taskforce, chaired by Judith Martin, ISA CAPP, reviewed our credentialing process and suggested adjustments to our report submission standards, which were adopted by the Board. The taskforce represented a broad spectrum of ISA members including board members, committee chairs and our Director of Education. CAPP candidates will now submit a single Broad Evidence Appraisal Report. This accomplishes the objective of testing proper methodology for different types of assignments. It prepares our CAPPs for assignments for litigation support and positions ISA as a leader in methodology training for our highest level of credentialing. A summary of the new requirements may be found here.
  
• ISA held several highly successful educational webinars, including How to Write a Broad Evidence Report by Leon Castner, ISA CAPP, which was attended by 70 ISA appraisers and colleagues. If you missed it, sign up for the archived version here.

What's New and On the Horizon: Services to Members

• Website optimization and enhancement: Members are reporting a noticeable increase in referrals from the ISA webpages. This is not surprising. As analytics reveal, hits to our Find an ISA Member search have increased by 544% over last year. Direct links from Google have increased by 664% over last year (8,212 vs. 1,236).  Newly elected Board member Perri Guthrie has taken on the project of reviewing our entire website. Look for updates and enhancements in 2015. 
• ISA has continued to focus on assisting members to successfully market their appraisal practices. Each year at conference we unveil a new, professionally designed resource. This year, we have produced an ISA client-oriented newsletter, focused on specialized, appraisal-related content of interest to gatekeepers and prospective and existing appraisal clients. This positions our members as experts in the appraisal industry, which has the potential to be more effective in building credibility than direct promotion. Like all other ISA promotional materials, the newsletter will be customizable and available to all ISA members through the Member Resources link on the website. 
• For a complete list of how ISA is working to help members market our practices, see this blog post, and don't miss Small Business Results President, Shelly Berman-Rubera's presentation at Assets on Growing and Propelling your Appraisal Practice.
  
• The ISA Membership Committee and staff are in the process of designing an integrated plan
  
  for our first formal membership recruitment campaign. Over the past few years, ISA has benefited by an infusion of new members, bringing vitality and new ideas for programs and benefits for members to our society. We are investigating what has attracted these new members, and how we can encourage this wave of enthusiasm for ISA to continue to benefit our society. Judith Martin will be chairing the committee.
  

What's New and On the Horizon: Industry Recognition, Standing and Collaboration

• ISA is in the process of designing a directed campaign to raise the profile of the ISA credential with industry users in the Insurance, Estate Planning and Legal Communities. Look for details and announcements over the next few months, including a series of webinars comprising a Professional Education Exchange between ISA and Chubb.
• The first in a collaborative series of educational programs with industry leaders and experts
  
  was launched with a strongly-attended webinar offered by Eli Wilner on frame valuation and the reconstruction of the monumental frame for Washington Crossing the Delaware.
• ISA's application for sponsorship in The Appraisal Foundation was approved early in 2014. This allowed our society a meaningful voice in the development of new proposed Minimum Criteria Standards for Personal Property Appraisers. Formal sponsorship increases ISA's credibility as an industry leader, and allows for more significant input into advocating for appropriate standards. 
• The Affinity Business Partner (ABP) program is attracting new business alliances and sources of referrals for ISA members, and is formalizing our relationships with existing friends and sponsors.
• Our conference roster of speakers reads like a Who’s Who of industry leaders, each recruited for recognized expertise in discovering, weighing and applying the often-overlooked critical impacts to value: Provenance, Quality, Rarity, Originality, Condition and Current Market Trends. Included are renowned scholars from Winterthur, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, premiere gallerists, distinguished principals and departments heads from Christie’s, Freeman’s, Gurr Johns, the IRS, NYU, and Rago. Please visit our conference program here.

What's On the Horizon: Implementation of ISA's Three-Year Strategic Plan

In November 2014, the ISA Board of Directors, Education Director and ISA staff participated in a strategic planning retreat to prioritize and plan for the continuing success of our Society. At our March meeting, your board will review, finalize and formally approve the plan. The wording of the mission of our society may change slightly, but remains focused on advancing appraisal excellence. Once approved, the strategic plan will be available to members. Highlights include advancing ISA's industry standing among users of appraisal services, growing membership to 1000 by the close of 2016, and continuing to increase benefits for members, including expanded educational programming.

A taskforce chaired by Board Vice-President Christine Guernsey will work with Executive Director Joe Jackson and staff to identify specific goals and plan strategies to ensure implementation of ISA's Strategic Three-Year Plan.  

 

A Call to Volunteerism: Be the Change You Hope to See in ISA!

I close my second New Year's post as your President, with a call to volunteerism. Implementation of

our strategic plan, increasing benefits to members, raising our educational standards, growing membership: All are achievements dependent on the time and efforts of dedicated volunteer members donating many hundreds of hours a year with the singular goal of advancing our society.

Be the change you hope to see in ISA! In a few weeks, ISA Vice President Christine Guernsey will be blogging to you about specific volunteer opportunities. We need more human resources to continue on the path of advancing our Society. If you approve of the direction of ISA, join us! If you don't, join us and help redirect!

I wish us all a healthy and prosperous 2015 as we continue to grow together. I look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia, to continue our legacy of sharing a cocktail and a war story, laughing and learning together.  

Warmest wishes,

Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP

ISA President

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR ISA

There can be no doubt that ISA is on an upward spiral. 2014 is full of promise as our society continues to distinguish itself in advanced educational offerings, services to our members, and industry recognition.
In breaking news, yesterday ISA launched our first course offering on a state-of-the-art, online Learning Management System (LMS), unique to ISA.  With no outside advertising, an online 7 Hour USPAP Update Course was filled in a matter of hours!  The LMS is a terrific advancement for ISA, opening membership opportunities for those preferring not to travel for on-site programming.  View the promotional video for ISA's LMS here: http://www.isa-appraisers.org/education/distance-learning/on

Where We Are Today
• With more than 800 members, ISA membership exceeds that of any other professional personal property appraisal organization by a substantial margin.  Membership continues to grow dynamically, and more importantly, the quality of new appraisers attracted to our society is exceptional.  Nothing speaks more convincingly than the majority of personal property professionals who have chosen ISA for their training and professional association.

• ISA's educational programs and emphasis on appraisal theory, methodology and ethics are widely recognized as the most advanced training in the industry.  The ISA required Requalification class is unique, and ensures that ISA appraisers remain relevant throughout career lifetimes.

• Record early registration and sponsorship for Assets 2014, Kansas City, not only reflects an exceptionally strong program, but is a distinct indicator that networking with ISA appraisers is increasingly recognized as a significant opportunity by members, our sister organizations, and allied business partners.  

What's New and on the Horizon: Education and Credentialing
• As mentioned, a state-of-the-art, dynamic online learning system, unique to ISA, has been launched.  In a few weeks, our Core Course in Appraisal Studies will be available online.  ISA is the exclusive provider of the new self-paced and interactive course, complete with online quizzes and discussion forums.  The course includes 25 narrated lessons with expert instruction on appraisal theory, market research, ethics, and best practices on creating appraisals.  The Online Learning Center will be available 24/7, with on-demand access from any computer.  By the close of 2014, most of our course offerings will be available both on-site in the traditional classroom setting and through our online Learning Management System.

• The Appraisal of Fine Art Manual has been updated and redesigned as a stand-alone resource for all ISA members, regardless of specialty or background.  If in the course of your practice you appraise anything that hangs on a wall or is placed on a pedestal, this manual should be in your resource library.  Substantial new content has been added including a 58 page guide to researching value, and extensive new chapters on art terminology, "art appraisal connoisseurship", authentication, identification of frames, paintings, prints and photography, and much more.  The manual is an entry-level, practical, step-by-step, resource for all appraisers, from the generalist seeking identification tips distinguishing an etching from an engraving, to the highly specialized art expert looking for new online research methods.  The Appraisal of Fine Art Manual will be available at conference.

• Our Specialty Studies Pathway has been expanded and redefined, being most equitable to new candidate members coming to ISA with extensive education and product knowledge.

• Many new courses are in development and discussion covering both methodology and advanced and specialty product knowledge.  Stay tuned!

What's New and On the Horizon: Services to Members
ISA has been listening and is responsive to our member's needs and concerns.

• You've told us that in order to grow your appraisal practice, you need our help to educate potential clients of the value of engaging ISA qualified appraisers over non-credentialed competitors.  To this end, our Marketing and Promotions Committee is in the process of developing a branded PowerPoint presentation: "What is a Qualified Appraiser", featuring the value of the ISA Credential.  Conference attendees will be the first to see the presentation unveiled, with tips on how to use this powerful resource.  This presentation will be a great tool for ISA members looking to grow their business through speaking engagements before professional organizations representing repeat referral sources.

• ISA members now have access to affordable professional liability insurance.

• A new Mentorship program pairs experienced appraisers with members looking to grow their practices and advance their credentialing.

• ISA now has its own online USPAP courses.  Beginning next month, the 7 hour update class will be offered through the LMS, and in July the 15 hour USPAP will be available to ISA members.

What's New and On the Horizon: Industry Recognition
• ISA's application for sponsorship in The Appraisal Foundation is in process and close to approval. ISA continues to be a strong presence and influence in assisting TAF in the development of proposed Minimum Criteria Standards for Personal Property Appraisers.  Formal sponsorship increases ISA's credibility as an industry leader, and allows for more significant input into advocating for appropriate standards.

• The Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies, 2014, will be available through ISA's Foundation for Appraisal Education at conference.  The Journal is an educational publication unique to ISA, comprised of scholarly articles written and edited specifically for personal property appraisers.  The content includes original research, integrative reviews and topical discussions of professional appraisal issues and concerns from a variety of perspectives, theories and approaches.

• The new Affinity Business Partner (ABP) program is attracting business alliances and sources of referrals for ISA members, and is formalizing our relationships with existing friends and sponsors.

• We are increasingly attracting top industry exhibitors and speakers to support our annual conference.

• An extensive branding and positioning campaign is in full swing.  Under immediate past President Todd Sigety's leadership, ISA's public image now reflects our exceptionalism with a new website, an active member's Forum, webpages for each credentialed member, a more accessible "find an appraiser" function, a new logo, and a Coop advertising program.  Not one to rest on his laurels, (or take a well-earned break) Todd has agreed to continue the momentum by serving as Chair of ISA's Marketing and Promotions Committee.  The committee is in the process of developing materials for use by individual members, including a professionally designed and updated "Be Certain of Its Value" pamphlet which can be personalized by members and ordered through our website and all new, branded course manual covers.  Additional promotional projects are in development that will assist the public to appreciate the value of the ISA credential.

How Did We Get Here?
Our advancements are a direct result of visionary ISA volunteerism, including 9 active Board Members, 13 committees and various taskforces populated by committed volunteers who donate many hundreds of hours a year with the singular goal of advancing our society.  These efforts are supported by a skilled and committed Sentergroup staff, who not only assist with strategic planning, but also manage our day-to-day business.

I close my first New Year's post as your President, with why I am most proud to serve our membership: ISA's credential is the most meaningful in the industry.  We view appraising as a profession and our advanced methodology training and continuing education requirements reflect these values.  But that's simply a good start.  What really distinguishes our society is a diverse and collegiate organizational culture, eager to share a broad range of highly-specialized knowledge and experience, which results in a more meaningful appraisal result for those reliant on our services.  Together we are a strong national network of appraisers sharing expertise with a spirit which has no industry equal.

I wish us all a healthy and prosperous 2014 as we continue to grow together.  I hope to see all 800+ of our members in Kansas City, to share a war story and a cocktail, and to learn and laugh together.

Warmest wishes,

Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP
ISA President

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

WANT TO BE A GUEST BLOGGER?

Would you like to be a guest blogger on ISA Now?  As a guest blogger you can share a story, experience or expertise with the ISA Now readers. Have you had an interesting experience with ISA that sticks out in your mind; your first course, conference, appraisal after becoming a member, etc., we would like to hear from you. We would like to hear how ISA has made a difference in your professional or personal life. If you are interested in being a guest blogger, contact Michelle Stearns, Education and Credentialing Coordinator at: mstearns@thesentergroup.com to learn more about the process or to submit a post.

Looking Forward to 2012

 As 2011 comes to its conclusion, we look forward to 2012 as an exciting year for ISA and our members.  The ISA Board meeting at the end of October was a great success with many member initiatives scheduled for the New Year.

The new ISA website should be up and functioning for the start of 2012.  This new website has been developed from the ground-up, and will function as the center point for promoting ISA and our members.  It will include appraisal news, appraisal information, member updates, social media connections and most importantly a newly designed find an appraiser search utility with proximity functionality and enhanced member profiles.  The new website will be graphically pleasing and intuitive, incorporating the most up to date technology and programming features. The new site will be an important tool for ISA and members to interact with the public and allied professionals.

 Built into the website will be a new and robust member database section, new forum software, e-commerce connectivity, plus member and staff functionality for easily updating member accounts.  In adding the database functionality, which is directly connected and interactive with the website, ISA will now move away from the rather difficult, non user friendly system we have been using for the past several years.  The web design team is now working on the transfer of membership records to the new database and the added efficiencies will greatly enhance our operations and tracking requirements.

Beyond the website and member database, ISA continues with important back room operations updates.  In addition to the new website for 2012, we will begin digitizing member records.  This will allow for easy searches by staff on current and historical information for members, such as certificates on file, class completion information, milestones etc.

As a sign of our growth and seriousness for proper internal controls, the ISA Board has also asked Sentergroup to contract with an independent financial auditing firm to perform a complete and industry accepted audit of our financial records.

The ISA Board is also looking at a complete review and renewal of our committee structure.  ISA has been operating under the same committee system for years, and it is now time for a complete review and updating.  This review will look to both consolidate and add new committees.  New committees under consideration include an ISA by-law and governance committee, a membership committee, finance and audit committee, as well as marketing and resource groups.  The new committee structure will support ISA's growth and efficiency while enhancing our ability to provide and encourage new leadership and member management.

ISA also plans to continue promoting our brand and our appraisers in 2012.  We have already started this process with a three month color half page ad in Maine Antiques Digest during the last quarter of 2011.  Once the new website goes live, future professionally designed marketing and promotional campaigns will be devised to include cross channel branding and social media marketing. We have allocated money in the 2012 budget for advertising and promotional campaigns to advance our brand, market the importance of personal property appraising, promote ISA as the leading appraisal association and encourage the hiring of ISA credentialed appraisers.

ISA has the reputation of having the best appraisal conferences and education.  Assets 2012 is no different and continues with our strong tradition of offering the latest scholarship in product knowledge, current appraisal trends and appraisal methodology.  The three day conference (four with tours) will include motivation speakers, art law discussions, media channel talks, mid century modern discussions, inspection and condition topics, and good, better, best analysis to name only a few, plus all of the networking and socialization that has become a staple of an ISA conference.  Members can look for updated ARC and Fine Art classes as well as new course offerings in 2012.

With the new website, membership database and record digitization, most of the backroom and capital intensive operations and updates for ISA will be complete.  Funding that has been used for these long term investments will soon be allocated for membership benefits and societal growth.

Now when someone asks what does your appraisal association do for you, it will be easy to respond. ISA offers the best appraisal education, the best marketing outreach, the best credentialing options, the best conference, the best association management, the best members forum, the best member services/support and of course the best members in the profession.

Sorry I got a little long winded on this post, but ISA is progressing quickly to enhance our membership experience.  It is a good time to be an ISA member.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Todd W. Sigety, ISA CAPP
President, ISA

Board Election Results

Just a few short weeks ago, the ISA Board of Directors held their annual meeting in Chicago, IL. Each year, three board members retire and three new board members are seated. We’d like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the three outgoing board members, all of whom played an important role in the growth and direction of the ISA over the past 3-6 years: Fred Winer ISA CAPP, Christine Corbin ISA CAPP, and Jim Poag ISA CAPP.

Please join us in welcoming our three newest board members, who are beginning their 3-year terms: Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg ISA CAPP, Nini Hamalainen ISA CAPP, and Selma Paul ISA CAPP.

At the close of the meeting, the election of new officers took place. Congratulations to the following:

President:           Todd Sigety ISA CAPP (2-Year Term)

Vice President:   Terri Ellis ISA CAPP (1-Year Term)

Treasurer:           Steve Roach ISA AM (1-Year Term)

Secretary:           Libby Holloway ISA CAPP (1-Year Term)

Continuing their terms are returning board members Judith Martin ISA CAPP, and Sally Ambrose ISA CAPP.

The Board of Directors continues to work hard on your behalf to ensure that ISA remains the leading international organization for personal property appraisers!

Website Project Update

As President of ISA, I wanted to give you an update on the redesign of the ISA website. As detailed in the 2011 Annual Conference in Nashville, the organization has begun to take the steps necessary to provide a web product for all members, whether members or the general public, that is informative, engaging and impactful.

As a first step, our management team, Sentergroup, created and circulated a request for proposal, reviewed and interviewed a host of web design firms and after careful consideration against pre-set expectations – chose Webitects, Inc. Based in Chicago, Webitects (www.webitects.com) has extensive experience in the association marketplace, has a keen understanding of back end functionality and met our scheduling and price demands.

Several key components of the project have already been completed. First, a group of members participated in a focus group and offered a tremendous amount of feedback on what members want to for the ISA website – from user interface and esthetics to content and the find an appraiser function. Based on that information, Webitects and the ISA staff have been able to create a thorough and comprehensive wire diagram – an essential site map that highlights key web functions, processes and the flow of information for end users. I have seen the wire diagram and it does an excellent job of prioritizing key functions and information.

The next step in the project is the creative element that will drive ISA’s web presence. We anticipate in the next few weeks that the designated Task Force, leadership and staff will review options for the esthetic platform. It is our expectation that creative component of the site will be a reflection of our industry, be impactful and clearly distinguish ISA from our competitors. In addition, we think your feedback and engagement is critical to the overall success of the project, As such, all members will be given an opportunity to review the creative options through an online portal and vote for their favorite.

A relevant, functional and impactful ISA website has been and continues to be a major goal for my term as President and I am confident we are very close to having a platform that is valuable to you, our members, and those who seek out appraisers or appraisal information.

Judith Martin, ISA CAPP

President

The Hidden Value

It has been a hot and stormy weather summer in the US this year.  The State of Texas seems to be in a perpetual sauna, and storms race across the prairie, one after the other.  But soon the cool days of autumn will be here and these hazy days will be a distant memory.  

I am in Washington DC at the moment at the ASA annual conference to which I was an invited guest.  What a nice gesture from a sister organization to ask myself and Todd Sigety to be their guests.  The program is good (not as flush as the ISA programs are) and there are many fine appraisers to meet.  But it brings my mind to ISA conferences of the past and the one we are currently planning for 2012.

This brings me to my thought about conferences.  Conferences are not only important for the information a member comes away with for their work process.  Conferences are important for the people we meet and make connections with.  Members who become our life long friends and colleagues.  

I remember my first conference was in Boston.  I was excited to attend and had scraped the money together so that I could go.  I attended with my mother, Gloria, so we could share a room.  At this point, Gloria was an accomplished appraiser, but I really was just a novice who didn’t know anyone other than her and the few members from the Greater Illinois Chapter who attended.  That first day was for committee meetings so I was on my own, kind of wandering around trying to get my bearings.   There was a woman there who also looked like she wasn’t quite sure where to go and what to do, but we both had these tags on, so we knew we belonged the same group.  We introduced ourselves, and said “what are you doing today?”, “don’t know, think I might go walking around , would you like some company? That would be great” And off we went, looking and shopping around Boston – Joanna Stearns bought a Mont Blanc pen that day;  funny what you remember.  But we had connected and we had become friends that were joined together because of this strange profession we both were in. 

Through the years I have met many of my friends that way.  I can’t remember when I first met Christine Corbin. I think some times I have known her forever.  We seem to have walked the same path in ISA for many years.  She doing her committee work, me doing mine.   But we truly got to know one another when we went to New York one year together.  Christine was the board representative to the AAA conference, and I was going as a speaker.  We shared a room together and got to know one another and found that we had many things in common.  We have worked together on the board now for four years, and I have watched as Christine in her unassuming way has transformed the boards thinking on USPAP and the Foundation which has become her professional passion.  I have listened as she changed her professional profile and went out on her own to run her appraisal business.  I am proud that she is my friend and colleague that I seem to have known for ever and certainly first met her through a conference.

I had met every member of our current board through ISA’s annual conference long before we worked together on the board.   I remember being at a conference dinner where this particular board member who I did know well was talking about the items being offered for auction.  He was witty and quick; very funny.  I sat at the dinner table thinking, who knew that Fred Winer was so funny.  As I got to know Fred from working as Education Chair and then on the board I grew to know how very smart he is, how tenacious he is about a passion, and how very kind he can be.  What an honor it has been to work side by side with Fred during these years of transition.  He was truly the leader in our change but knew how to gracefully hand over the reigns when the time came.  I am hoping that I have learned the lessons he taught me and can also step back and let the next President move in their direction with the support and guidance they might need when asked. 

That first year in Boston, there was this tall red haired young man (we were all new young members once)  who I met casually, he was a jeweler and I didn’t hang out with that group, don’t know why, just didn’t.  The next year we met again, and from that moment on Jim Poag and I have been friends.  We know each others families, we have certainly worked together on the education branch of ISA as well as on the board together these past three years, and we have shared many many laughs together.  Jim is one of the special people in our society and I am lucky to have him as my friend.  I will miss him dearly when he steps off the board this fall.  I will miss his guidance, his business sense and his straight forward attitude, he was such an important part of what we accomplished during his tenure and for that ISA will and should be forever grateful.    

So, I think my thought is this – scrape together whatever you can to get to the conference.  The conference is not just about the seminars – it is about the people.  In a world that has become more secluded in its social interaction due to the internet and the fast pace we all live, it is important to make those connections.  Meet, listen, talk and enjoy.  I promise you, you could not have a better investment in your profession than attending conference.  See You There!

Judith Martin, ISA CAPP

President