2012 ISA AWARD NOMINATIONS

Well, folks, the time is upon us again.  “Assets 2012: Turning Up the Heat” in Tempe, Arizona is right around the corner!  As most of you know conference is not only an enrichment experience, but also a time when we have the opportunity to celebrate and award our peers for the hard work and un-ending dedication they have shown to both the appraisal profession, and ISA, throughout the year.

This year we are taking award nominations based on ten categories:
Lamp of Knowledge
Leadership
Outstanding Member
Distinguished Service
Chapter of the Year
Publication
Media
Marketing
Special Merit
Service

Here you will find an explanation of the applicable categories.  I encourage you all to take a moment and consider the nominations.  Each of these will be given to those in our profession who stand out and go above and beyond the call of duty…and let’s face it…sometimes it’s just nice to be acknowledged for all that work!

Deadline for nominations is Monday, March 19.  Please submit all inquiries and forms to kmartin035@yahoo.com.

It is a pleasure to be your Awards Chair this year and I’ll see you all in sunny Arizona!!!
Kate Martin, ISA AM

Important Membership News

Dear Members of ISA:

The ISA Board of Directors has been discussing for some time many issues involving membership in our Association.  Two new policy changes have been approved and will become effective on January 1, 2013.  We want to notify all of our members now so you may plan accordingly.

The first change impacts the Associate Member category.  Most members are aware that ISA has not been accepting new Associate Members for several years, and has been planning to eliminate this membership level.  There are many reasons for this; the most important being the potential for prospective users of appraisal services to confuse the “Associate Member” who has no ISA or USPAP educational requirements for one who has earned an ISA, ISA AM or ISA CAPP credential.  

Over the past few years we have been encouraging our Associate Members to upgrade to Accredited Member status.  As mentioned, on January 1, 2013, The Board of Directors will eliminate the Associate Member category. Since these colleagues are long-term members who are important to us, we are offering two options to our current Associate Members:

A. For those who are no longer appraising, you can remain with ISA as an Affiliate Member.  Affiliate Members, who do not appraise, pay 50% of the regular membership dues.  To do this you only have to call the ISA office and make arrangements with our Membership Coordinator, Sara Porter.  Sara may be reached at: (312) 981-6782, or at sporter@thesentergroup.com.

B. For those who are still appraising and have not yet met the requirements to become Accredited Members, we will offer a special Core Course at Northern Illinois University, September 10-16, 2012 for Associate Members only.  This course will be offered at a 50% discount from our normal registration fee.  It is our hope that you will stay with ISA and become a full member of our association with full membership benefits, including your own webpage on our new website.  If you have not already done so, we invite you to explore the site.  We think you will be excited about the direction of ISA and proud to become an Accredited Member.  

The second change will be for members who are advancing from the ISA level to the ISA AM designation.  In order to ensure that ISA members are writing to current ISA report writing and USPAP standards, the process for obtaining an ISA AM designation will be amended.  Members will be required to submit one self-contained appraisal report, for a single item for a charitable donation with a value of more than $5,000 in his or her specialty area, to the Designation and Review Committee for approval.  This new requirement for the ISA AM designation will become effective January 1, 2013.  

Of course, all members will still be required to comply with ISA's current policy of keeping current with USPAP standards through the USPAP courses and updates.  In addition, ISA level members have 5 years to move from the ISA level to the ISA AM level.

If you have any questions about the credentialing program, please feel free to contact Michelle Stearns, Education and Credentialing Coordinator at (312) 981-6784, or mstearns@thesentergroup.com.

ISA is constantly striving to maintain the highest standard of appraising in each of our three designation levels, and we believe these significant changes will strengthen our position as the leading association in the personal property appraisal marketplace.

Sincerely yours,

ISA Board of Directors 

Are you thinking about Tempe?

It may hard to believe, but Assets 2012, is only 8 weeks away!  If you haven’t started thinking about sending in your registration, booking your flights and making your hotel reservation, now is the time! If you have registered for conference, will you encourage a friend or colleague to turn in their registration?

A full schedule, program information and registration for Assets 2012, to take place April 20-23, 2012 at the Tempe Mission Palms in Tempe, AZ can be found on our website.

Early Bird Pricing Expires March 16th
Friday March 16th is the last day to receive the early bird pricing for conference. After this date, registration rates go up by $75. Register now (link to http://www.isa-appraisers.org/annual-conference/registration) take advantage of the early rates.

Hotel Cut-off Date
Saturday, March 17th is the final day to receive our discounted rate of $179 + hospitality fee and tax. You can call the hotel directly at (480) 894-1400 to make your reservations, or visit the hotel website.

Staying at the conference hotel will put you in the middle of the action for networking with your peers in and out of the educational sessions. Our group rate also includes a round-trip transfer from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which is only a 10-minute drive from the hotel.

Promote Your Business and Support ISA
Do you want to advertise in the Final Program and Resource Guide? Doing so supports ISA and the Annual Conference! Deadline for ad copy is Tuesday, March 20th. Ad rates for the guide are as follows:

Premium Position (full color): $800

Full Inside Page: $500

Half Inside Page: $250

Quarter Inside Page: $125

For more information about sponsorship and advertising at the conference, click here.

Hopefully you’ve noticed that while conference is about two months away, all these impending deadlines are only one month away or less! If you’re interested in learning even more about what will be featured during Assets 2012, don’t miss Tom Helms’ free webinar  on Tuesday, February 28 at 5:00pm EST/ 4:00pm CST that will surely get you very excited about conference.

HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF ISA: JOIN A COMMITTEE

Be part of the advancement we all hope to see as ISA soars into first place as the premiere society for personal property appraisers.

Are we all feeling the momentum that is building within ISA?  As members, the best way we can further that momentum and help ISA continue to grow is by joining with your fellow members in Committee work.

Volunteer committee members are vital to the health of our organization.  Committees draft and propose programs that support the goals and objectives of the Society’s strategic plan, make recommendations to the board of directors, work with the ISA Office staff to determine financial budget of programs, and enhance effective communication with the membership.

A clear example of great committee work is the development of our new website.  Hopefully you have all had a chance check out our new image and capability, including the ability to build your own professional webpage (including a photo) on the ISA site. The success of the new website is not only for our current members and potential new clients. It is a big step toward building our brand, and advancing our goal of positioning ISA as the premiere personal appraisal society.  When you admire our new website you are experiencing the results of committee work.

Please consider volunteering for a committee today.  Below is a list of your opportunities:

Annual Conference Program – The mission of the committee is to develop a speaker program and the pre-conference tours in conjunction with the Annual ISA Conference on Personal Property Appraising.
Awards Committee: Acknowledges members' contributions in differing categories of endeavor for exceptional contributions of time and talent to the society.
Bylaws & Governance – The mission of the committee is to accurately maintain, monitor compliance, make recommendations and serve as a source to interpret the Society’s governing documents, as well as offer amendments based on actions taken by the Board of Directors.  This committee is responsible for annual review of bylaws, as well as development and review of all policies and procedures for the Society.

Chapter Relations Committee - The mission of this committee is to facilitate coordination and communication between the chapters of ISA in order to help and strengthen each chapter.  This committee also is charged with assisting in improving the communication between ISA and the chapters; to advance the membership recruitment and retention efforts at both the national and chapter levels; and to increase awareness of the ISA “brand” to strengthen participation at the regional and local levels.

Designation and Review – The mission of the committee is to review the qualifications of members applying for certification and Requalification under the Society’s credentialing programs, including review of CAPP appraisal submissions.  You must be a CAPP member to participate in this committee.

Education Committee - The mission of this committee is to review and help develop all education and course-related activities of the Society, including annual review of manuals and instructors.  This committee oversees the development of curriculum for on- site courses as well as webinars, distance education, and other electronic forms of education. Includes the following subcommittees:
Fine Art
Antiques & Residential Contents
Gems & Jewelry
Specialty Studies

Each subcommittee also has the goal of strengthening the specialty within ISA by encouraging members to participate in ISA’s activities and educational programs and serving as an information conduit between the members and the association.

Ethics Committee - Ensures that ISA members exhibit the highest level of ethical behavior, develops and implement procedures for processing ethics complaints, reviews the ISA Code of Ethics periodically.
Finance & Audit Committee – The mission of this committee is to monitor and/or offer financial policy, and coordinate approved audit procedures. Reviews Society financial statements on a quarterly basis.  This committee will include board and non-board members to promote organizational transparency.

Marketing & Promotions Committee – The mission of this committee is to focus on the Society’s marketing, advertising, public relations, and communications efforts.

Membership Committee – The mission of this committee is to provide support and oversight of the Society’s recruitment of new members and retention of current members.  The committee also reviews and makes recommendations for membership and/or member classification actions.
Nominating Committee: Reviews qualifications, and nominates qualified candidates to serve on the board of directors.

Resource Development Committee – The mission of this committee is to provide support and oversight of sponsorship and fundraising-related activities, and to assist in the development of non-dues revenue opportunities.

Website Task Force - The mission of the task force is to oversee and recommend improvements, updates, and further development to our website.
 ISA Board and Committee ISA Now Pog Schedule

Over the past couple of years a lot of work by a few visionary members has had a great impact on our organization.   Imagine where we could be a year from now with just a little more work from more members.   If you are considering volunteering for any of our committees, please contact me at 215 346-2799 or email at info@artappraisalfirm.com.  

Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP

Why attend an ISA Webinar?

What is a webinar?  According to Merriam-Webster, a webinar is “a live online educational presentation during which participating viewers can submit questions and comments.” Source 

Now you may be asking yourself, why should I participate in a webinar? Participating in a webinar has many benefits; no travel required, view the session from the comfort of your home or office, condensed 1 hour sessions and practical, useful information in an accessible format, are just a few.  ISA has been offering webinars for almost three years; with the goal of providing relevant, timely, exciting education to our members as well as the general public.   These sessions are offered once, sometimes twice a month and some are even free.  ISA webinars are presented by respected leading experts in their respective fields.

Not only do viewers reap the benefits of furthering their knowledge in a particular subject area, they also earn professional development credits.  For each educational webinar that you participate in, you earn 1 professional development credit.  Now, that might not sound like much; but, that handful of live sessions that you participate in during the year, could make all the difference when it comes time for your five year requalification and meeting your point requirement.

What happens if you can’t attend a live session?  Not to worry, each live session is recorded and then made available in the webinar archive library. Also, you still earn professional development credits for viewing recorded sessions.  Would you like this information in a printer friendly format?  Click here.

Upcoming ISA Webinars

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 – 4:00PM CST/ 5:00PM EST *FREE*
“2012 ISA Conference: ‘Turning up the Heat’”
Presenter: Tom Helms, ISA CAPP

Thursday, March 15, 2012 – 3:00PM CST/ 4:00PM EST
“Antique & Vintage Toys”
Presenter: David Mapes, ISA CAPP

Register now! 

ISA Announces Course Attendees

ISA kicked off the 2012 course calendar with offerings of the Requalification course: January 20-21 and the 15 Hour Personal Property USPAP course: January 23-24, in Naperville, IL at the Northern Illinois University- Naperville campus.

ISA is pleased to announce recent course attendees:

Requalification
Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP – Elkins Park, PA
Michael Conner, ISA AM – Champaign, IL
Dana Garvey, ISA AM – Seattle, WA
Darlene Hines, ISA CAPP – Bloomfield Hills, MI
Carey Ross, ISA AM – Seattle, WA

15 Hour Personal Property USPAP
Martha Arney, ISA AM – St. Joseph, MI
Jack Bacon – Reno, NV
Dana Garvey, ISA AM – Seattle, WA
Nigel Harrison – Vancouver, BC
Roberta Kramer, ISA AM – Chicago, IL
Judith Martin, ISA CAPP – Wheaton, IL
Kamille Parkinson – Kingston, ON
Carey Ross, ISA AM – Seattle, WA
Wendy Treacy – Aurora, ON
Elise Waters Olonia – El Prado, NM

We would like to congratulate these course attendees, in the successful completion of the course as well as for taking an important step in further their industry knowledge! If you would like to learn more about upcoming ISA courses, click here.