Region Information

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Region VI Chair
Joshua D. Garretson, MAI, AI-GRS, AI-RRS

Region VI Vice Chair
Donald S. Boucher, Sr., SRA

Region VI 3rd Director
Barbara Cantrell, MAI

Region VI Past Chair
Richard F. Wolf, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS

Metro New Jersey Chapter Region Representative
Erin Taffera, SRA, AI-RRS

Metro New Jersey Chapter Regional Representative
Daniel C. Webb, MAI

Metro New Jersey Chapter Regional Representative
Katherine Tantinan, MAI

This year Region VI was very active in University Relations. Twenty-four universities within Region VI were identified. Ambassadors for each university were selected and equipped to meet with real estate students at their university. Significant results were achieved during 2022. Fifty-nine student affiliates joined the Appraisal Institute during 2022 in Region VI.

Our primary goal is to recruit students into the appraisal field and create lifelong members. However, it is important to understand that many of the student affiliates will not become designated appraisers. But they likely will become buyers of appraisals during their career in real estate. Therefore, our secondary goal behind the University Outreach is to introduce real estate students, who will not become appraisers, to the Appraisal Institute. Inform them about: our Body of Knowledge, including our education, Lum Library and publications. Also, explain the opportunity to network with the best and brightest appraisers in the valuation industry.

There were a number of outreach efforts during 2022. Region VI members attended a career fair at Delaware State University. U.S. News & World Report ranked Delaware State University No. 2 among the Historically Black Colleges and University in the US for 2022. This outreach continues the Appraisal Institute’s movement towards evolving into a more diverse professional organization.

In October Ericka Simmons, MAI and Donald Boucher, SR., SRA met with about 50 students at American University in Washington DC. It was a very productive presentation where we introduced the Appraisal Institute and the valuation profession

Larry Colorito, MAI is the ambassador for Pennsylvania State University. He also teaches at PSU and is on the Executive Committee of the Borrelli Institute for real estate studies. During 2022, Larry spoke at PSU’s real estate boot camp. He, Brad Barone and Richard Wolf met with members of the PSU real estate school in March, 2022 to develop plans regarding university relations.

Region VI in conjunction with the Philadelphia Chapter created the first ever Career Connection Night. The event was 100% funded through private sponsors. Eleven appraisal firms sponsored the event. Six universities were represented including: University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, Temple, Villanova, Lehigh and Pennsylvania State University. Fifty-three students attended the event. The purpose of the event was to bring employers and potential employees into the same room; give the students an opportunity to explore the career path and give the employers the opportunity to offer a job to a student. So far, two attending students were hired for full time positions. A number of students have applied for summer intern positions.

Valbridge Property Advisors a national appraisal firm established a summer intern program in 2022. Ten students from across the country participated. The summer intern program is an excellent way to evaluate a student’s potential for a full-time position.  The timeline fixed with a pre-established end date. The employer has an opportunity to evaluate the student’s work ethic, as well as, attitude and skill set. If the employer is impressed an offer for permanent employment can be made. If not, the employer has no further requirement. As a result of Region VI’s efforts many students are interested in obtaining a summer internship.

There are many more successful stories connecting students with appraisal companies. If you want more information, contact Richard Wolf, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS at [email protected]

PS, please be advised that the national Board of Directors approved the University Relations Pilot Program that will begin in 2023. This program will create an outreach program similar to Region VI. The ultimate goal is to have a University Outreach across the country involving 100 universities that have existing real estate programs. It is this outreach program that will fill the pipeline with future AI members.

 

Richard F. Wolf, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS

Region VI Chair, 2021-2022

 

The purpose of regions is mainly to serve as an information and networking conduit between the other two levels of AI’s structure: National and Chapters. It also enables members to develop leadership skills and exposure to those at the National level. To quote the AI bylaws: “The purpose of the regional structure shall be to facilitate the flow of information between the Board of Directors and the Chapters and among the Chapters within each Region and to provide opportunities for service to the Appraisal Institute.”

With 79 chapters and 10 regions, the average number of chapters per region is nearly eight. Region VI includes 10 chapters: three in New Jersey, four in Pennsylvania, plus the Delaware, Maryland and D.C. chapters. Only one other Region has 10 chapters.

Each Region has a Chair and a Vice Chair, both of whom serve on the National Board of Directors by virtue of their election to these Region positions. Each position has a two-year term, with the Vice Chair assuming the Chair position at the end of the Chair’s two-year term. In even-numbered years, each Region also has a Third Director, essentially a Vice Chair “in waiting.” Although they attend National Board of Director meetings, Third Directors do not have voting privileges at Board meetings. In odd-numbered years, a Region’s third Director becomes the Vice Chair, the Vice Chair becomes the Chair, and the Chair begins a two-year term as Immediate Past Chair.

In addition to these three officers (or four, depending on the year), the Region Committee consists of a Region Finance Officer (if it’s not one of the three officers), the 10 Chapter presidents, additional representatives from the chapters, and the member of the Region appointed by the national President to serve on the national Government Relations Committee. Region VI traditionally appoints the Third Director to the position of Region Finance Officer, which becomes the job of the Vice Chair in odd-numbered years. If a Region has a committee of Chapter Education Chairs (Region VI does not), a Regional Education Liaison would also serve on the Region Committee.

The additional representatives to the Region Committee are determined by the individual Chapters, and the total number of representatives a Chapter has is determined by membership census. If a Chapter has 50 or fewer designated member, its only member of the Region Committee is its Chapter President. A Chapter with 51-100 designated members has its President and Vice President as members of the Region Committee. For every 50 additional designated members, a Chapter has one elected representative to the Region Committee in addition to its President and Vice President. Chapters are encouraged to appoint alternate regional representatives in case their primary representatives are unable to attend Region meetings.

The Regional Nominating Committee is elected by the Region Committee and consists of five to nine members who serve two-year staggered terms (Region VI has seven). The Immediate Past Region Chair serves as the non-voting chair of the committee. The Regional Nominating Committee nominates a Third Director every other year, and every year nominates a Regional representative and an alternate to the National Nominating Committee, for election by the Region Committee at large. (The National Nominating Committee in turn nominates a candidate each year for national Vice President for the national Board’s consideration.)

The Region committee has four meetings every year, at least one of which is in-person. This gives the representatives a chance to discuss relevant issues with the leaders of the other Chapters, consider new ideas and solve problems, and coordinate education opportunities. One of AI’s executive officers is usually at the meeting or on the conference call, giving representatives a direct voice to National. Occasionally there are super-regional meetings involving more than one Region, often in conjunction with the AI annual conference. This gives the members of the Region Committee even more exposure to national Board members, committee members and the AI executive officers.

Michael J. Mignogna, MAI, AI-GRS

Region VI 2019 Chair