2023 Winter Newsletter

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION NEWS

The Florida Chapter of the International Association of Assessing Officers supports our members who are seeking professional designations through the IAAO. The FCIAAO Professional Designation Committee is dedicated to promoting awareness of the IAAO designation program by raising professional competence of assessment personnel through educa tion. This includes encouraging participation and providing candidates the appropriate tools, resources and technical assistance for success. IAAO is in the professional designation business ... and business has been good! The IAAO Professional Designation Program (PDP) confers six in ternationally recognized professional designations: • Assessment Administration Specialist (AAS)

• Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE)

Hon. Tracy Drake, CFA, CAE, ASA, RES, AAS

• Mass Appraisal Specialist (MAS)

• Cadastral Mapping Specialist (CMS)

• Personal Property Specialist (PPS)

• Residential Evaluation Specialist (RES)

In recent years, the PDP has been amended to offer more flexibility and international appeal, while maintain ing the program ’ s integrity. Some of the changes include: educational alternatives to the Bachelor ’ s degree re quirement, and educational equivalencies and demonstration appraisal report waivers to associations and in stitutions such as the Appraisal Institute, the American Society of Appraisers and the University of British Co lumbia. As a result, the PDP has experienced unprecedented success – conferring almost 600 designations in the past five years. The RES and AAS designations have been the most popular and account for about 69 per cent of the total. To establish uniformity and consistency in ad valorem appraisals, it was necessary for mass appraisal concepts and applications to be developed and implemented. In the 1920’ s, John Zangerle, Cuyahoga County Assessor (and IAAO Past President) stated: “ The first important question confronting every public appraiser is whether to appraise on a uniform or on a particular basis ... [F]rom the standpoint of the public, nothing so stimulates resentment, revolution, and re bellion as a feeling of discrimination or favoritism in taxation ...The greatest asset of a real estate owner is his sense of security in the enjoyment of equality of appraisement with his neighbor. ” Ad valorem assessors and appraisers are required to wear many hats and need comprehensive skills in both mass and single - property appraisal. In practice, mass appraisal concepts and techniques are typically used to estimate the initial values for assessment roll purposes while single - property concepts and techniques are used to defend in administrative and judicial hearings. Through its evolution, mass appraisal as a professionally ac cepted valuation methodology, has enabled ad valorem assessors and appraisers worldwide to earn and main tain the public ’ s trust by systematically producing fair and equitable assessments. Assessors and appraisers are acutely aware of the principle of change – it ’ s a cornerstone of the profession. To maintain its position as the “ global leader and preeminent source of standards, professional development and research in property appraisal, assessment administration and property tax policy, ” it was necessary for IAAO to develop extensive mass appraisal education and provide a symbol of competency and professionalism in Mater atrium necessitas . Translation: necessity is the mother of invention.

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Winter 2023 Newsletter of the FCIAAO