FCIAAO Summer 2023 Newsletter

SUMMER 2023

FLORIDA CHAPTER OF THE IAAO

VOL . 35 ISSUE 3

STAYING APPRAISED We are thrilled to present to you an updated edition of our esteemed newsletter! After several years, we determined that a makeover was in order. Surprisingly, it has been a decade since the familiar newsletter made its debut in the Winter of 2013. We sincerely hope that you will find this fresh iteration equally enjoyable. For further insights into the history of our newsletter, we encourage you to peruse the contents. Should you have any comments, questions, or story ideas, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at the following address: floridachapteriaao@gmail.com NEW LOOK! 2023 IAAO NATIONAL CONFERENCE The 89th IAAO Annual Conference is taking place August 27-30 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Salt Place Convention Center. Over 60 educational sessions will be offered over the three days and attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 12.5 credit hours of continuing education. There will be a wide variety of topics presented in areas such as valuation, GIS, oversight and compliance, and management and leadership.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE President's Message 2 Newsletter History 3 Conference Re-cap 5 FCIAAO Awards 6 Prof. Designation News 7 Bylaws Update 8 County Spotlight 9 Experience Matters 10 Charity 11 Member Spotlight 12 Member News 14 ScholarshipWinners 15 Education Calendar 16 Chapter of the Year 17 Job Opportunities 18 Retirements 19

Our own Pat Alesandrini will be presiding over the conference this year and there will be a few familiar faces who will be representing Florida. Kelby Collier from Osceola County will be presenting on "Multi-family Repurposing: Trend or Craze & How It Makes Sense". The Honorable Cregg Dalton will be sharing his experience in management with his presentation, "Changing the Culture Through Patience, Trust & Recognition".

Terry Taylor from Orange County will be speaking on damage assessment and Osceola's Honorable Katrina Scarborough and Manish Bhat will reveal how they manage their exemption compliance. Finally, Palm Beach County's Stacey Haynes will round it out with "Keep 'Em With Culture". Early bird registration is still available through July 15. Click here for more info.

1

STAYING

APPRA I SED

2023-2024 FCIAAO EXECUTIVE BOARD

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Hello there! I hope everyone is in the process of finishing up their tax roll submission for the 2023 tax year. 2023 appears to be following 2022 in terms of being an interesting year of assessment. I would like to thank everyone again who attended our Annual Conference this past April in St Petersburg. We saw our turn out return to pre-COVID numbers and had a record turnout for 2023. The hard work of our steering committees and our board members paid off once again.

PRESIDENT Christopher MItts, PPS, CFE Appraisal & Automation Specialist St. Lucie County VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Hayes, MAI, CAE, RES, CFE Deputy of Appraisals Pinellas County 2ND VICE PRESIDENT Wynta Loughrey, RES, CFE Asst Commercial Valuation Manager Sarasota County TREASURER A. Renee Large, AAS, EA, CFE Chief Administrative Officer Gina Fletcher, AAS, CPM, CFE Assistant Property Appraiser Leon County MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Kathy Rhodes, CFE Manager, Western Community Service Center Palm Beach County DIRECTOR Opal Hudson, CFE, CSM, CPM Asst. Chief Administrative Officer of Value Hillsborough County DIRECTOR Nikki, Pontello, MPP, CFE Chief Administrative Officer St. Johns County DIRECTOR Sage Sullivan, MBA, PPS, RES, CFE TPP Division Chief Duval County IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Dee Dee Harnish, RES, AAS, CFE Director, Valuation Monroe County Clay County SECRETARY

CHRIS MITTS PPS, CFE

The Annual Conference would not be the success it is without the hard work of our steering committees and board members. I would like to thank you all for electing me your President for the 2023-2024 year and I appreciate everyone’s confidence and faith in me. The 89th Annual IAAO Conference will be held August 27th through August 30th in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you can attend, I highly recommend it. Congratulations to our 2023 scholarships winners, Beau Gordon from Pinellas County and Alan Rapaport from Palm Beach County. They will be awarded $1,500 to help cover the cost of traveling to the annual conference. Myself and several of your board members will also be in attendance. The TPP Committee is working hard on our annual TPP Education Week and Seminar. This event will be held in Kissimmee during the week of December 4th through December 8th. At the beginning of the week, we will offer a TPP themed Excel class for professionals with beginner level Excel experience. Registration for the Excel class is now open on the chapter website. Finally, as it is summer, and the summer movie season is upon us. On those rainy summer Florida afternoons if you need something to watch, I recommend this summer movie marathon. I think every president in their post conference message has said this but it’s true, so you’re going to hear it from me as well. Indedepence Day (Title of the movie says it all, plus Bill Pullman’s speech is still fantastic.) Jaws (You will understand people’s need for bigger boats.) Raiders of the Lost Ark (”It’s not the years it’s the millage”.) Back to the Future (Why wouldn’t you make a time machine out of a DeLorean.) Ghostbusters (Wait, isn’t this a Fall-Halloween themed film?! Why yes, that’s the beauty of it being released during the summer of 1984, it doubles as both)

Thank you, Christopher D Mitts, PPS, CFE FCIAAO 2023-2024 Chapter President

2

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

HUMBLE

HISTORY

About a decade later, "Florida IAAO" was a multi-page document highlighting our tenth Anniversary with a membership of approximately 400. Back in those days, there were two conferences held every year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. We cannot imagine having to plan TWO conferences every year! There was an article every month in the newsletter called "Let's Get Personal" written by Neil Hester, ASA, CFE, which highlighted topics related to Tangible Personal Property. From our research, it was around 1999-2000, that our beloved newsletter came to be known as "Staying Appraised." Let's Get Personal" was now "Let's Be Personal" and branched out to a wider variety of topics related to the work we do in the Property Appraiser's Office. Membership was nearing 800, and our web site was growing with the addition of a Job Opportunities page, IAAO Awards Page, and links to 32 Property Appraiser websites.

Beginning in 2006, Bruce Strenth, CFE, a former Florida Chapter President hailing from Highlands County, initiated a regular column within the newsletter called "From the Peanut Gallery...." In this column, Bruce shared his valuable insights on relatable topics, prompting thoughtful contemplation among readers. Bruce continued to author this column until his retirement in 2016, consistently providing us with his wisdom and perspective. In 2013, "Staying Appraised" underwent yet another significant transformation, resulting in an enhanced iteration. This updated Android devices. It was distributed via email to a membership base of over 1,000 individuals, providing a seamless experience where readers could virtually "turn the page" with a single click. (continued next page) version became fully digital, accessible on both Apple and

REVISTING OUR ROOTS

After deciding it was time to rejuvenate our newsletter, we embarked on a journey through our archives (stored on our Google Drive) to delve into the transformation of our newsletter over time. Since the establishment of our chapter, we initially distributed a quarterly newsletter via traditional mail, but later embraced technology and transitioned to email distribution. Yes, you heard it right, we actually mailed it out! The earliest documented newsletter we could locate dates back to December 1987, following a conference held in Vero Beach, which drew 80 participants. This particular edition lacked a title and appeared to be a one-page creation typed on a typewriter, with various elements cut and pasted together and then duplicated, presumably using a "ditto" machine.

OCTOBER 2008

MARCH 1997

DECEMBER 1987

3

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

HUMBLE HISTORY

Moreover, the newsletter incorporated clickable links that conveniently directed readers to our website, event registrations, and hotel information. Having been honored as a recipient of the Zangerle Award in both 2013 and 2018, this newsletter has undergone significant changes over the years. Nevertheless, its purpose and message have remained steadfast, enduring the test of time.

It serves as a representation and celebration of our collective efforts within our offices, fostering a sense of unity among us. We aspire to carry forward its legacy, ensuring its continued existence and impact.

JANUARY 2013

2023 TPP Seminar & Education December 4-8, 2023 embassy suites lake buena vista south

Save

the Date

STAYING APPRA I SED

4

SUMMER 2023

35TH FCIAAO ANNUAL CONFERENCE RE-CAP

STAYING APPRA I SED

5

SUMMER 2023

Lifetime Achievement

WILL SHEPHERD, ESQ HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

The 2023 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award is Will Shepherd. Will has been a regular presenter at our conferences, as well as, national conferences on dozens of mass appraisal and property tax issues, each of which always have a clever title. We could always count on him to entertain us with his no-nonsense approach and teach us at the same time. Will was general counsel for the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser in Tampa, Florida, where he has represented the office in property tax matters since 1997, including real estate and tangible personal property valuation cases, exemption disputes, agricultural classification, and numerous appellate decisions. Additionally, he is a contributing member to the IAAO position papers, "Setting the Record Straight on Fee Simple" and "Commercial Big-Box Retail: A Guide to Market-Based Valuation."

FCIAAO

ANNUAL AWARDS

The 2023 recipient of the Member of the Year Award is Justin Edwards. Justin has been very active in the Chapter and a mainstay on the Executive Board for more than 13 years. He has long been an outstanding member even before we created this award. Just when he thought he was done, he got pulled back in, chairing and taking charge of our new Audio-Visual Management Committee. His service and dedication to this organization did not end when he exited the Executive Board.

I t has been an honor and pr i vi lege to be a par t of thi s organi zat ion as an Execut i ve Board member and now as a Commi t tee member . Thi s organi zat ion i s t ruly one where you get back what you put into i t . ~Just in Edwards

JUSTIN EDWARDS PPS, AAS, CFE PUTNAM COUNTY

Member of the Year

6

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

Professional Designation News

Congratulations to the FCIAAO Executive Board and Steering Committees for producing another great annual conference! As expected, it provided many informative, educational sessions and networking opportunities. One important aspect of the Chapter’s mission is to promote and celebrate the professional development of our members. I’m proud to report that since 1999, there have been 206 Tony Hodge Award recipients, resulting in more than $86,000 in award money to members who are new IAAO designees. These efforts have resulted in the Chapter winning the IAAO Virginia Cup a record 11 times! IAAO designations signify exceptional professionalism and competence in property valuation, property tax administration and property tax policy. Many consider a designation to be one of the highest professional achievements an individual can obtain.

TRACY DRAKE, CFA CAE, ASA, RES, AAS

The FCIAAO Executive Board and the Professional Designation Committee applauds the recipients for their commitment and perseverance. By earning their designations, they join an exclusive club of assessment professionals. This year, we proudly recognized seven deserving recipients:

Tony Hodge Educational Award Eligibility Effective January 1, 2022, the eligibility requirements for the Tony Hodge Educational Award are as follows: The Tony Hodge Educational Award may be granted to FCIAAO regular members who earn their IAAO professional designation. The Executive Board shall recognize newly designated members at the successive FCIAAO Annual Conference and may present them with a $500 check. To be eligible, new designees must be a FCIAAO member (in good standing) for at least 24 consecutive months prior to being awarded their IAAO designation and receiving the award. Award recipients must be registered for the annual conference to participate in the awards program. New designees should email a copy of IAAO’s letter conferring the designation (or certificate) to tdrake@ccpao.com. It is the designee’s responsibility to provide proof of eligibility.

7

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

Bylaws Update: Membership Renewal Cycle Voting July 10-17

SOON! COMING

As you may recall, FCIAAO operates under a set of by-laws that outline the rules and regulations governing our activities. Section 6.1 Chapter Funds specifically addresses the allocation and management of funds within our chapter. We are proposing an amendment to the by-laws that will update the membership dues date mentioned in Section 6.1 Chapter Funds. The primary goal of this change is to align our organizational practices with our membership’s fiscal responsibilities and budgetary cycles, ensuring that FCIAAO is better equipped to manage its funds effectively. The amendment will solely address the date and its implications on financial management. Proposed change: Section 6.1 Chapter Funds The Executive Board shall instruct the Treasurer as to the desired method for receipt and disbursements of The Chapter Funds, including the keeping of all related records. The Executive Board shall prepare and adopt an annual budget for presentation to the membership at the Annual Chapter Meeting. Regular Membership dues, Subscribing Membership dues, and Associate Membership dues, each in an amount to be set by the Executive Board, are independent of The Association’s dues, and shall become due on January September 30, and delinquent March December 1, of each year. Keep an eye on your email for your ballot link on Monday, July 10, 2023. Voting will close on Monday, July 17. If approved by two-thirds of the voting membership, the new Membership Renewal Cycle will be October 1 to September 30.

Website Refresh Chapter working on new digital format

As we all know, there is always work to be done and improvement to me made in most everything we do and your Chapter Board takes this very seriously as they embark on updating the website. Our hope is this upgrade introduces a more modern and user friendly aesthetic, the addition of some new information, and other tools that make navigation and interaction easier. Chris MItts, FCIAAO Chapter President, said, "In keeping with our theme this year of renewal and refresh, we felt we needed some improvements to our website. We believe this will help to make the online experience of our members smoother and more enjoyable. The new website will be more graphically pleasing, contains more up-to-date information, and allow members to find what they need more quickly and easily." The new website will still feature our membership portal with Wild Apricot, which services our membership database and the event registration gateway. The website will also connect members to the Chapter's social media accounts for further information. The Chapter Executive Board hopes that the website improvements will help our membership find the information they need.

Stay Tuned!

STAYING APPRA I SED

8

SUMMER 2023

SPOTLIGHT

used to explore a v i r tual repl ica of the area. Addi t ional ly , the largest research park in F lor ida and one of the top f i ve largest in the count ry , Cent ral F lor ida Research Park , i s al so located in Orange County . Orange County ’ s env iable cent ral i zed locat ion places i t on t rack for cont inued growth and v i s i tat ion. Based on the most recent Census data, F lor ida i s number one in the Uni ted States for both net migrat ion and dai ly rates of people mov ing in, and Orange County i s cur rent ly home to more than 1 .43 mi l l ion res idents and welcomes more than 75 mi l l ion v i s i tors each year . Addi t ional ly , Orange County i s excel lent for bus iness , wi th a var iety of profess ional sectors represented in our communi ty , such as hospi tal i ty , heal thcare, educat ion, and tech. According to Census data, Orange County i s the second most di verse county in the state of F lor ida. At the Orange County Proper ty Apprai ser ' s Of f ice—of which Amy Mercado i s serv ing as the f i rst Lat ina proper ty apprai ser in the state’ s hi story— we prov ide rel iable and preci se proper ty assessments for our very broad communi ty . OCPA takes pr ide in of fer ing excel lent serv ice and suppor t throughout the ent i re apprai sal process . As Orange County cont inues to grow, OCPA remains commi t ted to serv ing the communi ty wi th the utmost profess ional i sm and rel iabi l i ty .

ORANGE COUNTY

The state of F lor ida i s the thi rd most-populous in the Uni ted States , and wi thin our 67 count ies , Orange County i s the f i f th-most-populated in F lor ida. Establ i shed in 1824 as Mosqui to County , and wi th a name change approved by 1845, Orange County i s a combinat ion of wor ld-class at t ract ions , almost 50 Michel in guide featured restaurants , var ious cul tural and ar t i st ic events throughout the year , and i s located wi thin dr i v ing di stance of both the Gul f of Mex ico and the At lant ic Ocean. Orange County ’ s 903 square mi les are home to 13 municipal i t ies , including the county seat of Or lando, and more than 109 publ ic faci l i t ies , such as parks , recreat ion centers , splash pads and swimming pool s . Orange County i s home to many di f ferent neighborhoods and towns f rom Audubon Park al l the way to Zel lwood. The county i s al so home to several col leges and uni vers i t ies , including the Uni vers i ty of Cent ral F lor ida, which has more student enrol lment than any of F lor ida’ s 12 other publ ic uni vers i t ies and i s one of the largest uni vers i t ies in the Uni ted States . We are al so a growing hub for technological advancements . The Or lando Economic Par tnership and development plat form Uni ty have created a digi tal twin of Or lando and the sur rounding region, a f i rst-of i ts-scale 3D map of 800 square mi les , al lowing the tool to be SUMMER 2023

BY THE NUMBERS REAL PROPERTY PARCELS

482,751

TANGIBLE ACCOUNTS

60,094

TOTAL JUST VALUE $315.8 BILLION

TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE

$203.9 BILLION

TAXABLE VALUE PER PARCEL

$422,423

EMPLOYEES

169 *2023 Prelim Roll

AMY MERCADO, CFA PROPERTY APPRAISER

9

STAYING APPRA I SED

MATTERS Experience FREAB MOVING AHEAD ON RECOGNIZING MASS APPRAISAL EXPERIENCE

At the F lor ida Real Estate Apprai sal Board (FREAB) meet ing on June 5, 2023 in Or lando, Kev in Hayes spoke to the group to explain the need to recogni ze mass apprai sal exper ience to meet the exper ience requi rements to obtain a F lor ida State Cer t i f ied Res ident ial or General L icense. Present ly , an indi v idual who i s work ing in a Proper ty Apprai sal Of f ice cannot use the hours they spend complet ing var ious apprai sal act i v i t ies to meet the requi s i te exper ience hours . To obtain a F lor ida Apprai sal L icense, ei ther Res ident ial or General , there are a number of condi t ions that must be met which include educat ion, exper ience and successful ly pass ing a State Exam. Acqui r ing the educat ion i s not an i ssue, however , wi thout the recogni t ion of exper ience hours , those who work in the mass apprai sal f ield cannot at tain a l icense. Undeniably , thi s indust ry has seen very l i t t le growth in the number of indi v idual s want ing to enter thi s f ield. The Apprai sal Qual i f icat ion Board (AQB) which oversees the standards for apprai ser qual i f icat ions nat ional ly , has had to rev i s i t these standards in order to br ing more people to the indust ry . Wi th the recent pass ing of the Pract ical Appl icat ions of Real Estate Apprai sal (PAREA) ,

which prov ides another pathway for aspi r ing apprai sers to ful f i l l thei r exper ience requi rements instead of the t radi t ional superv i sor/t rainee model , many bel ieved thi s was the mass apprai sal communi ty ' s oppor tuni ty to star t the conversat ion wi th FREAB. "PAREA i s just not a v iable opt ion for our staf f to obtain exper ience credi ts , " stated Kev in Hayes . "Much of what we do in our of f ices to create a tax rol l every year are the same act i v i t ies fee apprai sers are complet ing in thei r work . And to be honest , our staf f gets exposure to a wider var iety of proper ty types , which may not be the case in the fee wor ld. " By the end of the di scuss ion, the Board recogni zed the oppor tuni ty to get more people cer t i f ied and l icensed by opening up the exper ience credi t to mass apprai sers . Now the work begins to come up wi th what those parameters look l i ke. They wi l l be tak ing our input to help in creat ing thi s exper ience f ramework . SO STAY TUNED!

Kevin Hayes , MAI , CAE

10

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 202 3

Giving back: Conference raises money for charity Every year at the Annual Conference, the host county's Property Appraiser selects a local charity to benefit. This year, Mike Twitty, Pinellas County Property Appraiser, chose the non-profit CASA, Stand up to Silence, which is the official provider of domestic violence support in Pinellas County. They complete their mission through advocacy, prevention, intervention and support. MASS APPRAISAL Terminolgy 101

Throughout the two-day conference in St. Petersburg, raffle tickets were sold with 50 percent of the earnings going to the charity. Thanks to the generosity of our members, we were able to

sell $1,500 in raffle tickets, and $750 was donated to CASA! To learn more about this organization visit: www.casapinellas.org

Stratification: The division of a sample of observations into two or more subsets according to some criterion or set of criteria. Such a division may be made to analyze disparate property types, locations, or characteristics, for example.

1 1

SUMMER 2023

STAYING APPRA I SED

M E M B E R s p o t l i g h t

How long have you been employed by the PA? I have worked wi th Palm Beach County Proper ty Apprai ser ’ s Of f ice for a l i t t le under two and a hal f years . My previous exper ience i s vast ly di f ferent , as I worked wi th manufactur ing and mechanical engineer ing companies . What do you l ike most about your job? The great work envi ronment i s at the foref ront of the most l i kable things about the job. Everyone here t reats each other l i ke fami ly and i t i s a very easy envi ronment to funct ion, thr ive and grow in. Al so, I love the problem solving aspects of the jobs . I enjoy solving problems that don’ t have st raight forward solut ions , f rom chain of t i t les to cor rect ing proper ty boundary l ines in a way that makes sense for a whole area and even technical i ssues regarding our map program. I t al l makes the day so much more enjoyable.

Name : Jordan D. Mur ray County: Palm Beach County What do you do for the PA? My job t i t le i s GIS Technician I I . I am di rect ly respons ible for changes to the tax parcel boundar ies maps and legal descr ipt ions , maintaining accurate records of proper ty ownership, and responding to publ ic inqui r ies regarding our webs i te’ s map informat ion. I al so have the pr ivi lege of tak ing on occas ional special projects such as our migrat ion f rom ArcMaps to ArcGIS Pro. The sof tware needed to be t r ied and tested to ensure i t was something our of f ice was ready to do. Learning the sof tware over the course of a few weeks , then guiding coworkers through the changes to ensure a smooth t rans i t ion was a fun process . We learned ways to st reaml ine the migrat ion process for other edi tors by informat ion needed to car ry out our dai ly tasks . Now, I do the test ing for future major updates to the sof tware as way to ensure edi tors know what has been f i xed and what new bugs to expect dur ing thei r workf lows . Al so, I am leading the very ear ly stages of a pi lot project that wi l l di splay al l our county ’ s condo parcel s in 3D accurate to each uni t ’ s des ign wi thin the condo declarat ion, to then be publ i shed to our webs i te for the publ ic to see. creat ing ready-to-go templates wi th al l the

JORDAN D. MURRAY GIS TECHNICIAN II

Where was your best vacat ion ever? I recent ly got into t ravel ing, so my l i st i s shor t , but my most enjoyable vacat ion was a t r ip to New York for the f i rst t ime. I went dur ing the spr ingt ime and the weather was amaz ing, the food was great , and the bui ldings were beaut i ful . The 9/ 1 1 memor ial was a great stop everyone should see at least once. I al so went to Cancun, Mex ico and i t was a very beaut i ful place wi th one of the most beaut i ful beaches I ’ ve ever seen. What are your hobbies and interests outside your job? I spend a lot of t ime wi th fami ly . I don’ t have chi ldren mysel f cur rent ly , so I spend a lot of t ime wi th my nephews and niece playing spor ts or buying them Legos and bui lding them together . I al so enjoy cook ing any and everything. I do i t most of ten for my gi r l f r iend, parents , and my three brothers at least twice a month when we al l get -

12

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 202 3

MEMBER SPOTL IGHT CONTINUED

What ’s one thing people would be surpr ised to know about you? In high school , I got the oppor tuni ty to work wi th NASA on the Student Launch Ini t iat ive project . I t gave high school s and col leges across the county the chal lenge to bui ld and launch rockets to col lect weather data. I had the pr ivi lege of work ing on the des ign team, being one of a few students in the school to have both draf t ing and des ign cer t i f icat ions of fered at our school (Autodesk Archi tecture and Sol idWorks Mechanical Des ign Associates) .

together . I t ’ s always fun for me to make something they al l enjoy . What is some of the best career advice you’ve been given? One of my ear ly managers told me “… every but ton on a machine i s meant to be pressed. Don’ t be af raid to break i t . ” Al though, work ing in manufactur ing, he meant that l i teral ly , I appl ied i t to everything that I do and i t real ly set the precedents of how I navigate my problem solving. I t ry not to be af raid of mak ing mi stakes because everything has a lesson to be learned wi thin i t . Now, I apply reasoning as to why I choose to “press a but ton, ” but the same think ing st i l l appl ies .

STAYING APPRA I SED

13

SUMMER 2023

News MEMBER

Leon County Tal lahassee – Leon County Proper ty Apprai ser Ak in Ak inyemi , PhD, RA, CFA, CMS , has been selected as a par t icipant in Class 41 of the Leadership F lor ida Cornerstone Program. Fol lowing a compet i t ive appl icat ion process , Ak inyemi joins a class of senior- level leaders to par t icipate in the nine-month educat ional program focused on i ssues cr i t ical to F lor ida and ref ining wel l -developed leadership sk i l l s . “ I am honored to have the oppor tuni ty to meet and learn f rom some of the state’ s most exper ienced and inf luent ial communi ty leaders , ” Ak inyemi said. “ I ’m al so look ing forward to shar ing my own unique exper iences and perspect ives wi th my col leagues . I t i s an honor to be selected for such a prest igious oppor tuni ty . ” F i rst elected in 2016 and re elected in 2020, Ak inyemi serves the ci t i zens of Leon County as the elected proper ty apprai ser . He previous ly served as a Leon County Commi ss ioner f rom 2008 through 2012 af ter leading a regional archi tecture f i rm for over 20 years . From 2021 to 2022 , Ak inyemi served as pres ident of the F lor ida Associat ion of Proper ty Apprai sers and cont inues to serve as a member of the board of di rectors . Ak inyemi holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Studies f rom F lor ida State Univers i ty , a Master of Archi tecture f rom F lor ida Agr icul tural & Mechanical

Univers i ty , a Bachelor of Science in Archi tecture & Hous ing Development f rom the Univers i ty of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science in Envi ronmental Des ign f rom the Univers i ty of Lagos . Leadership F lor ida i s a unique organi zat ion that takes a hol i st ic view of the condi t ions and chal lenges facing our great state and of fers a cont inuum for expanding the impact of communi ty leaders across the state. For over 40 years , Leadership F lor ida has engaged more than 3 , 300 leaders through a compet i t ive appl icat ion process who represent al l sectors of F lor ida’ s economy and ref lect the diverse demographics of the state.

Toot your own horn!

The Member News sect ion i s brand new to the news let ter and we want to highl ight your profess ional accompl i shments .

Kindly send any remarkable accompl i shments or achievements , deserv ing recogni t ion f rom yoursel f , col leagues , or staf f members , to thi s emai l address : f lor idachapter iaao@gmai l .com

K

SUMMER 2023

14

STAYING APPRA I SED

National Conference: Two selected to receive conference scholarship We are pleased to announce the recipients of two $1,500 scholarships to attend the 2023 IAAO National conference in Salt Lake City. The funds will assist the winners with the conference registration fee, lodging and travel expenses. This is the fourth year the Chapter has offered scholarships to members who want to experience the national conference, but may have difficulty with financing the trip. After reviewing the submitted applications, the Board selected two deserving candidates, Beau Gordon from Pinellas County and Alan Rappaport from Palm Beach County.

Beau is a recent RES designee and this will be his first time attending the national conference. He states in his application, " I would love to be able to attend the annual IAAO conference in Salt Lake City to meet fellow IAAO members & designees from across the country and continue my growth as an appraiser by sitting in on the many great sessions.".

Alan has never attended a national conference even though he received his RES designation ten years ago. "Since completing my designation, I have always wanted to attend an annual IAAO conference." Congratulations Beau and Alan! We can't wait to hear about your experience.

SUMMER 2023

15

STAYING APPRA I SED

CALENDAR

Education

Registration Info

Course No

Course Name

Location/Date

Virtual July 24-27, 2023

Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal

IAAO 101

DOR Link

Virtual August 7-10, 2023

IAAO 102

Income Approach to Valuation

DOR Link

Virtual October 9-12, 2023

IAAO 201

Appraisal of Land

DOR Link

Virtual November 13-16, 2023

IAAO 500

Assessment of Personal Property

DOR Link

16

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

Chapter submits for IAAO Award Win would be 25th

At each IAAO Annual Conference, individual and organizational achievements for excellence in property appraisal, assessment administration, property tax policy and related disciplines are recognized during the awards program.

The FCIAAO diligently pursues the goal of being one of the best chapters in the world. Our commitment to that goal has resulted in receiving the award a record twenty-four (24) times! Prior to May 1st our submission was sent to the IAAO for consideration of this prestigious award. If we are successful in being chosen again this year, it will be our 25th win! Click on the graphic to view the 2023 Chapter of the Year submission.

17

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

O P P O R T U N I T I E S JOB

Brevard

Broward

Escambia

GIS Cadastral Mapper

Appeals Specialist

Appraiser/Evaluator

Abstract & Mapping Specialist

Customer Service Specialist Appeals Senior Appraiser(MAI)

Nassau

Deputy Appraiser

Hillsborough

Manatee

Field Appraiser

Tax Roll Records Specialist I

Mapping Speclialist I

Orange

Palm Beach

Pinellas

Appraiser Analyst-Commercial Public Records Coordinator GIS Programmer Analyst Investigator I, Exemptions

GIS Map Tech 1 Customer Service Rep I

Commercial Appraiser

Putnam

Sarasota Residential Appraiser

Commercial Manager

St. Lucie

Osceola Commercial Appraiser GIS Developer

Commercial Appraiser Appraisal Operations Director Projects & Communications Coord

Asst. Director of Assessments

Commercial Appraiser Field Appraiser

Real Estate Appraisal Analyst

18

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

CONGRATULATIONS!

WilliamBrush Palm Beach County Commercial Senior Appraiser 29 years

Darlene Seager Palm Beach County Senior Finance Customer Service 28 years

Sheila Houston Palm Beach County Residential Team Lead 27 years

Carolyn Lightsey Palm Beach County Senior Deed Processor 24 years

TheresaWheeles Palm Beach County Senior Tech, GIS 21 years

Retiring Soon? Let us know so we can include it in the next newsletter! Send your information to: floridachapteriaao@gmail.com

19

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

When was the last time you logged in to your Member profile? Log on to your account and verify:

your job title designations email address

Click here to sign in!

20

STAYING APPRA I SED

SUMMER 2023

A publ icat ion by the Flor ida Chapter of the Internat ional Associat ion of Assessing Of f icers www. fciaao.org