Spring 2021 Newsletter

Florida Chapter of IAAO

Spring 2021

Staying Appraised

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

It’s time to put away those webcams and headsets! After a long year of Zoom meetings and classes, the FCIAAO will be holding its 2021 Annual Conference in person. This years conference will be held at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando on July 28th – 30th. We will have sessions from four tracks: Real Estate, Exemptions, IT/GIS and Administration. Look for topics covering employee evaluations, VAB, organizational exemptions and more!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

President’s Message……………….2

Member News…………….………..4

Award Nominations……………….5

County Spotlight…......................6-7

Employment Opportunities………8

2021 IAAO Conference….………..9

Professional Des. News…………..10

Take advantage of FCIAAO member and early bird pricing by clicking HERE to register online today!

Member Spotlight.……………......11

Education Calendar……………..12

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

2020-2021 FCIAAO

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

EXECUTIVE BOARD

I hope everyone’s 2021 has started off right. It looks like brighter days on the horizon as we finally start to come out of the dark clouds of COVID. I’m looking forward to once again being able to meet in person with my peers and friends throughout the appraisal community. There is value in hav- ing Educational Presentations virtually, but the networking connections and opportuni- ties that an ‘IN PERSON’ Conference offer are, in my mind, priceless. Up next for the FCIAAO are two virtual edu- cational Workshop offerings. On April 19 th we will offer IAAO Workshop 191: 7-Hr Na- tional USPAP Update . This Workshop offers

PRESIDENT Justin Edwards, AAS, PPS, CFE Office Operations Supervisor Putnam County

2 ND VICE PRESIDENT Kenny Pennington, CFE, CBC Chief Deputy Osceola County

Justin Edwards AAS, PPS, CFE

TREASURER Christopher D. Mitts, PPS, CFE Senior TPP Appraiser St. Lucie County

7 hours of IAAO Recertification Credit. This is a great opportunity for those with IAAO Designations to help meet your required Continuing Education requirements. The following day, April 20 th , the FCIAAO will offer IAAO Workshop 852: AAS Case Study Review . This is a two and a half day Workshop and offers 18.5 hours of IAAO Recertification Credit. Workshop 852 is highly suggested for those seeking the IAAO’s AAS Designation. The deadline to register for either of these Workshops is April 12 th , so please don’t de- lay. The Chapter is hard at work putting together the finishing touches on this year’s FCIAAO Annual Conference. Please mark your calendars for July 28 th – 30 th , 2021. We’re happy to announce that we will once again have an ‘IN PERSON’ conference as the conference will be held at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando. Registration is open and Hotel infor- mation for the Conference is available HERE . The FCIAAO Steering Committees do a great job of putting together relevant and timely presentations based upon the hot topics of the day and needs of our members. The IAAO has scheduled its 87 th Annual Conference for August 29 – Sep- tember 1 to be held at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL. The cost of reg- istration is $645 for members until July 16 th , then $770 until August 13 th , and $895 on site. Nonmember registration is $845/$970/$1,095 with the same escalation schedule for increases. Come take advantage of this opportunity to interact with peers from across the country as well as from around the globe. Additional information for the IAAO’s 87 th An- nual Conference can be found HERE . Finally, please remember that this is your Chapter. Please feel free to contact me or any of the Executive Board members with any questions, suggestions or concerns. I hope to see all of you in Orlando at the Annu- al Conference in July. Please stay safe.

SECRETARY Dee Dee Harnish, AAS, RES, CFE Director, Valuation Services Monroe County

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Wynta Loughrey, RES, CFE Assistant Commercial Valuation Manager Sarasota County

DIRECTOR Kevin D. Hayes, MAI, CAE, RES, CFE Deputy of Appraisals Pinellas County

DIRECTOR A. Renee Large, AAS, EA, CFE Director Administrative Services Clay County

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Pat Alesandrini, MAI, SRA, CAE, RES, CFE Chief Deputy Hillsborough County

Respectfully, Justin Edwards, AAS, PPS, CFE FCIAAO President 2020-2021

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

PROCEDURAL RULE CHANGES

One the FCIAAO’s core values is to act with transparency. One of the ways the Chapter accomplishes this is to include the Strategic Plan , Procedural Rules and By-Laws on our website. As President Ed- wards mentions in his message, this is your Chapter. It’s important that the members know about up- coming changes and amendments. Beginning on January 1, 2022, in order for a FCIAAO member to be eligible for the Tony Hodge Edu- cational Award, the new designee must be a member in good standing for at least 24 consecutive months (an increase from 12) prior to being awarded their IAAO designation and receiving the award. If you have any question about this change or want to know how it may impact you, please contact any one of the Executive Board members.

APPRAISAL TERMINOLOGY 101

Coefficient of Price Related Bias (PRB)— The PRB indicates the percentage by which assessment ratios change whenever values are doubled or halved. For example, a PRB of −.03 would mean that assessment levels fall by 3% when value doubles. The PRB should range between −0.05 and +0.05. PRBs outside the range of -0.10 to +0.10 are considered unacceptable.

Source: Glossary for Property Appraisal and Assessment.

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

MEMBER NEWS

Congratulations to FCIAAO member and Palm Beach County’s own, Keith Alexander, RES. Keith recently passed the Master Exam for IAAO’s Mass Appraisal Specialist (MAS) designation. He will be the first to do so in Florida and will join only three other individuals worldwide in obtain- ing the designation. You can find out more about Keith on page 11 .

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

FCIAAO AWARD NOMINATIONS

FCIAAO takes pride in recognizing the individual achievements of our members in the assessment in- dustry. The Chapter is happy to present the Member of the Year Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award each year during our Annual Conference. Do you know a member that has made a significant contribution to the Chapter through active partici- pation in its activities and who has made an outstanding contribution to the realization of the FCIAAO mission in his or her career? Nominate them today!

Nominations must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the FCIAAO Annual Conference.

Click the link below to submit your nominations.

FCIAAO Member of the Year FCIAAO Lifetime Achievement Award

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: LEON COUNTY

Leon County, originally part of Escambia County, was created by the territorial legislature in 1824 with Tallahassee as the county seat and state capital. The city of Tallahassee was incorporated in 1825 following a decision by the legislature to locate the capital of the new Florida territory mid- way between the population centers of St. Augustine and Pensacola. Named for Ponce de Leon, Leon County was one of the most populous and prosperous counties in Florida. Tallahassee, named for the “Old Fields” that it once encompassed, earned the title early in the 16th century from the Apalachee Indians who inhabited the area. Today, Tallahassee exempli- fies not only the influence of the Indian, but also that of the Spanish, French and English who oc- cupied the area in succession. Leon County’s rolling landscape, typical of regions further north, is unique among the major cities of Florida. Some areas of the county, including the downtown ridge, consisting of the capitol com- plex, city hall, and the county courthouse, exceed elevations of 200 feet. The highest elevation in Leon County is 288 feet, found in the northern parts of the county. To the south of the city, the hills yield to the flat terrain that is typical throughout the peninsula of Florida.

The northern soils are the perfect recipe for sustaining the picturesque live oak trees with characteristic Span- ish moss growing from heavy branches. The beauty of canopy roads, created by these old live oaks, along with the rolling terrain have played an important role in the direction of growth in the county. The roadways, with their canopied effect, are held in high esteem by resi- dents and visitors alike. Nine roads within Leon County have been officially designated as “ canopy roads ” and enjoy limits on roadside development, serving to pro- tect the trees.

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: LEON COUNTY

Home to state government in Florida, the total as- sessed value of state-owned properties, including col- leges and universities, is estimated at $2.6 billion which represents 473 parcels, 380 buildings, and a total building square footage of approximately 17,000,000 square feet. According to recent surveys, employment by state government includes 45,000 workers, or 25% of the total employed in the county. Public schools in Leon County include 25 elementary schools, eight middle schools, and five high schools. Alternative educational opportunities include fifteen private schools and two university research schools. According to Leon County public schools, program monitoring and evaluation services, approximately 31,500 students are enrolled in the current school year. Higher education opportunities are available at Flori- da State University (FSU), Florida A & M University (FAMU), and Tallahassee Community College (TCC) . Lively Vocational Technical School offers technical training opportunities. Colleges and Universities alone account for close to 65,000 students during peak enrollment periods. Innovation Park, a 238-acre university-related research park, allows both private and public agencies to engage in research, testing, design, analysis, and limited product assembly. This research park is home to the National High Magnetic Laboratory , and the joint FSU/FAMU school of engi- neering, among other facilities.

Not only is Tallahassee known as a college and gov- ernment town, but recreational opportunities in the county are available to outdoor enthusiasts through a series of hiking, biking, and paddling trails, totaling over 700 miles. This earned the capital city the nickname, “ Trailahassee ,” because of the miles of paths to explore. The 571,000 acre, Apalachicola National Forest, takes a bite out of the southwest quadrant of Leon County to the tune of just over 105,000 acres. Hunting and fishing, along with off-road trail riding, are popu- lar pastimes in the national forest.

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Position Available

County

Director of Records/Exemptions

Charlotte County

Field Appraiser I

Hernando County

Field Inspector

Hillsborough County

Commercial Real Estate Field Appraiser I

Orange County

Condo Appraiser II

Palm Beach County

Sr Commercial Appraiser

Palm Beach County

Commercial Appraiser

Polk County

Land Appraiser

Polk County

Residential Manager

Putnam County

Commercial Appraiser

Saint Lucie County

Database Application Administrator

Sarasota County

GIS Technician

Sarasota County

Field Appraiser I

Walton County

Click HERE to view more information on the FCIAAO Employment Opportunities page.

To post a job opportunity on the FCIAAO website, please email your job posting to, Justin Edwards Webmaster. It is the policy of the Chapter to only post job opportunities for member jurisdictions and subscribing member entities.

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

IAAO ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 2021 IAAO Annual Conference is scheduled for August 29 to September 1 in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Many of the chapters own will be presenting at the conference; Opal Hud- son CFE, CSM, CPM; Melissa Lombardo CAE; Honorable Dorothy Jacks CFA, AAS; Honorable Mike Twitty MAI, CFA; Wynta Loughrey RES, CFE; and William Shepherd Esq. A complete schedule of all sessions and presenters can be found here.

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION NEWS

We’re back, baby! I’m super excited at the opportunity for us to assem- ble at the 2021 FCIAAO Annual Conference in Orlando and recognize the continued success of the FCIAAO and new IAAO professional designees. Within the next few weeks, I will begin notifying chapter members who are eligible to receive the Tony Hodge Educational Award. The FCIAAO Procedural Rules (as amended) specify eligibility of the award, as follows: The Tony Hodge Educational Award may be granted to FCIAAO regular members who earn their IAAO designations. The Executive Board shall recognize newly designated members at the successive FCI- AAO 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 12 consecutive months prior to being awarded their designation and receiving the award.

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

New designees must provide a copy of IAAO’s letter conferring the designation, or a copy of the des- ignation certificate, to the PDC Chairman, or a member of the PDC. Tony Hodge recipients must be registered for the respective annual conference to be eligible to participate in the awards presenta- tion. 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. The deadline to submit is Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Don’t miss out on joining an exclusive group of designated assessment professionals!

DID YOU KNOW?

From 1999 – April 2020, the FCIAAO Executive Board has conferred 177 Tony Hodge Educational Awards, resulting in more than $71,000 to new IAAO designees.

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: KEITH ALEXANDER

Name: Keith Alexander County: Palm Beach

What do you do for the PA? Manager of the Agricultural Appraisal Department. We are charged with qualifying and tracking approximately 450,000 acres of agriculturally-classified land, which makes up about a third of Palm Beach County. We also determine the Ag land rates and value the farm land in the Everglades Agricultural Area, lo- cated in the western half of the county.

How long have you been employed by the PA? I have been with the Property Appraiser’s Office for ten years .

Keith Alexander, RES, CFE

Why did you decide to enter the field? My adventure in real estate appraisal began in 1993, when a friend began appraising for a small firm in Broward County. I had a real estate salesperson’s license but hadn’t used it and I had no idea appraising existed as a career option. My friend enjoyed the job, so I ran out and took clas- ses. A hundred phone calls later, I convinced an appraisal office to take me on and I’ve been in the business since. I spent seventeen years in private practice before joining the Property Appraiser’s Office . What do you like most about your job? Without a doubt, it’s the people. Our office is a great environment. We are very welcoming to new hires and you quickly get a sense that it’s a big team all working toward a common goal. In my ten years here, I’ve yet to hear anyone say “That’s not my job.” That positive approach is re- flected in our interactions with the public. Helping a frustrated taxpayer through an issue and sending them away satisfied with the experience is something that never gets old for me. What is some of the best career advice you’ve been given? A teacher of mine used to say that consistency beats intensity. The person who shows up day in, day out, chipping away at a project or a new skill, is more likely to reach their goal than those who go a thousand miles an hour for a short time before they burn out or grow bored. It’s about hav- ing the patience and the foresight to play the long game. What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you? As a young person, I was a subpar student. My grades in middle and high school were passing but unimpressive and it was not unusual for me to come home with a card full of Cs, and an occasion- al D or F. I especially struggled with math and didn’t pass Algebra until college. It took me years to learn how to be a student; how to study and retain the information. Now that I’ve learned what I have to do to succeed, I love continuing my education and I take every course available to me. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? If you ask my girlfriend, I already won the lottery when I met her. And I think she may have a point. If I was lucky enough to win it a second time, I’d probably splurge on things like name brand peanut butter and two-ply bathroom tissue. Other than that, I’d like to help out the good people in my life. Those who never ask for anything but deserve so much more than they have. I’d probably also set up a scholarship fund. I sat on our PAO scholarship committee for a few years and it was a most rewarding experience.

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

EDUCATION CALENDAR

IAAO 102— Income Approach to Valuation

Live Online | April 12-15

IAAO 300— Fundamentals of Mass Appraisal

Live Online | April 26-29

IAAO 331—Mass Appraisal Practices and Procedures

Live Online | June 28-July 1

The Florida Department of Revenue sponsors the offerings listed above. For more details and to register online visit Floridarevenue.com

IAAO Workshop 191: 7 Hr National USPAP Update

Live Online | April 19

IAAO Workshop 852: AAS Case Study Review

Live Online | April 20-22

The FCIAAO sponsors the offerings listed above. For more details and to register online visit www.fciaao.org/events

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO

Mission Statement

“FCIAAO is a statewide community of mass appraisal experts, who offer education and

professional development opportunities in ad valorem appraisal, administration, and tax

policy.”

A publication by the Florida Chapter of International Association of Assessing Officers

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Spring 2021 Newsletter of the FCIAAO