President’s Message
Happiest of New Years to my fellow Appraisal Institute members! I hope you all enjoyed some time doing what you love this time of year – whether that be spending time with friends and family, simply relaxing, or perhaps getting some work done while the phones are quiet. As we look ahead to 2023, we see an inspiring mix of challenges and opportunities that lay a path for us to strengthen our profession – both locally and nationally – and ultimately become not only the best appraisers we can be to our clients, but the best colleagues we can be to each other.
To start with, we are very excited to welcome our North Dakota and eastern South Dakota brothers and sisters into the proposed realigned WyDak (Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota) Chapter of the Appraisal Institute. The creation of this new chapter will allow each of us the opportunity to network with, learn from, lean on, and grow through, others who have experienced and overcome similar challenges that we face appraising in our respective states. And while we understand that bringing together a group of people from such a large geographic area will present its own logistical challenges, as President, I promise that I and our board will work hard to overcome the obstacles and ensure everyone feels closely involved and well represented.
Next, as the newly appointed 2023-2024 Chair of the Government Relations Committee for Region II, I will also be closely following legislation affecting our profession at the local, state, and national levels, across residential, commercial, and agricultural sectors. There are multiple issues currently being debated with many others in the pipeline that will be shared at the Chapter level as they arise.
I would also like to thank all those involved with the realignment of the proposed WyDak Chapter. This could not have been accomplished without the guidance and support from Scott Brody, CAE, IOM, and Evan Williams, CAE, IOM, both with AI’s Professional Services and Resources Department in Chicago; North Star Chapter 2022 President Scott Neu, MAI and 2023 President Ethan Waytas, MAI; Region II Chair Ken Simpson, MAI, SRA; Region III Chair Jason Messner, MAI, CRE; Appraisal Institute President Craig Steinley, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, AI-RRS; our own Board of Directors and Chapter Leadership; and all of the individual members across both the Wyoming and Western South Dakota Chapter and the North Star Chapter who voted and shared their feedback with us throughout this process.
In closing, I would like to thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to serve as President during this important and dynamic period in our chapter’s – and indeed, our profession’s – history. I would also like invite all of you to please share your thoughts, your concerns, and most importantly, your ideas with us. As George Bernard Shaw said: “If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then you and I will still each have an apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”
Here’s to doing great things together,
Deb Clark, MAI
2023 Wyoming and Western South Dakota Chapter President
