I thought that preparing to speak at this year's installation banquet as your new President was difficult; however, writing my first "President's Message" may have been even more difficult. For this first run I thought I would share a few things from the banquet, particularly since not all of our members could be in attendance. I was so very honored to be in the presence of such good company at the banquet and so fortunate to be amongst so many of our NCAI members. I am genuinely honored to serve as your 2010 NCAI Chapter President, and look forward to a rewarding and prosperous year for our chapter. I would like to commend Bill Murr, SRA, the 2009 NCAI President for the awesome job he did this past year, and a BIG “THANK YOU� to the rest of the executive committee. I am thankful to be working with most all of you again on the Board of Directors, and welcome back Cody Jetton, MAI, as Secretary this year. I also would like to extend a HUGE “THANK YOU� to Nancy Toombs for all her uncounted hours and efforts as our Executive Director, along with a special thanks to her assistant, Lynlee Basore. As I have learned over the years, “There is no ‘I’ in ‘Team’;� we must all work together and we sure have a great staff and a wonderful cast of volunteers. In preparing for what I would say at the banquet, I kept going back and thinking about a leadership conference I attended several years ago. The "Guest Speaker" was Mitchell Tolle from Berea, KY, an American Artist (perhaps one of the best), a motivational speaker, an author, and a dedicated lay-minister in his church. While at that conference, I purchased the CDs from the conference and have listened to it many, many times along on long road trips. Mitchell's is, however, one of the best I have ever heard. You may not pick up on everything, but you will pick up on at least one thing: that he feels as if having faith in yourself is most important. We have heard for many years now, since the movie "Pay It Forward" with Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey & Haley Joel Osment came out, to do just that, “Pay it Forward,� and I believe that is what I am now doing by being President and representing the NC Chapter, AI. So many that attended the installation banquet, and so many others I heard from that could not be in attendance, have in some way or another helped me get to this point, not only as an appraiser but as your new Chapter President. Now it is my turn. Now back to Mitchell Tolle who also spoke on "Touching the Clay" which also stuck with me. Tolle said that we are born this tiny little lump, like a lump of clay --- your mind is closed, no thoughts, no opinions, just this little bundle of joy --- until those around you begin to influence and mold you. From my parents and loved ones, to friends, co-workers, and peers it is never ending, as we are all constantly exposed to new faces through our personal and professional endeavors. My point is: wonderful people have touched the clay that has molded me over the years. As for the NCAI, there was a list placed on every table during the banquet of the past presidents since 1980 and here I am. I only hope I can follow in their footsteps (30 years worth) and serve you well as this year's 2010 Chapter President. Alex Haley once said "When you see a turtle up on a fence post, be assured that he had help getting there." Remember, someone touched your clay --- reach out and touch the clay of someone around you, in your personal and professional life. I have had so much encouragement and assistance within this organization, and I will continue to pay that encouragement forward to our associates and members. Without your support and involvement, we as a chapter cannot grow. You will find that by participating at any level, voicing your opinions and expressing your concerns is the best way to further the profession of the AI and you yourself as a professional. Having the MAI and SRA behind your name is the "Gold Standard" in our industry. We want to "Raise the Bar, not close it down." Through the loss of some and the gaining of others, as of March 2010, our membership numbers are just a tad higher than March 2009. We have increased our total membership by 10. We also have added five new Designated members (three MAIs and two SRAs). Though we had previously presented one of our MAIs her Membership Certificate at our summer meeting, at the January Installation Banquet, we again recognized this member's accomplishment using the new award ceremony. She let us know that it was very much appreciated using the all new formal recognition. The new award ceremony was developed by John Bosworth, MAI, SRA, our 2010 NC Chapter and Region V, PR Chair, to show a very special recognition of all of the hard work, timely hours, and dedication it takes to become Designated. John, we thank you for seeing the importance of a meaningful ceremony to acknowledge this career milestone. We would also encourage other chapters to adopt this format for presenting designation certificates. As you all know, education is our lifeblood and the NC Chapter is offering a full complement of seminars and courses throughout the year. Discussions are continually held at meetings regarding the difficulty in finding new seminars to present at our quarterly meetings, but a number of "home grown" seminars are in the works. If you have any suggestions in mind, please let us know, and we will pursue the idea. In hopes of promoting more member involvement in Chapter, Regional, and National issues, we are also looking into holding a few dinner/chapter business meetings with a guest speaker to be held the evening before a day-long seminar to provide two additional CE credits. Lastly, politics will continue to play a role in the NCAI, and we have several members that keep our chapter informed of what is going on around us. We are involved with such groups, but not limited to, the Realtors, NCAB, ASA, particularly in supporting the AMC (Appraisal Management Company) regulation bill for them to be regulated by the NCAB. I encourage you, should you have any interest in these topics or others, get involved or, at best, share your enthusiasm or concerns so they may be addressed. I encourage each of you to use your voice; this is your Chapter. Get involved, you will not regret it. Please also visit the websites (NCAI and AI) as there is a wealth of information out there. Let us know what we can do to further encourage new membership and to also maintain our current members. Thank you all for this opportunity! Susan M. King, MAI 2010 NCAI Chapter President