2027 Slate of NCAI Officers, Directors, Regional Representatives, and Alternate Regional Representatives

 This slate is presented by the North Carolina Chapter 2026 Nominating Committee which is comprised of: Kelli Kline Mayhew, MAI, SRA (Chair); Matt Benyon, MAI, Jamie Vogel, SRA, Keith Bolte, Jr., MAI, AI-GRS, and David Ivey, MAI, AI-GRS.

This slate of nominees will be on the agenda for a vote of approval by chapter members at the 2nd Quarter 2026 Chapter Business Meeting to be held on June 10th, 2026 at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC.

NCAI is pleased to announce the chapter will be hosting our first ever WIN Conference, which will be held on Thursday, March 12th at the Canopy Realtors Building in Charlotte, NC. Save the date and join us for a day filled with network building opportunities and engaging speakers covering real estate from a variety of perspectives, including development, brokerage, appraisal, and investment. Registration is scheduled to open in early February. Continuing education credit is pending. Sponsorship opportunities will also be released in February. Our experts will address current real estate issues, how the use of artificial intelligence can benefit real estate practitioners and how real estate impacts our communities and the world around us. We have a phenomenal speaker line up including:

• Debbie Gallimore, CIPS, CCIM - Principal and Broker-In-Charge of Gallimore Associates, 2022 NC-CCIM of the year and 2026 President of the NC-CCIM Chapter
• Megan Oglesby - Senior Advisor to The Congdon Foundation, Principal Investor of the Carolina Core FC professional men’s soccer team and Founding Board Member and Investor in WPSL Pro, a new Division II women’s professional soccer league
• Kelly Davids - President of The Appraisal Foundation
• Ashley Johnson, MAI, SRA, R/W-AC – President of First Appraisal Group, Inc. and 2026 President Elect of the Appraisal Institute
• Heather Placer Mull, MAI, SRA, ARA, CCIM, ASA – President of Placer Realty Advisors, LLC,  Appraisal Institute national board of directors 2020 – 2024, President of Mid-Atlantic CCIM Chapter 2020, Virginia Real Estate Appraisers Board 2020 - 2024, 2023 Chair for the NAR Commercial Economic Forum and 2025 Vice Chair for the NAR Commercial Leadership Forum
• Claire Aufrance, MAI, SRA – President of Aufrance Valuations, LLC and 2026 Chair of the North Carolina Appraisal Board
• Chandra Mast – President of Red Rose Appraisals, Secretary of the Pennsylvania State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers, and Artificial Intelligence SME and instructor

Congratulations to one of our own! Governor Josh Stein has appointed Laura Gourlay, MAI, AI-GRS to a three-year term on the North Carolina Appraisal Board, ending June 2028. Laura is an executive officer of the North Carolina Chapter of the Appraisal Institute. Currently serving as Secretary in 2025, she will serve as chapter Treasurer in 2026. Laura is the owner of AccuAppraisal of NC, LLC, which is headquartered in Asheville, NC, and whose primary market area encompasses western North Carolina.

She is an expert in Eminent Domain appraising and works full time for the NCDOT as a review appraiser. Her practice also includes appraisal and consulting on a wide variety of commercial real estate. Laura regularly teaches for the NCDOT, and is an AQB Certified USPAP Instructor. 

A highlight of our Q3 Chapter Business Meeting in Asheville last week was honoring our newest designee – Brent Koenig, MAI, AI-GRS – who was recognized for his designation by NCAI President Elect Greyson Morgan, MAI.

Brent provides real estate valuation, consulting, research and project management services, and has 22 years of experience in real estate as a manager, director, practice leader, appraiser, owner-builder and project engineer. He has advised lenders, investors, developers and builders on the development of 93,000+ housing units. Brent currently works for Freddie Mac as a Senior Credit Risk Consultant and Senior Review Appraiser.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown last Thursday for NCAI's Q3 Chapter Business Meeting. We had a great meeting and we got a lot accomplished: we discussed chapter news and events, we recognized industry achievement, we connected with old friends and industry peers, and we enjoyed a presentation by an outstanding local leader!

(L-R): Real Estate Valuation Conference Committee Residential Chair Nathan Pippin, SRA; Government Relations Committee Chair Shep Overton, MAI; President Kelli Mayhew, MAI, SRA; Treasurer Brian Crowder, MAI, SRA; and Women’s Initiative Committee Chair Linda Nelson

Our membership keeps growing. We're thrilled to introduce the following new members of the North Carolina Chapter of the Appraisal Institute:

Associate Members

• Karina Kizatova, Indian Trail, NC
• Louis Fierro Nunez, Jacksonville, NC

Thank you for joining, and we're excited to have you as a part of the NCAI community!

Recently, 2022 NCAI President Vanessa Hall, MAI, AI-GRS, was featured on the Appraisal Institute's podcast, Face Value. The show, hosted by Tonia Vailas, MAI, AI-GRS, and Warren Boizot, SRA, AI-RRS, discusses news, insights and stories with appraisers and real estate professionals.

In the July 28th episode titled, "WIN and AA, " Vailas and Boizot sat down with Ms. Hall and another fellow AI member, Emily Braman, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in the appraisal profession. Hall also highlighted her work as chair of AI's Women's Initiative Committee (WIN).

NCAI Past President Claire Aufrance, MAI, was elected Chair of the North Carolina Appraisal Board (NCAB), during the June 24th meeting.  Formerly the Vice Chair, Claire’s term as Chair began on July 1, 2025, and will run through June 30, 2026.  Claire is the first woman to hold the position of Chair in NCAB history.

Among her many professional accomplishments, Claire has served as President of the NC Chapter of the Appraisal Institute in 2016, Chair of Appraisal Institute Region V in 2021 – 2022, and as a member of the Appraisal Institutes’ national board of directors between 2019 – 2022.  Claire has been the recipient of multiple Appraisal Institute honor’s including: the President’s Award in 2022, the Women’s Initiative Spotlight Award in 2022, and as a Volunteer of Distinction also in 2022.

By Greyson Morgan, MAI, NCAI President-Elect

NCAI and the Government Relations Committee have been working diligently and have made significant positive progress in recent months at the North Carolina Capitol!

Thank you to everyone who came out to Congdon Yards in High Point last week for NCAI's Q2 Chapter Business Meeting. The meeting was a great success: we got a lot accomplished, we connected with old friends and industry peers, and we enjoyed an evening of socializing and fun at the Carolina Core FC game!

(L-R): Greyson Morgan, Brian Crowder, Scott DiBiasio, Mike Elwell, Laura Gourlay, Erica Butler
and NCAI President Kelli Mayhew

Our membership keeps growing. We're thrilled to introduce the following new members of the North Carolina Chapter of the Appraisal Institute:

New Members

Associate Member

The North Carolina Chapter of the Appraisal Institute would like to congratulate William Christopher Morris for earning the distinguished MAI designation. Chris has been employed with IRR-Raleigh since July of 2017. His coverage area includes southern Virginia and all of North Carolina. He covers all property types for lenders, owners, funds, municipalities, and government agencies for both lending purposes and eminent domain purposes.

Chris's father, Chris R. Morris, MAI, FRICS, Senior Managing Director at Integra Realty Resources, is a long time member of NCAI. Says Chris of his son, “Christopher has displayed significant perseverance in his journey from researcher to trainee to certified general appraiser to MAI. During this process, he’s quickly expanded his competency for the primary property types, along with the eminent domain sector. In addition, he has developed meaningful relationships with top brokerage professionals across NC and the Southeast. I’m ecstatic for both of us that the destination has been reached.”

We're excited to introduce the membership to our new executive director, Jonathan Lugo. Jonathan brings to NCAI a strong background in youth development and nonprofit leadership, bringing over 15 years of experience to the organization. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Jonathan relocated to Charlotte, NC three years ago to begin a new chapter, continuing his passion for helping people and building meaningful connections.

A graduate of CUNY Baruch College, Jonathan has a diverse professional background that includes program development, event planning, and sports management. He also holds a foundation in commercial dance and has always been driven by creativity, community impact, and high-energy environments. Jonathan is an avid sports fan—especially basketball—and enjoys volunteering whenever possible to give back to his community.

Our membership keeps growing. We're thrilled to introduce the following new members:

Associate Member

The first annual Appraisal Institute Legislative Day was held in conjunction with the Leadership Development and Advisory Council (LDAC) meeting May 14-16, in Washington, DC.

(L-R): Keith Bolte, Erica Butler, Richard Earley, Brian Crowder and Laura Gourlay

2026 Slate of NCAI Officers, Directors, Regional Representatives, and Alternate Regional Representatives

This slate is presented by the North Carolina Chapter’s 2025 Nominating Committee, comprised of: Michael Elwell, MAI, SRA (Chair); Vanessa Hall, MAI, AI-GRS; Joyce Pusey, SRA, AI-RRS; Joel Tate, SRA; and Chris Johnson, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS.

The underlined below denotes the members selected to fill the positions listed. Approval of this slate will be voted on at the Q2 Chapter Business Meeting held in High Point, NC on June 11, 2025.

The Main Point
The Appraisal Institute is facing a crisis. In this message, you will learn about the events that have occurred to date, how the fallout has impacted us, and what we can do to move forward.

Background
On Thursday, May 8th, the New York Times published an article titled “Appraisal Trade Group Accused of Covering Up Sexual Harassment and Test Flaws.” You can read it here. Many disturbing allegations were made in the article including wrongful termination and sexual harassment claims by a former employee.

NCAI Government Relations Committee Chair Shepherd Overton, MAI, attended the North Carolina Appraisal Board meeting on April 22, 2025.

The highlight of the meeting was a presentation by John Russell and Peter Fontana representing the Appraisal Foundation. The theme of their presentation was alternative experience, and the ways the Appraisal Qualification Board was exploring to allow for experience outside of the traditional appraisal writing route. The main thrust was the experience assessors have around the country, the classes they must take, and what their output looks like, i.e., a mass appraisal. The presenters spoke about a possible path for these types of alternative valuation professionals and how their experience, plus appropriate state testing, could be a pathway toward appraisal licensing. They noted some discussion is underway regarding whether assessors who might qualify for their experience would be required to submit sample reports to state boards prior to licensure. The presenters addressed how this aligns with the current problems facing the traditional path and finding supervisors.

NCAI had a very good day at the NC Capitol on Tuesday, April 29th for Legislative Affairs Day. Team NCAI was represented by a phenomenal group of members, including Kelli Mayhew, Mike Elwell, Vanessa Hall, Erica Butler, Richard Earley, Nathan Pippin, Greyson Morgan, and Shep Overton. NCAI was joined by our NC lobbyists Jon Hardister and Sebastian King of Elevation Strategies, LLC, and by AI Director of Legislative Affairs, Scott DiBiasio. Our lobbyists were absolutely pivotal in promoting and protecting our interests.

Front Row (L-R): Jon Hardister, Erica Butler, Kelli Mayhew, Linda Nelson, Greyson Morgan, and Scott DiBiasio. Back Row (L-R): Richard Earley, Vanessa Hall, Mike Elwell, Nathan Pippin, Shep Overton and Monica Long