Fellow NCAI Members,
As my term as President of the North Carolina Chapter of the Appraisal Institute ends, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we have embarked on together. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your President and work alongside such resolute individuals who share a common passion for our Chapter and the Appraisal Profession.
Thank you to the NCAI Executive Committee – Mike Elwell, Kelli Mayhew, Greyson Morgan, Erica Butler, and the Board of Directors – your support has allowed me to continue to foster the initiatives of my predecessors and implement innovative ideas to help benefit the Chapter. Thanks to all our Region V Representatives who made themselves available not just for the quarterly meetings, but also for several other meetings this year. Thank you to our Chapter Members. Thank you to Efird Appraisals for being an annual sponsor this year. A final thank you goes out to Sandy Hower and THM for their excellence in executive management and administration.
It was a pleasure to be able to connect with Chapter Members during virtual education, Chapter Business meetings, and at the J. Scott Robinson Installation Ceremony in Greensboro. Our continued focus at NCAI has been to provide the best experience for our members and our accomplishments this year were many:
- We provided ten courses and seminars including the USPAP update, Qualifying Education, and Continuing Education both in person and virtually, with residential-focused seminars as part of CE (Mike Elwell, Vice President, and Education Committee Chair).
- We had our best sponsorship year at the REVC of $8,700 (Brian Crowder, REVC Committee Chair) with an excellent group of speakers and introduced the Residential REVC. We had forty-two enrolled for the residential and eighty-six enrolled for the commercial, which is our biggest turnout ever.
- We supplied scholarships to seven Chapter Members this year (Miles Hamrick, Scholarship Committee Chair).
- Seven Chapter Members obtained designations: Congratulations to Vanessa Hall, MAI AI-GRS, James Dorey, MAI AI-GRS, John Palmer, MAI, AI-GRS and Keith Bolte, MAI, AI-GRS who received the AI-RRS designation; and to Alden Mueller, MAI, Caitlin McCain, MAI and Christopher Hoyle, MAI who received the MAI designation.
- We used social media to promote events and education and as an introduction to leadership with the Meet the Members initiative started by Erica Butler, MAI (PR Chair).
- The Western and Metrolina Branch Chapters led respectively by Laura Gourlay and Ashley Cooper each held events this year.
- We provided full monetary support to three LDAC delegates.
- With the help of member Jarvis Martin, we have started a relationship with North Carolina Central University and their newly formed Master’s in Real Estate program.
- As a Chapter, we are operating on a sound budget with over six months of reserves (Greyson Morgan, Treasurer, and Finance Committee Chair).
I would like to thank Vice President Kelli Mayhew for a strong education line-up and due to her class selections and work with the REVC Committee (Brian Crowder), we once again made a profit ($23,498). The 2024 budget presented by Treasurer Greyson Morgan (and approved by the BOD) allows us to provide a similar experience for the Chapter next year including continued support for our LDAC delegates, with both virtual/in-person education offerings, and increased Region travel. The Executive Committee has done an exceptional job this year. With 2024 Chapter President Mike Elwell and the Executive Committee, I know the Chapter is in very capable hands.
Mike has been involved with the Chapter for several years and attended LDAC as a delegate for NCAI. Mike is an extraordinary leader and has worked tirelessly for our Chapter and its Members and is committed to leading the NCAI into the future.
I would also like to thank the Past Presidents, with whom I have relied for additional support and counsel. Each President gets to experience their efforts come to fruition and I am proud of the work we have done. We have worked hard to expand on Mike Moody’s efforts to boost the committees, and Vanessa Hall’s initiative to foster more of the AI Diversity Initiative and HBCU outreach. We have continued Joel Tates's Residential outreach by instituting a Residential Panel that was instrumental in the creation of the Residential REVC. I would be remised if I did not thank Sheri Colvin and Chris Johnson for the countless hours, they have spent listening to me rant and giving sound advice.
I am proud of what we have achieved together, but I also recognize that there is still much work to be done. As I pass the torch to the incoming President (Mike Elwell) and the rest of the Executive Committee, I have full confidence in their ability to lead this organization to even greater heights. I encourage all of you to continue supporting and contributing to our Chapter, as your involvement is crucial to our continued success.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your President. It has been a privilege to collaborate with such incredible individuals and witness the positive impact we can make when we come together. I am filled with gratitude and optimism for the future of our organization.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Jim Lynch, MAI
2023 NC Chapter President