Members and Chapters first is a mantra that we often hear, but one that sometimes doesn’t always seem to land well. As an organization, the Appraisal Institute has experienced a tremendous amount of change during the past 12 to 18 months, and more recently increasing uncertainty around where AI is headed. At the local level, our experienced staff and volunteers have endeavored to stay the course and in my opinion, they have done so very well. It is with this in mind I would like to thank Lianne, the 2024 Officers, Board of Directors, and Committee Members for their efforts over the past year.

 

It is important to note that the Appraisal Institute is a large trade organization with many layers, departments, regions, and of course chapters. Often at the local level we struggle with wanting to affect change to support the needs of our members in the ever-evolving landscape of valuation. The unfortunate reality is that those changes can take longer than one Presidency. My mission statement is to make the changes we can, where we have the most control to provide the greatest return to our Members.

 

As individualistic as this profession can be and no matter what the letterhead at the top of your report says the shared experience of the valuation profession brings us together. Over the past year while attending many of our events I was able to connect with members and attendees. One of the opinions I heard most was the desire and benefit of being together to share experiences and make new connections. As we are all very well aware, we cannot know everything. Sometimes being the expert means having humility and reaching out for guidance. I am sure that many of us, on more than one occasion have made a phone call or sent an email to a colleague to get a second opinion on an approach to value or to talk through an appraisal problem. To be fair there is only so much our significant others, kids, pets, or computer screens can take before they gloss over in bewilderment trying to grasp that a hypothetical condition is not the same as an extraordinary assumption, or why some of our clients may not understand that either. With this in mind one of my focuses for 2025 is re-engaging our current membership by offering more opportunities to get together. Being a member of AI is more than just belonging; it’s about having access to a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience through other members. The human capital of our AI members is sometimes overlooked or not fully understood, especially with newer professionals. By creating more opportunities to meet others within our Chapter, my hope is that our newer and possibly younger attendees will have access to those more seasoned and experienced members to seek answers and guidance. A quote by Massachusetts native, Oliver Wendell Holmes who was an associate justice for the US Supreme Court until 1932 summarizes this well: “Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up.”

 

Regardless of how individuals may feel about doing more within the Chapter as an Officer or on the Board or on a Committee, just being present at our events and talking to others can help foster growth in our organization and profession. We will continue to seek out new faces to support the Chapter, but this does not need to be the path for all members. With this in mind I ask our current members, when you are at your next AI event and even here tonight share the benefits and resources that you have utilized. Hearing about you and your experiences in your work can be just what another professional needs to help them overcome an obstacle or find answers where they thought they did not exist.

 

Christopher Stickney, MAi is the 2025 president of the Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Maine Chapter of the Appraisal Institute and Managing Director of Colliers’ Boston office.