MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: DOUG WILL, AAS, CFE
What do you do for the PA?
With the title, Chief Deputy of Appraisal Services, my duties are to oversee all
departments that produce values for the tax roll. Those departments include
residential, commercial, land, agricultural, and TPP. I also guide and direct
those departments through the VAB process. I’m blessed to work with an in-
credible staff of managers and appraisers who are dedicated, competent,
and engaged on a daily basis.
How long have you been employed by the PA?
I have been employed with the Leon County Property Appraiser’s office since
1991, where I started as a field appraiser. My background is the construction
industry in which I was a subcontractor for a number of years, and then as a
Florida licensed home builder during the 1980’s. Believe me, that decade was a tough time to build
homes with interest rates in double digits. But it was the perfect training ground for becoming an ap-
praiser. Remember the cost approach from IAAO course 101? I got it (except that depreciation stuff
was all new). With several IAAO courses under my belt, I felt this industry was the right fit for me, and I
re-enrolled at FSU and finished my degree with a real estate major, at the ripe old age of 44.
What do you like most about your job?
I find the most satisfaction in this job by what I call ―theory building‖, which consists of building models
for mass appraisal while staying true to appraisal theory. We are constantly kicking around ideas for
market areas, structure costs, wall rates, and land value models among others. Another reason I enjoy
this work is that each day brings something new and challenging, which mitigates repetition and bore-
dom for me.
Tell us about your involvement with FCIAAO
I have been a member of the Florida Chapter for 20 years, and I served on the board of directors for
10 years. As a former director, treasurer, and past president of FCIAAO, I consider this organization my
family away from home. I believe it is vital to my development in the assessment business to have this
chapter bring together folks from around the state, to learn from one another and to share ideas.
Are you a member of IAAO?
I recently celebrated 15 years as a member of the IAAO. I attend the international conferences when
possible, and my staff participates in some of the webinars as well. Since 2006 I have been an instruc-
tor for IAAO, and I teach two or three times a year. I’m pretty passionate about the material, which
should be obvious to those of you who may have
been in one of my classes. I love teaching, I
really do.
Where were you born?
I was born in the town of Ephrata, in Lancas-
ter County, Pennsylvania. Lancaster County
has a huge population of Amish families,
quaint towns, and beautiful rolling hills dot-
ted with Amish farms. It’s quite a picture.
My family moved from Ephrata to Jackson-
ville, Florida when I was but three years old,
so my memory is limited to visiting relatives
over the years. However, the past 42 years
(Continued on page 17)
Doug Will, AAS, CFE
Summer 2014 Newsletter of the FCIAAO
16
Lancaster, PA
