2014 Spring Newsletter

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FloridaChapterof IAAO

Spring2014

StayingAppraised

2014FLORIDACHAPTER IAAOANNUAL CONFERENCE

APRIL30 -MAY2, 2014

Joinus inFort Lauderdale for the27thAnnual FCIAAO Conference!Wewill beofferingdiverse educational oppor- tunities inourGeneral Sessions aswell as three tracks cov- eringReal Estate, Exemptions and IT/GIS. Visit ourweb- siteat www.fciaao.org for full agenda.

INSIDETHIS ISSUE

President’sMessage ......... 2 LeadershipDays ................ 4 BoardNomination ........... 5 MembershipUpdate ........ 6 CountySpotlight ................ 7 ProfessionalDesignation 8 BestPractices…….………… 11 MemberSpotlight ............. 12 Memoriam ......................... 17 PeanutGallery .................. 18 AnnualConference .......... 19

Registration $85member •$115nonmember

Registeronline •Payment is acceptedonline throughPay- Pal or viamailed checkmadepayable to FloridaChapter IAAO

HotelAccommodations HyattPier66 2301SE 17thSt. Fort Lauderdale, FL33316

Therearea limitednumber of rooms availableat $125*per nightwhen reservations aremadeby April 4, 2014 .

2013-2014FCIAAO

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE

EXECUTIVEBOARD

Happy Spring!Wemust be having fun, because time sure is flying by. It seems as though I was just wishing you a MerryChristmas andherewe are look- ing towardsEaster. As most of our offices have concluded VAB hearings and are now preparing the 2014 roll, the legislature is in full swingand so is your executiveboard.

PRESIDENT Neil “Nick”Nikkinen, AAS, CFE Real EstateAssessmentDep.Director OrangeCounty

VICEPRESIDENT AliceWeinberg CommunityServiceDirector SeminoleCounty

Neil “Nick” Nikkinen, AAS, CFE

2 ND VICEPRESIDENT ToddFinlayson, CFE

DirectorofTPP St. LucieCounty

The board met on February 26 via webcam to discuss the progress of ongoing projects such as the chapter’s rebrand- ing efforts, website redesign and formalizing policies and procedures.We alsomet onMarch21 to finalize the agenda for the Chapter’s Annual Conference andBusinessmeeting April 28- May 2. Please visit www.fciaao.org for a full agenda. A special thanks to Vice President Alice Weinberg who brought the concept of committee liaison to complete reali- zation and set a new standard for subsequent members to follow. Additional thanks go out theExemption, Real Prop- erty and IT/GIS Steering Committee chairpersons and members who worked tirelessly to develop presentations that youwon’twant tomiss. The FCIAAO congratulates the Honorable Lazaro Solis as the new Property Appraiser inMiami-Dade County having been appointed to replace the Honorable Carlos Lopez- Cantera who resigned as Property Appraiser to serve as Florida’s Lieutenant Governor. Mr. Solis has been in the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser’s office for 26 years and most recently served in the capacityofDeputyPropertyAp- praiser. We also congratulate the Honorable Les Cook as the new Citrus County PropertyAppraiser. Leswas appointed to re- place the Honorable Geoff Greene who passed away while in office and ismemorialized on page 17. Les has beenwith the Citrus County Property Appraiser’s office since 1980 and most recently held the position of Assistant Property

TREASURER DougWill, AAS, CFE

ChiefDeputy LeonCounty

SECRETARY BrianLoughrey, CFE AdministrativeDirector SarasotaCounty

MEMBERSHIPDIRECTOR KatieCasey, CFE SeniorProjectsAdministrator SeminoleCounty DIRECTOR JustinEdwards, CFE OfficeOperationsSupervisor PutnamCounty DIRECTOR TracyDrake, CAE, RES, AAS, CFE AssistantPropertyAppraiser ClayCounty

DIRECTOR MarshaColeman, CFE DirectorofTaxRolls CitrusCounty

IMMEDIATEPASTPRESIDENT LainieClaudio, CFE AssistantPropertyAppraiser MarionCounty

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

Appraiser.

TheGreek philosopherHeraclitus of Ephesuswrote some 2,500 years ago that “the only con- stant is change”; how true. Governments, leaders, bosses, the weather and CAMA vendors quickly come tomind. Your executive board will change soon too. It has beenmy honor to serve you thispast year as yourPresident. I havemet and servedwithmany finepeople in this great organizationover the years, and this current board is no exception. I amhumbled to call them friends.

Seey’all inFt. Lauderdale!

Neil “Nick”Nikkinen, AAS, CFE FCIAAOPresident

ABIGTHANKYOUTOOURCOMMITTEES!

EXEMPTIONSSTEERINGCOMMITTEE

MarshaColeman (CitrusCounty), ErinMoore (PinellasCounty), Scott Tussing (ManateeCounty), PauletteStearns (HernandoCounty),MeganHill (St. JohnsCounty),KarenJones (OkaloosaCounty), TimBean (PalmBeachCounty), andAngelaPaulauskas (AlachuaCounty)

TANGIBLEPERSONALPROPERTYSTEERINGCOMMITTEE

Chairman: GwenKlaiber (CitrusCounty), ChristopherMitts (St. LucieCounty) andKimberlyDe- lano (MarionCounty)

REALPROPERTYSTEERINGCOMMITTEE

Chairman: PatAlesandrini (HillsboroughCounty),Russell Counts (St. LucieCounty),KevinJohns- ton (HernandoCounty), andWendySapp (AlachuaCounty)

IT/GISSTEERINGCOMMITTEE

Chairman: JohnWatterson (MartinCounty),DanAnzaldi (BrevardCounty), JohnEnck (Palm BeachCounty), ShannonMartin (ClayCounty), andChrisMcElroy (OsceolaCounty)

PROFESSIONALDESIGNATIONCOMMITTEE

Chairman: Michael Chavez (Miami-DadeCounty), CAEAdvisors: PatAlesandrini (Hillsborough County) andJoeReilly (SeminoleCounty);RESAdvisors: TerryTaylor (St. LucieCounty) andJim Ogburn (Duval County);AASAdvisors: DougWill (LeonCounty) andTracyDrake (ClayCounty); CMSAdvisors: CherylHorton (PalmBeachCounty) andMarkGallo (PascoCounty); PPSAdvisors: BrendaFisher (AlachuaCounty) andMaryannDeasy (PalmBeachCounty)

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

LEADERSHIPDAYS

The2014 IAAOLeadershipDayswereheld inKansasCity -home to the IAAO corporateoffices,March7thand8th. Members representing the following committeeswere inattendance: CEAA, ChaptersandAffiliates, Communica- tions, Education, InstructorRelations, International,MembershipServices, Planning&Rules, ProfessionalDesignations,Research, Scholarship, TechAs- sist andUSPAP.

AliceWeinberg

OnFriday themeetingswerekickedoffwithaGeneral Sessionas attendees introduced themselves and their committeeaffiliation. IAAOPresidentKimLaufferwelcomedevery- oneand introduced staff and leadership. As the committees set out toaddress their individual agen- das, the IAAOBoardandExecutiveDirectorLisaDaniels visitedeachgroup. Memberswereable to askquestions and theboardaddressedpertinent committee concerns.

TheLeadership committees gatheredat lunchandwereable tonetworkwithother attendees and share ideas. Therewerealso scheduledmeetings for several committees tomeet as agroupanddis- cuss similar topics.

OnSaturday, the committeemeetings endedandawrapup sessionwasheldanda reportwaspre- sented regarding the results andassignments for each committee. Each committeehas anassigned staff liaison towork throughand theyare invaluable sourcesof information.

Anumber of yourFloridaChaptermembershavebeenappointedby the IAAOPresident to serveon the IAAO committees: LainieClaudio,DorothyJacks, TracyDrake, AliceWeinberg, PatAlesandrini, HonorableEdCrapo, SheilaCrapoandJohnThomas.

Thenext LeadershipDayswill beheldNovember 14th - 15th, 2014 - again inKansasCity. Meanwhile committeemembersmeet throughout theyear via conference calls,webinars and through emails to followupon initiatives. IAAO is always interested inengagingnewmembers - additional committee information is availableon the IAAOwebsite shouldyouwish tobe considered for service inyour area of expertise!

Don’t forget to likeusonFacebook!

Headover to www.facebook.com/FCIAAO and likeus! Wewill beposting event information, links andpictures and connectingwithourmembers! It’s agrowingpage, so if youhaveany feedbackorpost suggestions, please email socialmedia@fciaao.org

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

2014-2015FCIAAOEXECUTIVEBOARDNOMINATION

TheFCIAAONominatingCommittee,whose currentmembers areLainieClaudio, ImmediatePast President,AliceWeinberg, VicePresident, andNickNikkinen, current President, all of theFlorida Chapter of IAAOExecutiveBoard,met inMarch. It isourpleasure toannounce the followingproposed slateof officers for the2014-2015FloridaChapterExecutiveBoard. Theannual businessmeeting to install theofficerswill beheldonThursday,May 1, 2014at theHyatt Pier66, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

PRESIDENT

VICEPRESIDENT

AliceWeinberg

ToddFinlayson, CFE

CommunityServicesDirector

Directorof TangiblePersonal Property

SeminoleCo. PropertyAppraiser

St. LucieCo. PropertyAppraiser

2 ND VICEPRESIDENT

TREASURER

BrianLoughrey, CFE

JustinEdwards, CFE

AdministrativeDirector

OfficeOperationsSupervisor

SarasotaCo. PropertyAppraiser

PutnamCo. PropertyAppraiser

SECRETARY

MEMBERSHIPDIRECTOR

TracyDrake, CAE,RES, AAS, CFE

KatieCasey, CFE

Assistant PropertyAppraiser

SeniorProjectsAdministrator

ClayCo. PropertyAppraiser

SeminoleCo. PropertyAppraiser

DIRECTOR

MarshaColeman, CFE

PatAlesandrini, CAE,RES,MAI, SRA

Directorof TaxRolls

DirectorofValuation

CitrusCo. PropertyAppraiser

HillsboroughCo. PropertyAppraiser

DIRECTOR

IMMEDIATEPASTPRESIDENT

JohnWatterson,GISP, CFE

Neil “Nick”Nikkinen, AAS, CFE

GISSpecialist

DeputyDirector,Real EstateAssessment

MartinCo. PropertyAppraiser

OrangeCo. PropertyAppraiser

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

WELCOMENEWMEMBERS

KeithAlexander

CalGates

RayMcBryde

JudyTiner

KarlAndersson

SteveGau

ErinMcCormick

BarryTease

DawnBenjamin

GreggGoldberg

BenMcGeoch

KentVanCleave

AimeeBerchal

PeteGomes

JeffordsMiller,Jr.

WandaVargas

KevinBeverly

MichaelGrasso

RandallMunro

JamieVendola

MauriceBoneJr.

MatthewGraves

CarolynMunsell

DominicVersailles

KevinHayes

KeelyMurrah

ThomasWells

JohnBoon

FredHeld

JoeNelson

DenaWestcott

KevinBrown

Manuel Padron

LouisFrey III

ZulmaHollar

MikeCataldo

DianePendleton

StephenMansfield

JamesChandler

SheilaHouston

ThankappanPrasad

JamesThomas

MaryChandler

SarahHultgreen

LuisQuevedo

PatrickFox

RobertDrummond

MarkJohns

RyanSmith

JudithMalarkey CharlesHubertTomp- kins

MatthewDurham

ByronJohnson

MelissaSnider

JosephFederico

DavidLedgerwood

RonaldSullivan

DavidFiskum

KevinLilly

MEMBERSHIPUPDATE

Thankyou forpayingyour 2014Membershipdues!

Wearepleased toannounce thewinner of theLIFETIMEMembership isDrewOlson, CommercialAp- praiserwith theSt. JohnsCountyProperty Appraiser. CongratulationsDrew! Weappreciateall of ourmembers andencourageyou toprovideuswithany feedbackyoumayhave! Please contactKatie Caseyat katie@scpafl.org withanyquestions, comments or concerns.

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

COUNTYSPOTLIGHT:DESOTOCOUNTY

DeSotoCounty is located inFlorida’sHeartlandalong thePeaceRiver andUSHighway 17. It isnamed for theSpanishexplorerHernando DeSotoandwas created fromManateeCounty in 1887. Until1921De- Sotowasoneofthe largestcounties inthestate,butresidentscomplainedof thevastdistancesbetweenhomeandcourthouseand itwassubdividedto createHardee,Charlotte,Highlands,andGladesCounties. TheoriginalDeSotoCountyseat,whichhadalsoservedManateeCounty since 1866,was locatedat PineLevel. Eventuallyanew county seat was createdat "TaterHill Bluff,"whichwas later renamedArcadia in 1888. Arcadia isthesolemunicipality inDeSotoCountyand isfamedfor itsan- tiqueshopping.Otherunincorporatedsettlements includeBrownville, Cubitis,Limestone,Nocatee,HullandFortOgden.

www.discoverdesoto.org

Arcadia isalso thehomeof theoldest rodeoorganization in theStateofFlor- ida.TheArcadiaAll-FloridaChampionshipRodeobeganback in themiddleof 1928when theAmericanLegionwanted toraisemoney tohelppay foranew building.A local businessman,whowasamemberof theAmericanLegion, askedaprominent rancher (ZebParker) if a rodeocouldbeheld to raise money.Mr. Parkeragreed it couldbedoneandoffered to furnish thestock for free. Inpreparation for thisevent, special arrangementsweremade tobring ina groupofSeminole Indians.TheAmericanLegionand theLion'sClubvolun- teered tosponsor aparade. TheGovernorof Florida,DoyleE. Carlton, noti- fiedofficialshewouldbeattending therodeoand theWauchulabandprovided themusic.The first rodeowasagreat successandcontinues toprovideawin- dow intoDeSotoCounty’srichheritageof agriculture.

DeSotoCounty’seconomy issustainedprimarily fromagri- culturalbusinesses.Citrus, cattleranching,andotheragriculturalusescontinue to comprisea largeportionof the tax roll.Themost recent substantial change in the tax roll occurred in2010with theadditionofa25megawatt solarphotovoltaic plant,which isoneof the largest in theUnitedStates.

2013PreliminaryTaxRoll At-AGlance Real PropertyParcels 20,246

ParcelswithAgClass

3,195

TangibleAccounts

5,343

Just (Market) Value

$3,131,776,197

TaxableValue

$1,397,632,981

Hon.NewtKeenwas first elected in 1988|Number of Employees: 9|www.desotopa.com

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

PROFESSIONALDESIGNATIONCOMMITTEENEWS

InearlyMarch, the IAAO conductedLeadershipDays inKansasCity. As a member of the IAAOProfessionalDesignationSubcommittee, I attended anddiscovered some remarkable figures. For example, from2008 throughMarch8, 2014, therehavebeena total of 1,492newapplications fordesignation candidacy - therewere825applications just in2013! I assume this is a result of IAAO’sdecision towaive the$35designation application fee, coupledwith thedesireof candidates toavoid thenew educational requirements thatwereeffectiveasof January 1, 2014.

TracyS.Drake, CAE, RES, AAS, CFE

A breakdownof thenew candidates anddesignees (per year) is as follows:

Year

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Candidates

136

105

145

185

825

Designees

Since2008, therehavebeena total of 331professional designations conferred - therehave been51 in2014!As indicated in the tablebelow, theResidential EvaluationSpecialist (RES)has been themost obtained (approximately45percent). Conversely, thePersonal PropertySpecialist (PPS)hasbeen the least obtained (approximately4percent). Thebreakdownof all designations conferred is as follows:

CAE

RES

AAS

PPS

CMS

148

CONSIDERINGAN IAAOPROFESSIONALDESIGNATION?

FCIAAO Professional Designation Advisors (PDA) are eager and available to assist you through theprocess. For a list of PDAs visit www.fciaao.org . Formore information on the IAAO’s professional designationprogram, visit www.iaao.org .

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

The TonyHodgeAward is granted toFCIAAOmemberswho earn their IAAOdesignation.At the2014FCIAAOAnnual Conference inFortLauderdale, theExecutiveBoardwill recognize thehard workof newdesignees andpresent themwitha$250 check!Tobeeligible, newdesigneesmust bea FCIAAOmember ingood standing for 12monthsprior tobeingawarded their IAAOdesignation.New designees shouldemail acopyof IAAO’s letter conferring thedesignation toMichael Chaves ( mmc@miamidade.gov ).

TheFCIAAOExecutiveBoardproudly introduces the 2014TonyHodgeAwardRecipients

BrianLasher,RES PinellasCounty

CynthiaForness,RES PinellasCounty

NikolausCutrell,RES LeonCounty

RitaLlado,RES Miami-DadeCounty

DeniseSchmidt,RES PinellasCounty

JamesHammond,RES PinellasCounty

PamelaLamb,RES PalmBeachCounty

BarryDunmire,RES PinellasCounty

KevinCampanaro,RES PinellasCounty

LisaWright,RES PinellasCounty

AlanRapaport,RES PalmBeachCounty

KennethHanney,RES PalmBeachCounty

MichaelMcKinley,RES PinellasCounty

J.MikeRusso,RES MonroeCounty

There were additional FCIAAOmembers who received designations, but were ineligible for the Tony Hodge Award. Nevertheless, the FCIAAO Executive Board would like to recognize their accomplish- ments aswell:

Miguel Sanchez,RES Miami-DadeCounty

KevinHayes,RES PinellasCounty

JeffordsMiller,RES OrangeCounty

The Virginia Cup is an annual award givenby the IAAO to the statewith themostmembers receiv- ing an IAAOProfessionalDesignation (from July to June). Floridahaswon this prestigious award five (5) times (2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011). It appears that we have a great opportunity towin it again, butwe still have some time left on the clock!Keepup thegoodwork!

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

PROFESSIONALDESIGNATIONSPOTLIGHT:BRENDAFISHER,PPS,CFE

Whendidyoubeginyourcareer in theassessment field?

I beganmy career in 1981 in theAssessor’sOffice inPutnam, CTas the clerk andworkedmyway to theCCMAII (ConnecticutCertifiedMunicipalAssessor II) and theState-CertifiedRevaluationSupervisor certifications. In2004, I joined thenorthernexodus accepting thepositionasTangibleDirector in the SarasotaCountyPropertyAppraiser’sOfficeandeventually settling in the AlachuaCountyPropertyAppraiser’sOfficeasDirectorof TangiblePersonal Property (TPP) in2011.

BrendaFisher

Whydidyoupursue thePPSDesignation?

I becameamemberof IAAO in2004withan interest in furtheringmyeducation. In just a short timeworking inFlorida, I quicklybecameawareof theunique complexitiesof TPPappraisal. As a long timeassessor and student ofmass appraisal, I looked to the IAAOas thevehicle todevelopmyexpertise in theTPParena. ThePersonal PropertySpe- cialist (PPS) candidacyprovideda step-by-stepmethod forme tohonemyappraisal skills andgain thenecessaryknowledge tobe competent inmyprofession. Finally, acquiring thePPSDesig- nationwas the symbol ofmyachievement and competency.

Doyouparticipate inany typeofmentoringoradvisoryprograms?

I amapastChair, and current advisor, of theFCIAAOTPPSteeringCommittee. I also serveon the FCIAAOProfessionalDesignationCommitteeas aPPSadvisor. If anyonehas anyquestions, orwould likea soundingboard formaking theirdesignationplan succeed, please contactme ( bfisher@acpafl.org ).

Inyouropinion,whyshouldsomeonepursueaprofessionaldesignation?

While some countiesoffermonetary compensation for achievingadesignation, in the long run there is much,muchmorevalue to theachievement. Theveryprocessof fulfilling theeducational require- ments, preparing for the case studyexamand the successful completionof themaster examwill in- creaseyourprofessional competence.Whilegoing through theprocess, youare forced to think “outsideof thebox” ofmerely taking individual courses andpassingexams, toutilizing thewholeof what youhave learned toarriveat adefensible conclusionof value. Thedesignationprocess andulti- mate receipt of designationprovideaffirmationboth inwardly for your self-confidenceandoutwardly to yourpeersof your competency inyour chosen field.

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

BESTPRACTICES -FROMLEECOUNTY

FIELDWORK AND DESK TOP REVIEW, AN IRREVERENT LOOK AT A SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATIONANDUSEOFTABLETS INAN APPRAISALOFFICE “Budget basedonneed, not greed” and “Weneed to findaway todomorewith less”. Thesearewords oftenbandiedabout. As the longest sittingelectedofficial inLeeCounty, ourPropertyAppraiserKen Wilkinsondidn’t get thereby just talking. He says thosewords andhemeans them, just askhim. That’swhere I come in. Ihavea really cool job, for 17years I’vegotten theopportunity to livewith them. Tenyears agoor so (forgive the fuzzymemory)Ken said “Findaway to cut backonourphysical in- spections and I’mgoing toworkongetting the law changed toaccommodateourprocess”. I laughed, hedidn’t. I toiled. And toiled. In2006we rolledout our FieldWorkTracking/DesktopReview appli- cationusingdesktops and for the first time, tablets. Today, tablets areeverywhere. You seedemon- strations at every conferenceandeveryonehas theopportunity to take thepowerpreviously reserved for theofficeandbring it to the field. We’veworkedhard,mademistakes,made changes, rolledout newversions (at last countwe’reonour 4 th major version) andweput updatesout quite frequently - - sometimesmonthly. Yes,monthly. Theapplicationwaswrittenand ismaintained internallyallowing us tobequiteagile. I’ve spent some time talkingwithpeople from theDOR, fromour state, fromother states and from other countries. Everyoneagrees that tablets are theway togo for fieldwork…vendorshave commer- cial-off-the-shelf (COTS) applications and tablets for it tobedeployedon. Itmakes youwonder: “Why isn’t everyonedoing it?” I’veheard the reasons. “It’s too expensive”. “We’renot quite ready”. “The cost-benefit analysis isn’t there”. “It’shard.” “I’mnot a techie ”. Despiteall of theobstacles,we findourselves lookingbackwon- deringhowweevermanaged fieldworkwithout our current tools. Getting startedwas easy. Ken said “Do it” after remindingmeabouthowhe’s an ideaguyandhowhe wants tobeon the leadingedgeand Imumble “bleeding”undermybreath. Hooray, anew leaseonmy life’swork…noworries, the “devil is in thedetails” run throughmyhead. Inour case, thedetails and dataarepretty simple…550,000parcels to inspect and20people todo it in3yearswithout leavinga deskunless youhave to. How simple. Createamobile, tablet-based fieldediting tool to replacepaper field cards; developanapplication tomanage thedataand theworkloadand change the law. As anaside, if you takeawayonepieceof advice from thismissive, it’s this: “Learn thedata”. I tell people to learn thedataall the time. Learning thedata requires you to immerseyourself in theprocess youare in. Do it right andyoubecomeanexpert andhavea chanceat a successful project. Do it wronganddo it over. As I’m constantly reminded, “lather, rinse, repeat”…do youknowhowmuch shampoo companiesprofit off of you? (Continuedonpage 14) “Learn thedata. Learning thedata requiresyou to immerseyourself in theprocessyouare in. ”

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

MEMBERSPOTLIGHT:RITALLADÓ,MBA,RES,AAS,CFE

Whatdoyoudo for thePA? Currently, I am employedwithMiami Dade County Office of the Property Ap- praiser as an Income Specialist, assigned to the Value Adjustment Board. There are nearly 1,000,000 folios in the County and since the reces- sion, the highest petition filings in2009were over 140,000. In2013, approxi- mately70,000petitionswere filed. In my capacity, I explain the assessment criteria to property owners and/or their representative relative to the property market values. Upon compiling and reviewing records and analyzing themarket data, I defend and/or recom- mend settlement of themarket values.Mywork entails applying the cost,mar- ket sales and income approaches as recognized appraisal techniques to com- mercial properties.

RitaLladó

How longhaveyoubeenemployedby thePA? The PA hiredme four years ago as aReal Estate Evaluator II to assist with the disproportionate peti- tion filings. In 2012, I obtained the IAAOAAS designation and it providedme additional credibility when Iwaspromoted to IncomeSpecialist. Doyoupossessanydegreesordesignations? After successful completionof the requirededucation, case studyandmaster exam, this year Iob- tained IAAORESand it ismy seconddesignation. I amhonored tobea recipient of theTonyHodge Award this year.My first designation, theAAS, provides awell-rounded foundationandunderstand- ingof themass appraisal process. I amalsoaCertifiedFloridaEvaluator. Additionally, IhaveaMas- ter’sDegree inBusinessAdministration fromFlorida InternationalUniversityandaBachelor’sDegree inBusinessAdministration,withamajor inFinance from theUniversityofMiami.

Whatwasyour first job? HighSchool summers, Iworkedat Florida International University as a clerk mostly filing and copying docu- ments.

Whatdoyou likemost about your job? It is apleasure toworkwith appraisal professionals and find solutions toa complicatedproblem.

Wherewasyourbest vacationever? I amveryblessed tohave traveledmanyplaces through- out North America: Florida, North Carolina, NYC, Bos- ton, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, LA, San Diego, San Francisco, Idaho, Niagra Falls, Toronto and Mt Tre- blanc; Europe: Belgium, Brussels, Rome, Milan, Flor- (Continuedonpage 13)

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

ence, Capri, Sicily, Positano, Paris, Cannes, St. Tropez, Monte Carlo and Madrid, just to name a few. I have tomention in a very close secondplace isAustralia. However, my best so far is New Zealand, known by the locals as Aotearoa (the land of the long white cloud). It was a 4 week vacation. I spent it traveling from the 90 miles of beaches of the Bay of Islands to the top of Cape Reinga lighthouse. Visited the giant trees inWaipoua Forest, saw the cascades at Haruru Falls and the metro- politan city of Auckland where I climbed the Harbour Bridge. Viewed the glow- worm caves, Rotorua Geyser and boiling muds. I took a helicopter toWhite Island, an uninhabited private reserve full of geo- thermal activity. AtWellington, crossed the Tory Channel Marlborough Sounds, also known for their Pinot Noir, to arrive at the artistic town of Christchurch prior to the earthquake and purchased local art- work. Hiked onFoxGlacier andboated on theHaast River. In the final week, I topped off with a trip to snow-covered Mt Cook, theMoeraki Boulders, Sutherland and Bo- wenFalls and to the signpost bluff. What areyourhobbies? In addition to affordable traveling, I am constantly searching for reduced fares, price errors and booking by points. I love spending time withmy family and friends. We are definitely foodies. We are always seeking out new food experiences. I also enjoy tennis and indoor cycling. Do more volunteer work for not-for-profit organizations that contribute to the im- provement of health and rehabilitation of ill children. I have intentionally planned to travel theUnitedStates because those long international flights in coach are harsh. Unless you can’t beat the price or you get bumped up to first class. Perhaps I will publish/blogabout travel. What do youplan todowhen you re- tire?

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

(Continued frompage 11)

Let’s talkabout the tools. Weknew thepiecesweneeded: hardware (tablets, desktopPCs etc.), soft- ware (a sketchingapplication, aworkmanagement system, abridge toourCAMAetc.). In the interest of space, Iwon’t go into the technical nitty-grittyof everything…you’ll get boredand I’ll get panned, but Iwant touseour sketchingapplicationdecision to trumpethow important the “learning thedata” mantra iswhen it comes todecisionmaking. Therearenumerous sketchingapplicationson themarket thatwe couldhavepurchasedorwe could havewrittenoneourselves. After lookingat anumberofCOTS sketching toolswedecidednot to rein- vent thewheel. Whenwe compared sketchingapplications,most functionalitywas similar, the costs were similar. Thewildcardwas that our field supervisorwas anexpert user of oneof thepackages. Wedidn’thave tobrave the learning curve to fulfill the “learn thedata” edict. We selectedPatriot’s SketchPro. I’ll leaveout thedetailsof transforming sketchvectordata (aggravationalert)…but it’s something thatwehad todoandyouwill too (unless youwriteyourownapplication for thedatayou have– see “reinventing thewheel”). Portingour existing “homegrown”CAMA to the tabletwasn’t toobigof adeal (giveyour technical staff some credit, they’re smart andhardworkingand if youdon’thave tech staff, I’mguessingyouown vendor softwareand it’ll goona tablet too). Two things left. Weneededaworkmanagement tool and weneededanewprocessand tool to replace fieldvisits. Nobigdeal. Technology is a reallygreat thingbut it is important to “hiregoodpeopleandget out of theway” as Ken likes to say. Soheregoes: “Hear ye, hear ye! Staff, please createanapplication that takesour ae- rial photography, ourGISdataandourCAMAdata, present it onadesktopANDa tablet such that I don’thave togoout andphysicallyvisit thispropertyunless I’m required to”. “Andwhileyouareat it, weneedawork scheduling system toworkwith it andmost of theotherofficeprocesses so thatwe knowwho’sdoingwhat,where,whenandwhy”. Here’s some followupadvice: whatever youdo, don’t tell themyouwant it “ASAP”. Onceyouput the request out thereyou canexpect staffwill say theydon’thaveamagicwandoroneof themwill in- variablywigglehernose Bewitched styleor crossher arms andnodherhead IDreamofGenie style. Laughalongwith themandbeprepared tobe reasonableand realistic. Then, don’thound, hassle,mi- cromanageor otherwise interveneor aggravate themunless asked. When theyneed something there is ageneral “RequirementsGathering” sessionandwedoQ&Auntil theyare satisfiedor I tire them out and theygoback towork. Remember, theyare smart andhardworkingbut need tobe fed. Try donuts. You’dbeamazedatwhat technical staffwill do fordonuts. I canhear it now. “Jim, Idon’thave staff todo that and I don’t haveanymoney”. Morepeskydetails. Tell yourCAMAvendor that you’repoor and strugglingandask them to showyou somemercy. If that doesn’twork, haveyour vendor contactmypurchasingguy. Our current computer equipment sales person isonhis fourth company sincehe started selling tous andhe still sells tous even thoughwe’ve cost himhis jobonmore thanoneorder. True story. Or callKenandmaybehe’ll rent out his staff. In caseyouarewondering, thedonuts arenon-negotiable. Nodonuts, noproject. Nowyouneed tobuy tablets too. Weoriginally startedwith theMotionL1600…yes,with theafore- mentioned salesperson. The tablet du jour is theMicrosoft SurfacePro. Awordabout desktops: if youdon’thavePCs currently installed for all of your staff, stop readingnow. I cannothelpyou.

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

Last but not least, youhave toprepare toweanyourpaper-pushing, pencil and tape-pullingdependent field staff from “thewaywe’vealwaysdone it”. Conventionalwisdomandmanagement gurus tell you to introduce the tablet and lasermeasurer (yeswegot those too) bygettingbuy-inetc. etc. Here’s what I can tell you, give thema choice: “ChangeorDie”. No, not literally (at least not right this sec- ondand certainlynot in theoffice lest youhave todo extrapaperwork). Anyway remind them it is how theworldworks. Mostwill behappy towant tobeapart of something , particularlywhenyou fol- low throughandmake them feel special. Field staff seems to likepizza. For those that insist onnot changing, explain to them that youwill pay them$1.00 for eachphysical parcel inspection that theydo as longas it complieswith the statutes. Tell them that youare the judgeof that. And theyhave topay for their gas anduse their car andhave theirown insuranceandbebondedanduse their cameraand theirmeasuring tape. And theirpaper. And theirpencils. Somewill stillwant to jumpon that. You shouldhave the resignation letter andnew contract readyand take thedeal. Remember, theydon’t havea learning curveand they cannot possiblydo 10.1perhour for8hours to complywith the forth- comingStateof theUnionminimumwageproffering. Anyway,wepaidavendor$1.00perparcel to do just that, andno, noneof the individual contractorsdidnear80perday. Yes,wehave tried just about everythinghere. Another true story. You should figureabout a sixmonth transition for your field staff tomove to the tablet nomatterwhat youaredoingnow. Yes, therewill begnashingof teeth, complaining, perhaps even threats. Remem- ber thepizza. A satiated fieldperson is ahappy fieldperson. Youalsoneedanexpert that “knows the data” so that staff canaskquestions andbegiven realworkinganswers. And (figuratively) holdhands

(Continuedonpage 16)

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

(Continued frompage 15)

wherenecessary. We’vegonea step further and implementeda “beta” team. Beta is tech talk for “this application isgoing tobreakwhenyou try touse it”. We sendout thebeta teamwith the tablet know- ing stuff is going tobreak. They feel important because they aredoing something important andwe get great feedback tomake theprocessbetter. Thehumornotwithstanding, staff performancehasbeenexceptional. AndKen couldnot beprouder. We’ve shownour FieldWorkTrackingandDeskTopReview PowerPoint tohundreds andhundreds of people. Andyouknow thebest part…It’snot smokeandmirrors. It’snot embellished. It’sREAL. Yes itwashard, yes itwas time consuming. It cost someadditionalmoneyon the front endbut you sometimeshave to spend to save. Time for another aside. Forme themost annoying continuingexpense was the tablets. Youwill shakeyourhead indisbelief at someof theexcuses staff comesupwith to explainhow the tablet glass got cracked. Donot believe them - -unless youarebuyingused tablets. Turnsout, someof theearly tabletsdidhave some issues despiteour staff treating them like they cameout of aPezdispenser. Right nowwearedown to 12 staffmembers. Andourproduction isoff the charts. And thework is managed . Weknowwhereweare,what’sbeingdoneandwhat needs tobedone. Weare in full com- pliancewith the statutesand looking forward to future tablet implementations. Formore information, visit ftp://ftp.leepa.org/Presentations/ anddownload the full presentationcompletewith screenshots and statistics (note: thepresentation is 111MBand I’m told ifmore thanoneof you try todownload it at a time, ourwebsitewill crash). Finally,wehave someunfinishedbusiness. Truthbe told,wehaven’t totallydiscarded theoldprocess. Wehaveone fieldperson left that isn’t required touse the tablet…andonhisdesk remains the last stackof paper field cards. Forposterityand topreserve the link toour storiedpast,weprinted the last batchout and toldhimhe can’t retireuntil he finishes getting through them. He’s like84and still workingon them…true story. Well, I thinkyou’ve likelyhadenoughofmeand changebeing inevitableandall, in themiddleofme composing thisbest seller I’m told I’mnot a real techguy so they’vemademeChiefDeputy (ohplease BrerFox,whatever youdo, pleasedon't throwme into thebriarpatch…). Last t rue story. Withmuchappreciation to staff for the fodder ofmyquips and thankyou, theaudience for allowingus to shareour story. “Technology isa reallygreat thingbut it is important to “hiregood peopleandget out of theway”asKen likes to say. ”

ArticleContributor: JamesA. Sherron, CFE

ChiefDeputy, fka ITandDataServicesAdmin

sherronj@leepa.org

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

INMEMORYOFGEOFFGREENE

On toGREENErPastures Doweever reallyknow someone completely? Wemay think thatwedo, but the real answer isweonlyknowasmuchabout apersonas that person iswilling to share. TheCitrusCountyPropertyAppraiser’sOfficeknewofMr.GeoffreyGreene afterhe filedapetition regardinghisAgricultural classificationdenial in2008. A fewof usmetwithhimacross that table todiscuss the issueswith lawyers

MarshaColeman, CFE

present. Littledid the staff know that in less thanamonth this gentlemanwouldbeaperson thatwill havewon thePrimaryElection inAugust of 2008, defeatingour formerPA. Changewas something that theofficewas going tobe in for comeNovember. Iwas introduced toMr.Greenebya formerPropertyAppraiser andHouseRepresentativeMr.Ronald Schultz at apolitical functionprior to theNovemberElection. As Ihad sat across from thegentleman duringVAB, one can imaginewhatwas going throughmyheadduring that “formal”meeting. Luckily Mr. Schultz gavemehighpraise formyworkethicandMr.Greene softenedabit over the trivialVAB issues. Mr.Greenewent on towin theNovember electionwith64%of thevotesgoing tohim. In January2009Mr.Greenewas sworn intoofficeand the changes started. The first fewdayswerea whirlwindof revolvingdoors and somegoodpeoplewere let go. If in thosedays youwere called into hisoffice, the fearof being told that youwereno longerneededwashigh. Somenew faces also came into theoffice, andoneof thebiggest surpriseswas thatMr.Greene’s opponent fromNovemberwas hiredon. Mr.Greenewanted tobeknownasGeoff around theoffice, he createdmoreof a relaxed atmosphere thanwhatwehadbeenused to. Geoffwas always in cowboyboots and jeans andap- peared laidback. Well, letme rephrase that…hewasnot laidback; hewasabundleof uncontrolled energy. IfGeoff brought over something tobe lookedat and toldyou “no rush” itwouldbe in thebest interest of all theparties involved toget toworkon that right away. That tookmea coupleof times to learn that lesson. Geoff ledaveryproductive lifeprior tohis timeas thePA. Hewason theprobowling circuit, involved inFireDepartments inSouthFloridaanddeveloped twoof theprominent subdivisions inour county. Geoffwas abigkidat heart, always sharing stories and jokes and showingyou things thathadbeen sent tohim fromhis familyand friends (andhehadmanyof them). Henever ceased toamaze some of uswhenhe removedhis own staples after a surgeryonhis arm….hewasa character. Someof the storiesof his variousbumps andbruiseshadus shakingourheads inwonder. Kindof like, “Iwonder whathewas thinking”? Surgeriesdidn’tholdhimback; I rememberhim coming in theafternoonafter amorningprocedure to catchupon some things. Hewas alwayswilling tobe there for someone inneedandalways available to listen. A fewof uswon- deredafter the tragic event inJanuary if therewas anything thatwe couldhavedone, if onlyhehad sharedwithuswhathewas thinking. Theofficehasnot been the same sincehisdeparture: no longer arewehearing the “DROID”whenhisphonewas left on, orhim callingyouout to the “patio” - aka “smoking room” toaskabout something that caughthis attention. Geoffwas someone that had brought lifeand spunk into theofficeandhehasbeengreatlymissed.

Spring2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

FROMTHEPEANUTGALLERY

Iwas recentlyasked toparticipate inan “Untalent Show”. Because I think I qualify, I agreed todo it. It doesn’t really involvemuch; untalent is easier than talent be- cause it doesnot requiremuchpractice. Another good thing is that untalent ishard tomessupandeven if youdo, nobody shouldnotice. Wewill haveagood timeand hopefully sowill theaudience. Their job isharderbecause theyhave to figureout when to laughor cryandwhenyour act isover.

BruceStrenth, CFE

Theprecedingparagraph reallyhasnothingmuch todowithanything. I think thatmight beanother untalent, theability towrite things that people can readandenjoywithout them reallyhaving to think muchabout it. Therearepeoplewhowrite for a livingwho sharemyuntalent, but someof theirwrit- ing requires toomuch thinking forme. Imean, after all, I amnowa senior citizenand Ihave to reservemy thinkingability. Weall need to rememberbreakfast andournames. Ihavebecome increasinglyhappy tohaveadriver’s licensewith mypicture, so that in timeof doubt I can lookon there to seewho I am. Iwant to thankyou inadvance for allowingme towritea little silly this time. We live inan increas- inglyhurriedand sometimeshostileworld. Wearebombardedwithmore information thanwe could everneedor for thatmatterprocess. Insteadof twoor three television stations that signoff at 2am, wehavehundreds that stayon twenty fourhoursperday. Technologyhasput thewholeworld inour hands at the touchof abutton. Our lives arehurriedandmaybeharried, but the sun still shines and littlebabies are still cutewhen they smile. Keepyour chinup, and if youhavemore thanonekeep themall up. Iwouldbe remiss if Ididnot remindyouof theeducational andnetworkingopportunitiesofferedby FloridaChapter of IAAO. I can saywithout hesitation that our chapter isoneof thebest inall of IAAO. You can findoutwhat ishappening in thisnewsletter andat http://www.fciaao.org . I sincerelyhope that your life iswhereyouwant it and that all (ormost) of yourdreams arecoming true.

ArticleContributor:BruceStrenth, CFE

TangiblePersonal Property,HighlandsCounty

Winter2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

2014 FCIAAO Forum Tuesday, April 29, 2014 9:00am to5:00pm Fort Lauderdale, FL

IAAO Forum917

How toCritique anAppraisal

Discover amethodical approach to the review and critique of appraisals submitted in support of assessment reduction. Youwill distinguish if an appraiser acts as an advocate for the client, or truly approaches the assignment as a disinterested unbiased third party. All aspects of an appraisal will be inspected to ascertain the credibility and reli- ability of thework submitted.

Taught byPat Alesandrini, CAE, RES,MAI, SRA

Director of Valuation, HillsboroughCountyPropertyAppraiser

(7.5 CE hours offered)

2014 FloridaChapter IAAOAnnual Conference

April 30 -May2, 2014

Hyatt Pier 66• Fort Lauderdale, FL

Join us for diverse educational opportunities in our General Sessions as well as three tracks covering Real Estate, Exemptions and IT/GIS. Visit our website at www.fciaao.org for full agenda. Registration $85member • $115 nonmember Register online or payment is accepted online through PayPal or via Checkmade pay- able to FloridaChapter IAAO

Hotel Accommodations Hyatt Pier 66 2301 SE 17th St. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

There are a limited number of rooms available at $125* per night when reservations are made by April 4, 2014 . Book reservation online * Hotel rate includes self parking fee

Winter2014Newsletterof theFCIAAO

MissionStatement

“Tooffer relevant educational opportunities inadvaloremappraisal andadministration,

and topromoteprofessional development of ourmembers.”

Apublicationby theFloridaChapterof InternationalAssociationofAssessingOfficers

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