In February, The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) took a closer look at the work of the Appraiser Qualifications Board and its comprehensive review of the qualification criteria. This month, by way of its newsletter, TAF President Kelly Davids gives details on the work of the Board of Trustees (BOT).

“The Board of Trustees hit the ground running in January with a leadership training session and workshop for the executive committee to set the agenda for the year,” Davids wrote in the TAF March Newsletter. “Since then, the committees have been hard at work advancing this year's activities to achieve our strategic plan: Vision 2030.”

Davids began by highlighting the work of the Trustee Nominating Committee.

“As you know, each spring, the Trustee Nominating Committee kicks off the year by opening applications for the Board of Trustees,” she said. “If you've been following along with our work over the past few years, you know that this committee, along with the Boards Nominating Committee, has undertaken a rubric-driven process for analyzing candidates for all of our boards. Now that applications for the Board of Trustees have closed, this process kicks off in earnest with two rounds of blind scoring before the committee selects who will move on to the following rounds of consideration.”

The organization’s president also brought up the Admissions Committee saying it also had a busy start to the year by way of receiving two new partner applications, which will be brought up at an upcoming BOT virtual public meeting.

Davids also shared that the BOT is preparing to begin regular audits of partner organizations to ensure partners are meeting their obligations.

“Finally, I wanted to highlight a new group created by the Board of Trustees this year: the State Harmonization Task Force,” Davids said. “This group of trustees and stakeholders is coming together to look at those states whose requirements for appraisal licensure or credential exceed the Appraiser Qualifications Board's Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria.

“The goal of this task force will be to meet with states whose regulations exceed the Criteria and work with them to see if any of those additional rules can be removed to ensure that aspiring appraisers across the country do not face unnecessary barriers to entry,” TAF president added. “Each of these three committees reported out on their work in more detail at the March 17 meeting. As I noted last month, your input is vital to the work of all of our boards.”