President's Message

12/30/15

Dear Chicago Chapter Colleagues,

This year has flown by!  One of our great accomplishments this year is designating 26 members with SRA’s or MAI’s.  We also had 13 members receive the AI-GRS designation.  Our newest designated members are Emile M. Triche, MAI; William Lane, MAI; Joe Magdziarz, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS; and Michel R. Ribet, SRA, AI-RRS.  Please join me in congratulating them.  

Our next Chapter meeting will be at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook on Friday, January 8, 2016.  It is our Installation and Awards Dinner.  Join us to install our 2016 officers and I will be handing out awards to some of our members.  If you have not registered for the dinner yet, please go to:  
http://www.myappraisalinstitute.org/education/einfo.aspx?id=36381

A goal of mine for 2015 was to expand our offerings to the suburbs in order to reach more of our members.  We offered seminars and meetings in Lisle, Lombard, and downstate Illinois.  In 2016 we will continue these efforts.  If you have not done so already, don’t forget to register for the 7 Hour USPAP Update seminars for 2016-2017.  The deadline to complete the seminar is June 30, 2016.  We have offerings in Chicago along with Springfield, Champaign, Lisle, Lake Forest, Naperville, Alton, Schaumburg, and Peoria.   Don’t delay in registering for a 7 Hour USPAP near you!  Here is the link for more details:  http://www.ccai.org/uspap-courses.php

I hope you had the opportunity to attend one of our Home-Grown Seminars this year such as the Conditions of the Chicago Market, Downtown Chicago Architecture & Geography Tour, Residential Conditions of the Chicagoland Market, FHA Seminar, What Financial Institutions are Looking in Reviewing Appraisals, Relocation Appraising, and Risk Reduction.  We are always looking for new ideas on seminars to present to our members.  If you want to help put together a seminar, please let us know.  We appreciate your input.  

I would like to thank our 2015 Corporate Sponsors:  The Herbert H Landy Insurance Agency and LIA Administrators & Insurance Services and our 2015 Member Sponsors:  Brian D. Flanagan, MAI, AI-GRS; David W. Binz, SRA; Kevin A. Byrnes, MAI; and Michael Hobbs, SRA.  We appreciate your support!  

We look forward to working with our 2016 Sponsors!  They are:  The Herbert H. Landy Insurance Agency, Cushman & Wakefield, Appraisal Research Counselors, Standard Valuation Services, LaQuinta Inn & Suites Downtown Chicago, and Integra Realty Resources.  We have a few of our member sponsors continuing in 2016 – Richard J. Binder, MAI, SRA, Michael Hobbs, SRA and David W. Binz, SRA.  If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, it is not too late!  Contact Mary Jane at Maryjane@ccai.org.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday season!  

See you at the Installation Dinner.
Thank you,
George F. Collins, MAI, FRICS, CRE
312.342.1899
gcollins@collinsrea.com