The Rhode Island Chapter of the Appraisal Institute is over three quarters of the way through a very challenging year. Fortunately, we have enjoyed positive membership retention and in fact have welcomed four new members. The Appraisal Institute awarded the Rhode Island Chapter first place in percentage of membership retained. In addition to the recognition we were thrilled to receive a monetary bonus for that effort.
In an effort to further promote the development of our associate members we have elected Jamie Moore to be our first associate member committee chair. The goal of this appointment is to promote the programs and activities necessary for our associates to travel the path to designation. Going forward, the Appraisal Institute expects to place a strong emphasis on member designation. To that end, we expect that any educational courses and seminars will reflect that ideology. The high caliber of our membership and the number of designated members in the Rhode Island Chapter will surely bode well for all those appraisers actively seeking a designation.
As noted in previous reports some of our members have graciously accepted the job of guiding many of us willing dinosaurs into the new age of communication. We are in the process of updating our chapter web site; and when it is completed we will post not only the dates of our upcoming meetings and education seminars, but current information that is beneficial to our membership.
S. Keith White, Jr., SRPA, is nearing the end his tenure as the chapter's education chairman. Over the last two years he was successful in offering planned presentations of several quality seminars. We started the year with The Making of a Good House, Discounted Cash Flow Model: Concepts, Issues and Applications, 7-Hour National USPAP Update, Proposed Legislation Regarding HVCC, and Introduction to FHA Appraising. We ended our year with the offering of Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions (also known as the "Yellow Book"), and Whatever Happened to Quality Assurance in Residential Appraisal.
Gregory Accetta, MAI, our incoming vice president/administration/assistant vice president education, will continue this trend by offering several new seminars. His years of experience on state and national boards and committees will serve us well. Education has always played major roll in our organization. Once the schedule has been developed we will notify the appraisal community.
Currently, are finalizing plans for our fall general membership program that will involve a tour of the new highly anticipated InterLink in Warwick. Designed to serve MBTA commuter trains traveling between Warwick, Providence and Boston the InterLink is expected to provide service to Wickford Junction. A reception will follow at a local restaurant.
In December we will have our installation of officers: president - William McGovern, SRA; vice president/education - Gregory Accetta, MAI; vice president/administration and assistant vice president education - Frank Cofone; vice president/admissions and development retention - Bradford Hevenor; vice president finance - S. Keith White, Jr., SRPA. The directors are Paul Cunningham, Jacalyn Haggarty, Evelyn Spagnolo, Allan Booth, Erin Angel, Jamie Moore, Gerald Roch, SRA and myself.

Ann Hollands is the 2010 Rhode Island Appraisal Institute chapter president, East Providence, R.I.