President's Message
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We have accomplished a lot in our 20-years and 2012 was no different. At the annual IAAO conference in Kansas City, Missouri two of our members took home awards. Linda Cwiek, chapter secretary and assessor in North Kingstown, Rhode Island was awarded the Clifford B. Allen Most Valuable Member Award. Karen Beatty, assessor in Scituate, Rhode Island received the Zangerle Award for the Northeast News on behalf of the Northeastern Regional Assessors Association.
Two other award winners have taught IAAO courses for the Mass Chapter; Garth Thimgan, CAE from Colorado, received Instructor of the Year Award and Diane Ange, CAE from Tennessee, had the honor of receiving the first Professional Development Lifetime Achievement Award. We are proud and excited for Garth and Diane.
And the recognition keeps coming. Jim Michaud, CAE, assessor in Hudson, New Hampshire and past president of the Mass Chapter was named “Municipal Advocate of the Year” by the New Hampshire Local Government Center and the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
Being active in the Mass. Chapter and the IAAO is a great way to include professional development in your career. The benefits of continuing education and professional networking for you and your municipality or company are many and meaningful. The Mass. Chapter is a good place to get involved without a long-term commitment. All of our officer and board positions are available every year. If you are interested in getting involved, our annual meeting will be on February 27, 2013 following a one-day Utility Valuation Seminar (see attached notice). If you have any questions, you can give me a call. I have enjoyed my years on the executive committee, but we need others to step up to plate; it’s worth it.
Our Education Coordinator, Karen Rassias, is the new assessor in Wilmington, MA. Please contact her with your ideas for courses and workshops that will help you in your work. Her new contact information is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 978-658-3675.
IAAO is again running the 2 for 200 campaign. New members receive two years of membership for $200. This special offer ends on March 31, 2013. Join now and you don’t pay IAAO dues until January 2015.
The IAAO offers a number of scholarships and grants. For a complete list along with applications, go to the IAAO web site www.iaao.org and click on scholarships. For members who demonstrate a financial need for renewing their annual membership, a Hardship Grant is also offered. Don’t let your membership expire just because your town has cut funding.
Upcoming Conferences and Meetings:
- February 27, 2013 – Utility Valuation Seminar, Wellesley, MA
- February 27, 2013 – Chapter Annual Meeting and election of officers, Wellesley, MA
- April 28-May 1, 2013 – NRAAO Conference, Newport, RI
- July 12-13, 2013 – IAAO Executive Board meeting in Boston, MA
- August 25-28, 2013 – IAAO 79th Annual Conference, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Donna Lee McCabe, AAS, President
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