Members Only Area

The Members Area is primarily for Northern California and Nevada Chapter members, candidates and staff, but you're welcome to browse, too. Not a member? Considering joining us. You'll be in good company!

President's Message to Members

Read the current edition of the Chapter President's Message to Members for the latest news and plans.

2008-2009 Schedule of Meetings and Events

Chapter meetings will be held at the L'Olivier Restaurant on Thrusday evenings at 6:30 pm in 2008 on September 11, October 9, November 13, and December 10, and in 2009 on January 8, February 12, March 7, April 9, May 14, June 11, and September 10. Additional information and other events are available in the ASA NorCal Events Schedule (PDF: 32 KB). Meeting notices will be posted on the Calendar, when finalized. To be notified about revisions, subscribe to the Calendar by email or RSS feed.

Email:

OR

ASA NorCal Feed

Membership Materials

Applicants and candidates for ASA membership will find the following materials essential. The checklists, guides, and protocols are published in the PDF format which opens in Adobe Reader or similar software. Download a free copy to read the materials.

Branding Resolution

Betty Snyder, writing in the Spring 2008 ASA Professional, said "You have a tool in your practice's marketing bag of tricks that you may not be using to best advantage. Some recent changes to guidelines for use of the ASA logo should help boost the ASA recognition factor and help drive business to your practice." Here's the Branding Policy, adopted as ASA Resolution 03-08-03 in March 2008, that spells out how to use the ASA logo to best effect on your stationery, business cards, marketing materials, and website.

Membership Records

Update Your Record
Use the links below to update your membership record when your address, phone number, email address, website URL, etc. changes. The changes you make here are instantly available to anyone using the national or chapter search tools. (You'll need to have your user id and password handy to do this.)

PP, RP, ARM, GJ and MTS Members:  Update
BV Members:  Update

Free Website

For extra mileage, link your membership record to your company website. Don't have one? Make one by following the step-by-step instructions in the Members Only area of the national website. ASA will host the page you make for free.

The Internet abounds with other free ways to make your mark. Google offers its Page Creator, an easy to use website design tool packaged with free hosting and attractive templates. Yahoo! offers its famous free GeoCities websites, which can be upgraded into professional, paid sites as your business grows. If you prefer a more individualized and personal web presence, go blog at Google's Blogger.com, Yahoo!'s 360, MSN's Spaces, or lots of other quality sites offering free tools and hosting, usually ad-supported.

Want a more professional page to post to your ASA webspace or a standalone website? Call on the Chapter webmaster, Lou Bruno, for help. You can reach Lou by phone (866-590-6565), email, or by visiting his webshop.

Managing Professional Liability Exposure
At the May 2007 San Francisco Chapter meeting, members earned Continuing Education Credits while learning how to "Limit Your Liability As An Expert." Louis Castoria, Esq. (at left in photo), who is a Partner in the San Francisco office of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, discussed the legal aspects, talking about "Who Can Sue a Forensic Expert?" Ms. Elizabeth Horn (seen to the right of Chapter President James E. McCann) discussed the insurance perspective. Ms. Horn is Assistant Vice President & Practice Manager, D&O at Woodruff-Sawyer & Company.

The Alliance Project
Chapter President Lissa A.N. Cooley, ASA, right, thanks November meeting speaker, W. David Snook, FASA, a past President of the ASA Sacramento Chapter and member of the Appraisal Standards Board from 1995 through 2000. Mr. Snook talked about the important Alliance Project, the ASA joint effort with the Appraisal Institute and the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers designed to

• Expand member services
• Broaden professional and educational opportunities
• Enhance representation in legislative issues
• Elevate public recognition of appraisal professionals

President's Message: June 2006

It's hard to believe that my term as Chapter President is nearly over, and that elections are past due! We have an outstanding group of individuals running for our 2006/2007 Board, and I encourage all of you to support them by voting.

Art Appraisers & Conservators Gather. On May 25, Personal Property members gathered with co-sponsors Bay Area Art Conservation Guild (BAACG) at Stanford's Cantor Art Center for an excellent talk by Tom Stone, ACRP, FIIC. Read about it on the News page.

Puiggali Advances. At its April 13, 2006 Board meeting, the Directors of the San Francisco Chapter voted in favor of recommending Ms. Caroline Puiggali, CFA, a Vice President in the San Francisco office of Cogent Valuation for advancement from AM to ASA in the Business Valuation discipline. Hearty congratulations!

See You in Brooklyn. I look forward to seeing many of you at the ASA International Conference this July in Brooklyn. (More on the Conference on the Calendar.) I hope to see you there. I know I'll see David R. Lewis, ASA, Real Property, Cheryl Richbourg, Candidate, Gems and Jewelry, and Anthony Torres, Candidate, Personal Property, who were awarded Chapter Scholarships to attend the Conference.

Regional Governor Re-Elected. Outstanding Regional Governor James O. Brown, ASA, CFP has been re-elected to serve us for another term. We are fortunate indeed to have a capable and dedicated individual such as Jim serve us in this important role. Thank you and congratulations!

And Thanks to All. As I sail into the sunset of my term as your Chapter President, I want to thank all of you who have graciously stepped forward to address the membership at dinner meetings, as well as those of you who have attended. I have enjoyed meeting you all.

2006 Conference Scholarships
The Discipline Chairs have designated several events for which attendance scholarships will be awarded this year:

• Gems and Jewelry -- 2006 ASA International Conference, Brooklyn, NY
• Personal Property -- 2006 ASA International Conference, Brooklyn, NY
• Real Property -- To be announced
• Business Valuation -- To be announced

Worthy Candidates, Members or Senior Members from the San Francisco Chapter may qualify, in part by attendance at monthly Dinner Meetings. For additional information please contact the Discipline Chair Persons:

• Nancy Stacy, ASA -- Gems and Jewelry
• Roger Rapport, ASA -- Personal Property
• William Schnitzer, ASA, and Dave Lewis, ASA -- Real Property
• James Schilt, ASA -- Business Valuation

November Meeting.
At the November 2005 Chapter meeting, Emily L. Newell, AM, seen at left with Chapter President, Lissa A.N. Cooley, ASA, talked about her approach to appraising the Lloyd Cotsen Japanese Bamboo Basket Collection, which was recently donated to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Ms. Newell has spent the last several years appraising the rare bamboo baskets which represent a highly developed form of Japanese art. Appraisers from all disciplines found Ms. Newell's topic and methodology interesting and useful, and enjoyed the opportunity to examine first-hand some of the baskets from Ms. Newell's own collection.

MTS Scholarship
At its September 2005 meeting, the ASA Chapter 41 Board approved a scholarship of up to $500 for a qualified MTS appraiser to attend the October 14, 2005 Basic Machinery Identification Seminar in Manhattan Beach, CA. MTS Chair Robert B. Podwalny, ASA administered the scholarship, which was won by MTS Appraiser Joe Peter Nielson, ASA Chapter President Lissa A.N. Cooley, ASA presented Joe with the $500 scholarship check at the November Chapter meeting. Congratulations, Joe!

Best Newsletter Award
At the 2005 ASA International Appraisal Conference in Austin, Texas, the San Francisco Chapter received yet another award, this one for producing the Best Chapter Newsletter for 2004-5. Chapter President Lissa A.N. Cooley, ASA displays the award plaque in the photo at right taken at L'Olivier's Restaurant during the September 2005 Chapter meeting. The award included both the plaque and a check for $250. Who said good writing doesn't pay?

Newly Accredited
Certificates of accreditation and a round of congratulations were presented at the September 2005 Chapter meeting to Caroline Puiggali, AM of Cogent Valuation in San Francisco, a Business Valuation appraiser, and to Jason Joseph Ruiz, ASA, a Business Valuation appraiser also at Cogent Valuation. Cogent is fortunate to have you both!

Tet Hew, ASA, a Business Valuation appraiser at American Appraisal Associates in San Francisco, has also advanced to Accredited Senior Appraiser, and will get his certificate at the December meeting.

Art History Program
Also approved by the Board at its September 2005 meeting was funding for a day-long program to be held on Saturday, January 7, 2006 at the new de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park in conjunction with the Bay Area Art Conservation Guild (BAACG). Art conservationist Rustin S. Levenson will address the meeting. She is the author, with Andrea Kirsh, of Seeing Through Paintings: Physical Examination in Art Historical Studies, which discusses the painted surface relative to fine art oil paintings.

Promoting Professionalism
An early leader in promoting professionalism among appraisers, the Northern California Chapter is at the forefront of ASA's current effort to increase public awareness of the appraisal profession. As part of this effort, outgoing Chapter President René Hlousek, ASA, seen at left, and Commercial Real Estate Appraiser, Paul Rowan, ASA, were on hand to introduce ASA to attorneys and their staff at the 2004 State Bar of California 77th Annual Meeting and Exposition. René and other members of the San Francisco chapter manned the ASA booth at the SBC Meeting, which was held on October 7-9 at the Monterey Conference Center. According to René, "The networking between legal and appraisal professionals went well, especially since ASA appraisers can be relied on for opinions of value that hold up in court and are accepted by banks, insurance companies, and the IRS." Check our Calendar of Events for news of upcoming outreach efforts.

Professionalism Starts at the Top
At the June 2004 Installation Dinner past (2003-2004) Chapter President, James Brown, ASA, at left, offers two-fold congratulations to René Hlousek on his certification as an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) and on taking over as 2004-2005 President of the San Francisco Chapter. René, who is the founder and President of Beacon Valuation Group, LLC in San Francisco, in turn offered congratulations to Jim, a partner at Perisho Tombor Loomis & Ramirez, who had just been elected Governor of ASA Region 13. (Click on the photo for a closer look.)

ASA Achievement = Assurance
René's ASA certification is both a mark of individual achievement and of assurance to his clients. The certification is based on appraisal education, experience, intensive written and verbal examinations, and submission of acceptable appraisal reports. ASA candidates must have a four-year college degree (or the equivalent), a minimum of five years of full-time appraisal experience (or the equivalent), and must adhere to the ASA's Principles of Appraisal Practice, its Code of Ethics, and to USPAP. But it doesn't end there. As required by the Appraisal Foundation, ASA members must complete USPAP course work and qualify for mandatory recertification every five years. As René knows, professionalism is a work in progress. Thanks, René and congratulations!

In Memoriam: Carol Ann Arieff
Our longtime colleague and a friend to many, Carol Arieff, ASA passed away in her sleep on Wednesday, March 10, 2004. Please read our brief memorial.

Congratulations to Sumner Estes, ASA!
At the November 2003 Chapter meeting, Chapter President, James Brown, ASA, right, presented the ASA Certificate to Sumner Estes. Sumner, whose specialty is Business Valuation, is an analyst with Houlihan Valuation Advisors Certification as an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) is based on appraisal education, experience, intensive written and verbal examinations and submission of acceptable appraisal reports. (Click on the photo for a closer look.)

ASA International Conference, Tampa
ASA has been exploring areas of cooperation with the Appraisal Institute and the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. A detailed memorandum from the Joint Staff meetings is available as a PDF document which opens in Adobe's Acrobat Reader. Click on the button to get a free copy of the Reader.