Place: L’Olivier Restaurant, 465 Davis Court, San Francisco in the Club Room. (415-981-7824) The restaurant is easily accessible via BART (Embarcadero Station) and $5 valet parking is available.

NOTE: The dinner is being partly subsidized by the chapter, so the cost is a low $37 for members and spouses; $50 for guests (includes tax, tip and wine!)
RSVP NOW please to Secretary Jack Young at jack@norcalvaluation.com and let him know you are coming. Do not reply to the Newsletter address—Jack is the one who needs to know!

There have been some welcome changes to the 2010 USPAP standards. Bob Podwalny, ASA will give us an overview of what’s new, what’s out. While this dinner presentation won’t serve to renew your USPAP currency, it will give you a basic understanding of the current requirements. I’m late getting out this meeting notice, so please RSVP right away.

Upcoming Events

March 11-14 ASA ME208 in San Francisco. http://tinyurl.com/ME208MarineSurvey

March 24-26 California Chapter, ASFMRA presents 2010 Spring Ag Outlook Conference…A New Era for California Agriculture

Join the California Chapter, ASFMRA in Visalia, California March 24 - 26^th for what promises to be an excellent lineup of education for the appraisal professional. The Spring Ag Outlook Conference on March 25^th will focus on key issues facing California agriculture…land values, dairy, water, agricultural credit and more. Program sessions throughout the day will address the feed sector, olives for oil, and a briefing via web cam on what’s happening in Washington D.C. The 2010 issue of Trends in Agricultural Land & Lease Values will be released - now covering both California and Nevada.

If that’s not enough, the chapter’s brand new ‘Best Practices for Rural Property Appraisals’ course will be offered for the first time on March 24^th. Nearly a year in the making, the course promises some excellent information. For those in need of USPAP, the 7 Hour National USPAP Update will be offered on March 26^th. Finally, you won’t want to miss the popular California Classic Barbecue immediately following the Best Practices class! Find all of the details in the Conference Registration Brochure and then sign up on line at www.calasfmra.com. Need more information? Contact the ASFMRA California Chapter office at 209-368-3672 or email info@calasfmra.com. We hope that you will plan to join us! Note: ASA members receive the discounted member rate for all events.

March 27 FEWA Internet Publicity Workshop - WEB 2.0 Basics –“GET IN THE GAME”

Online social media is here to stay, so it is crucial for businesses to join in. Remember that the online world is likely to talk about you regardless of whether or not you participate, so be sure at the very least, you are monitoring the conver-sation. “GET IN THE GAME!” Learn these skills at this hands-on workshop.

This workshop is designed to not only familiarize the participants with the business applications of social media but to gain a head-start on the professional applications of these services, and to begin using them effectively and efficiently in your business.

Members of any organization register for the FEWA member price.

Early Bird Rates Apply until March 12!

FEWA is an MCLE provider to the California State Bar

Space is limited, so please get your reservations in right away to receive the early bird rates. Email Executive Director, Don Gilbert at execdir@forensic.org, call him at (562) 695-4600, or fax him at 714-459-7198. FEWA & ASA members $169 before March 12, $179 thereafter. Saturday, March 27th, 8:00 am at the five-star Marines Memorial Club, 609 Sutter Street, San Francisco. www.marineclub.com FEWA has arranged a special early bird room rate of $179 per night for attendees who reserve before March 12. I can’t wait for this one! (overview and registration form)

April 24: SPRING REAMUG Meeting SAVE THE DATE!!! REGISTER NOW!!!

Holiday Inn Bayside, 4875 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA (more)
(Phone 619-224-3621 for room reservations)

Membership Matters

By Robin Erdmann

Welcome New Members

This month, the Northern California Chapter of ASA welcomes Liza Hickey as a new member in the Personal Property Discipline.

Liza is a graduate of UC-Santa Barbara (BA) with a major in psychology and a minor in fine arts. She followed this up attending University of Glasgow (MA), where her concentration was in European Fine and Decorative Art History. She is currently employed by Hobart Associates in San Francisco as a research assistant. She can be reached at "ehickey01@gmail.com."

Welcome, Liza.

Allrich Fine Art Services New Offices in San Jose, CA

Dear Friends,
I am pleased to announce that I have opened an office in the South Bay and now will be dividing my time between San Jose and San Francisco. This was a wonderful opportunity that I could not pass up and will allow me to better serve my appraisal clients in the South Bay.

2009 was a busy year. Last January, I finished work on an outstanding art project in San Diego for the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. Later in the year, I spent a concentrated amount of time on the art master plan project for a new city in South Korea, Songdo Landmark City.

Currently, I am preparing for a new consulting project and busy with appraisals. Along with insurance reports and estate work, I am writing appraisal reports for charitable contributions for donations of fine art to numerous museums. I am always delighted to see the quality of art that I am so fortunate to write about.

Best wishes,
Louise Barco Allrich

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

236 West Portal, #406
San Francisco, CA 94127
415.584.2093 Office
415.354.3233 Fax

SAN JOSE, CA

5339 Prospect Road, #104
San Jose, CA 95129
408.867.3440 Office
408.912.2301 Fax

Governor’s Message

By Greg Ansel

Since the last communication, we had an in-person mid-term Board of Governors meeting and Budget and Finance meeting as well as one BoG call, several B&F calls and a leadership call.

There have been a lot of positives achieved, some tough decisions that must be addressed and some recent controversy. I would like to take some time to hopefully clarify some issues.

Positives:

Financially ASA is starting to see the education revenue rebound and we are operating in the black for the first six months of FY 2010.

Educational attendance in the second half of FY 2010 is showing positive signs.

The BoG is having thoughtful and meaningful debates on issues and I believe is operating passionately and effectively.

The BoG is committed to improving communication to the chapters and the members. However, this is a two way street and I want to hear your concerns as well.

The California Chapter Presidents have agreed to maintain their participation in the California Coalition of Appraisers. I have appointed Mike Evans to lead this effort.

The Aptify system has new features/functionality being added regularly and is progressing and operating within the revised budget.

Tough Decisions:

While the BoG recognizes the need for multi-discipline leadership, the BoG voted to send a clear message that we are one, unified society and not six independent discipline organizations. The individual disciplines will still have and maintain their independence, but all disciplines will work together to support one another.

Education – there were several proposals to expand the ASA International education.

Expand internationally organically.

Utilize a partnership with RICS and leverage their international structure.

Form a new joint venture with the CICBV and create new international courses.

While all the above were discussed and debated, the BoG anticipates voting on the above in March. It is important to note that the BoG indicated that the CICBV proposal needed to somehow be inclusive for all disciplines and is not to be just a BV proposal.

Budgeting – I am off to HQ on March 19^th for the annual budgeting process. The goal is for all disciplines to operate profitable. We will also look at ways to reduce HQ overhead costs and I know the topic of chapter reimbursements will also be debated. Please let me know if you have any questions/issues you would like me to present.

Everything is on the table including dues increases. Currently ASA dues do not cover all our expenses and our dues have not been relatively flat for the last four years.

Membership is flat and ASA must do something to bring in more new and younger members to not only grow but replenish our profession. While this is true for all disciplines, it is particularly true for real property.

Controversy:

RICS – at the mid-term BoG meeting, the BoG discussed long-term strategies including whether ASA should move to merge with an organization like RICS. The Board felt that cooperation with international appraisal organizations was appropriate and necessary, but that unification with RICS at this time was not in the best interest of the Society. The Board also felt that long term coordination with other appraisal organizations leading to a unified voice was important. In particular, the Board affirmed that: We will seek cooperative efforts with other international appraisal organizations and we believe in long-term coordination of appraisal organizations leading to a unified voice. From my perspective this vote was to clarify and create a long-term strategy/direction for the ASA and to ensure that we are utilizing our resources only on strategies that are consistent with ASA’s long-term perspective.

The BoG did indicate that it felt that long-term coordination with other appraisal organizations leading to a unified voice was important and to keep an open mind on any potential opportunities. To my knowledge there are no merger proposals on the table currently.

Education – as mentioned above there are three plans that appear to be mutually exclusive and we at the BoG level must make some decisions.

While there is a lot to digest above, the good news is the ASA is operating profitably, we have the best appraisal education in the world and other organizations are trying to emulate us.

As you know the key to our organization is our members and our work locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. There are many ways for each of you to get involved whether it is at the chapter level (these elections will occur in the next couple months), discipline committee level, board of examiner level and/or national level. If you have any interest or questions, I am happy to discuss it with you.

As always should you have any questions or concerns please contact your local chapter president or me directly (gansel@fscg.com).

Legislative Corner—Humor?

By Chuck Warren

How Government Works

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, - "Someone may steal from it at night." So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job.

Then Congress said, - "How does the watchman do his job without instruction?" So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.

Then Congress said, - "How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?" So they created a Quality Control Department and hired two people, one to do the studies and one to write the reports.

Then Congress said, - "How are these people going to get paid?" So they created the following positions, a timekeeper, and a payroll officer, then hired two people.

Then Congress said, - "Who will be accountable for all of these people? "So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, a Deputy Administrative Officer, and a secretary.

Then Congress said, - "We have had this in operation for one year and we are $1,000,000 over budget, we must cutback overall cost."

So they laid off the night watchman.

Web Update

We need volunteers to develop content for each discipline hope page on our new NorCal Chapter website www.ASA-NorCal.org If you would like to help shape how your website looks, please contact your Discipline Director!

Events Calendar

MARCH 2010

· 11-14 MTS 208, Marine

Vessel Survey - SF

· 11^th (Thur) Chapter Meeting: USPAP Update

· 24^th-26^th ASFMRA Ag Outlook

· 27^th FEWA Internet Promotion Workshop

APRIL 2010

· 8^TH (Thur) Chapter Meeting, International & Fair Value Accounting

· 24^th Spring REMUG meeting, San Diego

· TBA: VFR (Valuation for Financial Reporting 1-day seminar

MAY 2010

· 13^th (Thur) Chapter Meeting, Bill Mulligan: “Alternative Energy Outlook”

JUNE 2010

· 10^th (Thur) Chapter Meeting, Stephen Braitman: “Music Appraisal”

JULY 2010

· 8^th (Thur) No chapter meeting

· 26^th-28^th International Conf. Las Vegas

AUGUST 2010

· 6^th (Fri) tentative - Chapter Retreat

· 12^th (Thur) Chapter meeting, Installation of new officers TBA

SEPTEMBER 2010

· 9^th (Thur) Annual Meeting/Candidate’s Night

October 2010

14^th (Thur)

November 2010

11^th (Thur)

December 2010

9^th (Thur)

NorCal Officers & Directors

L to R:, Gil Mitchell, ASA, Treasurer; Robin Erdmann ASA, Past President & Membershp, Doug Baxter ASA, President; Bob Lentz, ASA, Vice President; Jack Young ASA, Secretary (not pictured)

L to R: Gil Mitchell ASA, Treasurer; Doug Schnitzer ASA; Nancy Stacy ASA, G&J Director & Newsletter Editor; Robin Erdmann ASA, Past President; Doug Baxter ASA, President; Roger Rapport ASA, PP Director, Bob Lentz ASA, Vice-President; Directors not pictured: John Barnet AM, BV Director

Chapter Officers

Chapter President Douglas S. Baxter ASA (PP)

Chapter Vice President Robert P. Lentz III ASA (BV)

Chapter Secretary Jack Young ASA (MTS)

Chapter Treasurer Gil Mitchell ASA (MTS)

Chapter Past Chair Robin J. Erdmann ASA (RP)

Discipline Directors

Business Valuation John Barnet AM

Gems & Jewelry Nancy Stacy ASA*

Machinery & Technical (Orphan - Need a volunteer Jack Young ASA filling in)

Real Property Ray Mattison ASA

Personal Property Roger Rapport ASA

International Officers

International President Mike Evans ASA

Region 5 Governor Greg Ansel ASA

Anyone interested in being an active participant in the chapter should contact Doug Baxter at DBaxter@hobartappraisals.com and attend a BOD meeting.