Looking forward to serving as president of the MBREA

I am looking forward to serving as the president of the MBREA in 2013. My membership goes back over 20 years, when I first decided to become an appraiser. Our profession has experienced great transformation since then. The pace of change, expedited by technology, has accelerated within the past five years and shows no signs of abatement. If anything, the constant vortex of change makes my membership of greater importance. MBREA has been the leader in keeping up with these changes, communicating and educating our members and appraisers from Massachusetts and surrounding states. One profound change to the appraisal profession is the difficulty that now exists for someone who wishes to become an appraiser. As of January 1st, 2015, a bachelor's degree will be required for anyone seeking to become a certified appraiser. While there has been some movement, the issue at the forefront of Jonathan Asker's 2012 agenda - opportunities of trainees to gain experience - remains a significant barrier to entry into the profession. If trends continue, certified appraisers will be in short supply, carefully choosing clients who treat them as professionals by respecting their work and by compensating them as professionals. My goal for the coming year is to see the MBREA grow on a more national scale. With the changes to the profession over the past few years, it is now more than ever important to belong to a professional association. The MBREA continues to stay on top of local and national rulings, changes to license and education requirements and has become very active in legislation. Participation in the association provides us with the ability to fulfill our mission, "To support, promote and encourage the highest level of professionalism and ethical appraisal standards, through education and communication, and to represent the interests of our members." With our current leadership and administrative strength, led by Steve Sousa, we have become a highly regarded professional organization for appraisers in the country. MBREA is an appraisal organization sponsor of the Appraisal Foundation where our own Steven Elliott, MRA, will serve as chair of the board of trustees. We continue to see change on state and national levels and we need to stand united to have a strong voice to help determine where our profession will go in the future. I plan on spending the next year helping to make this organization grow to ensure that our voices will continue to be heard. Change is impacting the way MBREA delivers education. We have started offering classes in Danvers and Taunton and this month will introduce the Holiday Inn, Dedham as another new location. At the end of January, we are relocating our administrative offices to 50 Federal St., Boston providing greater access to the State House and regulators. I look forward to a wonderful year for our members, and with your continued support and MBREA's strength and professionalism, I hope to see our organization grow and prosper. Paula Wolfe is the 2013 president of MBREA, Dedham, Mass. John Torvi, Herbert H. Landy Insurance Agency