BERNARD IN THE FINAL FIVE

BERNARD IN THE FINAL FIVE

The Appraisal Foundation in Washington, D. C. put out a call for applications for appointment to The Appraisal Standards Board—the body which sets the professional rules for the appraisal profession through writing and promulgating The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, known as USPAP. Bernard, believing that he had something to offer after thirty-six years as a fine art appraiser, applied. He thought this would be a good way to contribute to the development of a profession that has been good to him. After all, he hasn’t done much of that since he taught Valuation Law to appraisers at various universities and other venues. It was also about time that the membership of The Appraisal Standards Board included a personal property appraiser.

In time he was contacted by Appraisal Board member Elizabeth von Habsburg and a telephone interview was scheduled. That went very well and Bernard was invited to fly to Newport, Rhode Island for a face to face interview with the nominating committee. The Appraisal Foundation Board was meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Goat Island in the beautiful playground of robber barons and yachtsmen.

Apparently 106 appraisers had submitted applications and five were invited for the all-expenses paid week end so they could be available for fifteen minute interviews.

When the results were reported to the Board, Bernard was not one of those selected for one of the three openings on the Appraisal Standards Board. It turns out the three who were are old time insiders, two of whom had been on the board previously and the third was coming off the Board of Directors, but wanted to remain active..

Bernard refuses to feel rejected. He has been told repeatedly by Appraisal Foundation members that he is “the cream of the cream” and that if he’ll reapply next time there is an opening, he’ll almost certainly be selected. How nice it would be to go into the interview knowing what the questions will be, as the three successful applicants did.

Bernard, who was a week away from departure for Thailand, Cambodia, India and Dubai (and has since spent a month in Mexico and is about to leave for Ireland for a month) actually feels some relief. He has been saved from about forty hours of work a month for three years and has been selected by his peers as one of the best, if not one of the insiders.