Member Spotlight

Newly Designated AI-GRS Member

Flavia Krieg, MAI, AI-GRS

Appraisal Institute Designation(s)        

MAI, AI-GRS (AI-GRS just received in May 2025)

Hometown

Southern California

Where do you work?

United States Forest Service, Mares Island, Vallejo, CA. Remote in Sebastopol until June 2 as a Senior Review Appraiser.

How did you get started in real estate appraisal?           

As an office manager for an appraisal company.

How long have you been in the appraisal industry?       

41 years - with a 5-year hiatus to practice law.

Who has mentored you along the way to your designation?

My current supervisor encouraged me to get the AI-GRS designation.

Greatest professional challenge?

Current impending Reduction in Force at the USFS.

What is the favorite Appraisal Institute Class/Seminar that you have taken?

Expert witness course with Steve Roach, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS.

What is the best advice you have received?

Use what you know about real estate to invest in real estate.

How did you celebrate when you officially received your AI designation? 

Ordered take-out.

What advice do you have for someone getting started in the profession today? 

Absorb everything you can about real estate.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Doctor

What are you most proud of professionally or personally?

The work I do now, fostering the appraisal process and reviewing appraisals for projects that keep working forests intact.

What was the last non-appraisal book you read?

Listened to Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Leadership Development & Advisory Council (LDAC) establishes an "appraiser presence" in Congress. LDAC participants lobby Capitol Hill and demonstrate that the Appraisal Institute is made up of professionals who recognize the importance of being actively involved in the political process.

More Leaders in Action

Appreciation is extended to the following Members who have recently chaired signature conferences or events:

The Appraisal Institute, the leading professional association of real estate appraisers, is your home base— for community, for education, and for resources that can help you perform your job with more efficiency and ease than before.

A Trio of Northern California Chapters Members Elected  

On behalf of the Region I Nominating Committee and Chair, Michael Hinnant, SRA, below is the slate approved for the 2026 Region I positions:  

• 2026 Region I Third Director – Jeffrey S. Enright, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS

• 2026 Region I National Nominating Committee Representative – Joseph A. Cormier-Knopp, MAI, AI-GRS

• 2026 Region I National Nominating Committee Alternate – Christopher T. Daniel, SRA

 The slate was confirmed at the Region I Meeting held on Tuesday, June 10. Congratulations, Jeff, Joe, and Chris! Your dedication to service is appreciated.

Solicitation of Names to Fill Vacancy

for 2025 Appraisal Institute Vice President

The National Nominating Committee is seeking the names of members who are interested in filling the vacancy in the office of the Vice President to complete the 2025 term. The 2025 Vice President succeeds to the offices of 2026 President Elect, 2027 President and 2028 Immediate Past President.

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If you are interested in serving or would like to recommend an individual that you feel meets the qualifications for the position, please email your written recommendation to Sandra Adomatis, SRA, who will serve as Chair of the 2025 National Nominating Committee,

c/o Joan Barngrover at jbarngrover@appraisalinstitute.org.



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All recommendations must be received by June 23, 2025, 5:00 pm CT. Potential candidates will be contacted by the National Nominating Committee with the requirements for continuing in the process.

Qualifications, eligibility and duties for the Vice President can be found in the

Appraisal Institute Bylaws on the Appraisal Institute’s website.

The Appraisal Foundation is Launching a NEW website this Summer

The Appraisal Foundation looks forward to delivering a better experience to you very soon, but as part of this transition, they will be closing our webstore for a fifteen-day period from June 17^th-30^th. If you have a course coming up or know that you will need any materials during this window, please order them now. The store will be closed beginning June 17^th and will not reopen until June 30^th.

If you have purchased any digital products through our current store, please log in to your account and ensure all digital products are downloaded to your computer as you will no longer be able to access them otherwise after store closure.

Appraisal Institute California Government Relations Report

Melissa Bach, MAI, NorCal Northern California Representative for AICGRC

March 25, 2025

Committee Activity

The California Government Relations Committee held an in-person meeting on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at the offices of California Advocates in Sacramento. In attendance were committee members: Charles Baker (Chair – So Cal), Steve Salmon (Vice-Chair – NorCal); Alex Lui (Treasurer/Secretary – SoCal); Carole Laval (NorCal rep), John Maus (ASFMRA rep), Neil Lefmann (NorCal rep), Kevin O’Hara (San Diego rep), Brent Johnson (San Diego rep), Ben Kunkel (San Diego rep), Melissa Bach (NorCal rep), Ron Garland (Nor Cal rep), Paul Chandler (NorCal rep), Ariana Arredondo (SoCal rep), Jeanine Kraus (NorCal rep), and Neil Cambra (San Diego rep), along with Mike Belote, Cliff Costa and Adam Quinones of California Advocates, and Scott DiBiasio with the Appraisal Institute.

BREA Update

As of February 13, 2025, there were 7,924 dues paying licensees, down 69 licensees from January 1, 2025 and down 794 licensees (9.1%) from January 1, 2024.

Once every five years, state regulatory boards are subject to a sunset review period. This process allows the Legislature, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and the boards themselves to discuss the performance of the boards and make recommendations for improvements

This year, the BREA is up for Sunset Review, a process every licensing organization in California is required to go through every five years. In November 2024, the BREA published their Sunset Review Report. It is available on the BREA website.

A few observations from the report:

• 70% of the Bureau’s revenue comes from appraiser license renewal fees. However, the number of renewals is diminishing by 50 to 60 per month.
• Bureau Chief Jemmott reports that the bureau needs to do a better job of creating new licensees as existing demographic trends foreshadow continuing declines in renewals.
• Demand for traditional appraisal services is declining and will continue to do so. While the report highlights the need to attract new appraisers to the industry, it is silent on a projected timeline for stabilization.
• The major thrust of the report cites appraiser recruitment as the antidote for avoiding or demurring a slide into financial paralysis.
• License renewal revenues have declined 28.6% from FY 2020-21, while the number of licensees has declined about 20%.
• A third of the bureau staff has left over the past 3 years resulting in new license application processing times taking as long as 80 days, however that number has dropped since.
• There are 1,357 open standards violation investigations but only 1,023 cases have been closed during the period FY 2020 through FY 2024.
• The Sunset Review document is optimistic that the legislature will approve a fee limit increase for BREA.

Read more

From discussions on cutting-edge valuation technologies to round-tables on policy and practices, there’s something for everyone—from seasoned professionals to those embarking on a career in real estate appraisal.

Partial list of our knowledgeable and engaging presenters:

Shannon M. Nessier, Partner, Hanson Bridgett

Calvin Cummings, Appraiser2X Coaching

George Dell, MAI, SRA, ASA, CRE, LAI, Real Estate Econometrics and Valumetrics

Gary S. DeWeese, MAI, Real Estate Strategic Solutions

Orell Anderson, MAI, FRICS, ASA, President, Strategic Property Analytics, Inc.

Dr. Nancy Wallace, Haas School of Business

Alison Baumann, Senior Director, Real Estate Intelligence, CompStak

Sarah Helwig, Vice President, Morningstar

Charles Baker, SRA, AI-RRS, AppraisalPros.com, Inc.

Peter Christensen, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, BBG Inc.

Jacinto A. Munoz, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, AI-RRS, Managing Director | Principal, Cogito Realty Partners LLC

But beyond the conference agenda, what makes this year truly special is the sense of connection.

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"This milestone is more than a celebration—it's a moment to recommit to innovation, education, and excellence in everything we do

as valuation professionals."

John Hillas, MAI, SRA, 2025 Fall Conference Chair

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An Evening to Remember: The Gala Dinner

Following the conference, guests will gather for a Gala Dinner — an elegant evening designed to honor the chapter’s history, celebrate its members, and toast to the future. There will be live entertainment, a specially curated menu, and plenty of moments to reconnect with friends and colleagues — both old and new.

The evening will also include tributes to past leaders and recognition of emerging voices in the profession. It's a time not only to honor achievements but also to reflect on the deep roots and shared values that bind our community together.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

For 88 years, the Northern California Chapter has stood as a cornerstone of the appraisal profession—promoting education, advocating for ethical standards, and providing a network of support for its Members and the real estate appraisal community.

This anniversary celebration is a chance to look back with pride—and to step forward with purpose.

We look forward to having you join us on October 24th!

Learn more