Message from the International President

This month we spotlight updates on the search for a new CEO, changes to the composition of the Board of Governors, and an example of the workings of the Board of Governors.

CEO Search

Chief Executive Officer Johnnie White is wrapping up his last weeks with ASA, with his last day scheduled as February 20. Our CEO Search Committee is working on the search with our outside executive search firm. We invited over 75 ASA leaders and outside partners to participate in a survey that will be used to build a profile of the characteristics and skills necessary for a successful ASA CEO. Thank you to all who were surveyed and took the time to provide their valuable feedback.

The position posting closes in March. During March and April, the search committee will review applicants and conduct the first round of interviews. Final interviews will be conducted by our Board of Governors, and we hope to have a CEO hired by mid-May.

Board of Governors Size and Composition

Last year, we made changes to the structure of our Board of Governors. Our Board of Governors is comprised of international officers (Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, President, and Past President), Region Governors, Discipline Governors, and the CEO as a non-voting ex officio member.

Previously, we had two governors each from the five disciplines of Business Valuation, Gems & Jewelry, Machinery & Technical Specialties, Personal Property, and Real Property. Last year, we made the change from two governors per discipline to one per discipline and added a governor for our Appraisal Review & Management discipline.

Our Region Governors currently represent regions centered on the United States and Canada, with the rest of the world carved up between those regions. For example, Asian and Australian members are part of a region with the western U.S. and Canada, and Europe is part of a region with the southern Atlantic Coast of the U.S. For these regions, most of the membership (and voters for Region Governor positions) are from the U.S. and Canada.

The new structure balances the number of members between regions and ensures a seat at the table for our growing membership around the world. The new Regions are a Northeast Region, a Midwest/South Region, a Western Region–all of which are entirely within the U.S. and Canada and have roughly equal numbers of members–and a Multinational Region, which includes the hundreds of members from the rest of the world.

The changes to the Discipline Governor membership took effect on July 1, 2023, and the changes to the Region Governor membership takes effect on July 1, 2024. The Board of Governors will then have 14 elected members–six Discipline Governors, four Region Governors, and four international officers. The chapters covered by the Multinational Region are starting the process of nominating their candidates for the Region Governor, and the election for that seat will take place in May.

Next Steps

I mentioned in last month’s Message from the President that we have working groups meeting to assess the current chapter and discipline models and determine what changes might be necessary to ensure the growth and success of ASA into the future. Reports from those working groups are expected in the next few months.

The success of ASA requires an invested and active membership. There are many opportunities for members to become involved at the local chapter level, on discipline committees, and on various international committees. If you aren’t already involved, I encourage you to reach out to your local chapter or discipline to see how you might contribute.

Thank you for your continued support of ASA.

Best regards,

Garrett Schwartz

ASA International President
president@appraisers.org

Looking for past Message from the International President updates? Visit ASA’s online newsroom here.