Delaware is part of Region VI of the Appraisal Institute

The 10 Regions of the Appraisal Institute

But what do the Regions do, and how do they work?

The purpose of regions is mainly to serve as an information and networking conduit between the other two levels of AI's structure: National and Chapters. It also enables members to develop leadership skills and exposure to those at the National level. From the AI bylaws: "The purpose of the regional structure shall be to facilitate the flow of information between the Board of Directors and the Chapters and among the Chapters within each Region and to provide opportunities for service to the Appraisal Institute."

With 79 chapters and 10 regions, the average number of chapters per region is nearly eight. Region VI includes 10 chapters: three in New Jersey, four in Pennsylvania, plus the Delaware, Maryland and D.C. chapters. Only one other Region has 10 chapters.

Each Region has a Chair and a Vice Chair, both of whom serve on the National Board of Directors by virtue of their election to these Region positions. Each position has a two-year term, with the Vice Chair assuming the Chair position at the end of the Chair's two-year term. In even-numbered years, each Region also has a Third Director, essentially a Vice Chair "in waiting." Although they attend National Board of Director meetings, Third Directors do not have voting privileges at Board meetings. In odd-numbered years, a Region's third Director becomes the Vice Chair, the Vice Chair becomes the Chair, and the Chair begins a two-year term as Immediate Past Chair.

In addition to these three officers (or four, depending on the year), the Region Committee consists of a Region Finance Officer (if it's not one of the three officers), the 10 Chapter presidents, additional representatives from the chapters, and the member of the Region appointed by the national President to serve on the national Government Relations Committee. Region VI traditionally appoints the Third Director to the position of Region Finance Officer, which becomes the job of the Vice Chair in odd-numbered years. If a Region has a committee of Chapter Education Chairs (Region VI does not), a Regional Education Liaison would also serve on the Region Committee.

The additional representatives to the Region Committee are determined by the individual Chapters, and the total number of representatives a Chapter has is determined by membership census. If a Chapter has 50 or fewer designated member, its only member of the Region Committee is its Chapter President. A Chapter with 51-100 designated members has its President and Vice President as members of the Region Committee. For every 50 additional designated members, a Chapter has one elected representative to the Region Committee in addition to its President and Vice President. Chapters are encouraged to appoint alternate regional representatives in case their primary representatives are unable to attend Region meetings.

The Regional Nominating Committee is elected by the Region Committee and consists of five to nine members who serve two-year staggered terms (Region VI has seven). The Immediate Past Region Chair serves as the non-voting chair of the committee. The Regional Nominating Committee nominates a Third Director every other year, and every year nominates a Regional representative and an alternate to the National Nominating Committee, for election by the Region Committee at large. (The National Nominating Committee in turn nominates a candidate each year for national Vice President for the national Board's consideration.)

The Region committee has four meetings every year, at least one of which is in-person. This gives the representatives a chance to discuss relevant issues with the leaders of the other Chapters, consider new ideas and solve problems, and coordinate education opportunities. One of AI's executive officers is usually at the meeting or on the conference call, giving representatives a direct voice to National. Occasionally there are super-regional meetings involving more than one Region, often in conjunction with the AI annual conference. This gives the members of the Region Committee even more exposure to national Board members, committee members and the AI executive officers.

Michael Mignogna, MAI, AI-GRS

2018 Region VI Vice Chair