Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office wins international award

OCPA recognized with multiple prestigious awards and received worldwide attention for best practices and expertise~

From the Orange County Appraiser's Office

The Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office (OCPA), led by Rick Singh, CFA, took home top honors at the International Association of Assessment Officers (IAAO) annual conference September 8-11, 2019, cementing its position as a global leader among worldwide assessing organizations.

“I’m very proud of our team’s performance at the IAAO conference this year,” said Singh. “It is the premier gathering of worldwide assessment professionals, so the honors we earned and the presentations we gave are indeed important achievements.”

Terry Taylor, OCPA’s Residential Real Estate Assessment Director, was recognized with two of the most prestigious awards in the industry – the Ian W. McClung International Award and the Instructor of Excellence Award. Taylor received the Ian W. McClung International Award for his leadership in advancing the appraisal industry worldwide. Moreover, Taylor was named Instructor of Excellence for his commitment to teaching and mentoring the next generation of appraisal professionals. In addition to these two significant achievements, IAAO’s Florida chapter named Taylor its 2019 Member of the Year in May for his many leadership contributions to Florida’s network of property appraisers.

Notably, OCPA keeps the Ian W. McClung International Award – the highest individual honor bestowed by the IAAO – in the agency as Singh received the same award at the 2018 convention.

Also, during the conference’s award ceremony, four of OCPA’s staff members were recognized by the IAAO for their dedication to professional development. Commercial Real Estate Appraiser Analysts Elizabeth Alvarez and Andres Ayala; Residential Real Estate Appraiser Analyst David Johnson; and James Kleitz, Commercial Real Estate Assessment Supervisor, all earned professional designations, allowing them to better serve the constituents in Orange County.

An important part of the international conference is education and OCPA contributed expertise in several breakout sessions. Singh presented a multi-media session – “Digital Technology Impacting Real Estate – Industry Reaction” – highlighting the office’s accomplishments over the past year to a select audience of international appraisal professionals. The presentation described the technological assets currently in place at OCPA, and what tech initiatives are in the pipeline for the agency.

In another session, Singh presented valuable insight on the agency’s experience with oblique aerial photography that aids appraisers in viewing properties that are difficult to access. This presentation – “EagleView: Tough Calls and Tools for All” – was presented in conjunction with EagleView. OCPA announced its partnership with the company earlier this year electing to employ these images for more accurate assessments of parcels in the region less invasively.

To showcase additional OCPA best practices with conference attendees, Terry Taylor co-presented a session on professional development titled “Professional Designations Create Opportunities;” and facilitated a roundtable discussion about earning the IAAO’s Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration (CEAA) – a biennial honor that OCPA earned in 2016 and again in 2018 – and how receiving the CEAA benefits appraisal organizations and their communities.

About OCPA:

The Orange County Property Appraiser’s office (OCPA) provides a fair and equitable tax roll, remarkable service, and superior professionalism. The office also assists taxpayers with applying for homestead and other exemptions as well as understanding their Truth-In-Millage (TRIM) Notices and Tax Bills each year. For more information on OCPA’s services and accomplishments, visit their website at: www.ocpafl.org.