Happy spring to all of you! I hope this message finds you and your families enjoying the beautiful spring weather and wildflowers. Texas truly seems to show off during this time of year.
As I think about the 6,000 appraisers in the state of Texas, I find myself hopeful that you all have been able to stay safe and persevere through these last 12 months. I am cautiously optimistic that we are heading into the final phase of this challenging time and that brighter days are ahead. I look forward to the day that I can come to your part of the state, meet you all in person and hear from you directly.
At the Board meeting in February, Appraiser member Rolando Castro shared a few things about why he decided to join the Board and some of the core principles that will guide decisions throughout his tenure. His thoughts on the Board's mission are below:
The Texas Appraiser Licensing & Certification Board (TALCB) has been awarded the State Appraiser Regulatory Agencies Support Grant by the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC). The ASC has allocated more than $10 million for distribution over three years, with funding provided on an annual basis. This grant is available to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands. In this first year, TALCB was awarded $120,000.
AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) is pleased to announce the reappointment of Chance Bolton and Martha Gayle Reid Lynch and the appointment of Paola E. Castillo to the Board, with terms set to expire January 31, 2027. Additionally, Lisa J. Rodriguez and John H. Eichelberger, III have been reappointed to the TALCB Appraisal Management Companies Advisory Committee for a term set to expire January 31, 2023.
Happy February to all of you. This month we have passed the one-year mark since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the US. Much has changed in the last year, but I am proud of our team. I genuinely hope that 2021 brings us all peace and a shift towards more time with family and friends.
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday. I anticipated the start of 2021 with great excitement, as I expect many of you did as well.
The 87th Texas Legislature begins today, Tuesday, January 12. We are tracking filed bills and have a system to review all bills that have a potential impact on our work or that of our license holders. This will be a unique session, but only time will tell what it may look like. I encourage you to follow along and participate in the process.
The year 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered by each one of us. After enduring the stay at home orders, many of us emerged to an extremely busy year as appraisers. All of us emerged to a new normal. Despite the interruptions, the Board also forged ahead in our work serving the great state of Texas. At our last quarterly board meeting of 2020 in mid-November, we welcomed a new board member, Rolando Castro of Cypress, and a new AMC Advisory Committee Member, Julia Hayes of Beaumont. The Board welcomes these new members and looks forward to their contributions.
At the November Board meeting, TALCB chair Sara Oates asked public member Stephanie Robinson to share her views on the work and mission of the Board. Her thoughts are below:
AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) is pleased to announce the Governor’s appointment of appraiser member Rolando F. Castro to the Board with a term set to expire on January 31, 2023. Mr. Castro succeeds Jim Jefferies of Georgetown. The Board thanks Mr. Jefferies for his dedicated service to the people of Texas.