The Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board opens each meeting with a “mission moment,” where one Board member reflects on what it means to them to be a part of the Board or shares their motivation.  At the November meeting, Mark McAnally shared his thoughts on TALCB, recalling his years of experience on the Board:

The last 27 years, I started out in the audience as an appraiser to currently being a member of the Board.  I’ve seen the TALCB from its creation to a functioning agency.  There have been plenty of mountain top experiences along with time spent down in the valley.

The time in the valley reminds me of a pivotal scene in the movie Apollo 13 when the astronauts were facing an oxygen crisis due to significant damage to the capsule.  The lead engineer called for a meeting with all the NASA engineers associated with the mission.  A person enters the conference room with this huge box and empties a cluster of odd material on the table.  The lead engineer tells them “You put your best talent and minds together and you make something with this material to restore oxygen to the capsule…Failure is not an option.”

I correlate that scene with a young agency like TALCB. There have been issues the agency has faced in the past regarding the certification of license holders, the complaint/disciplinary process, staffing, and budget without any assurances to secure additional resources.  I have always admired the way the Board, staff, and the appraisal profession have worked together to “make the oxygen.”  I’m proud to know that not only do we have the full cooperation internally with TALCB staff, but with the public and the appraisal profession at large.

Mr. McAnally serves as the Board’s Ex Officio member that is held by the Executive Secretary of the Texas Veteran’s Land Board or their designee.  He is a Certified General Appraiser and previously served on the Board between 2003-2016.