2025 Application for the

Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB)

Please Note: This application is for the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB).

If you would like to apply for the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB), please click here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/416ad8a280c5449a931afe47dc15f46d

This application, including all information and questions, are located in a word document for your ease of review and completion, here: https://appraisalfoundation.sharefile.com/public/share/web-s43f8076e274542fd928f5a44ce9584b7

Responses must still be submitted using this application prior to the July 31, 2025 deadline. Word document submissions will not be accepted.

Thank you for your interest in serving on the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB). Before starting your application, we encourage you to read the information below to better understand the expectations, responsibilities, and selection process.

About the Foundation

The Appraisal Foundation (the Foundation) is a not-for-profit organization established to uphold public trust and promote professionalism in appraisal practice through the work of its independent Boards: the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) and the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB). The work promulgated by these two Boards impacts all appraisers.

The Boards Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees seeks experienced and thoughtful professionals from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds who demonstrate sound judgment, a collaborative spirit, and a deep understanding of the appraisal profession.

About the AQB and Principal Duties

The Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) is responsible for establishing the minimum education, experience, and examination qualification criteria for real estate appraisers to obtain a license or certification. The AQB also establishes minimum requirements for personal property appraisers, and adherence to the personal property criteria is mandatory for Foundation Partners who confer personal property appraiser designations.

A foundational understanding of what it takes to enter the appraisal profession — including the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform credible work — is essential for service on the AQB. While deep familiarity with the Criteria is not required at the outset, board members are expected to engage with the Criteria, apply sound judgment, and help develop guidance that supports consistent, effective qualification requirements.

Meeting Frequency

The full AQB convenes for several key meetings each year, listed below. In addition to these main sessions, board members frequently meet in smaller groups to work on specific tasks or projects. These smaller meetings vary in timing and structure and are not reflected in the list below.

• Two in-person work sessions each year, typically held in Washington, DC. Occasionally, these may take place in other locations in conjunction with Foundation stakeholder events.

• Two to three virtual public meetings per year (half-day sessions).

• One monthly board-wide conference call, typically lasting 2–3 hours.

Compensation

AQB Members will be paid an hourly consultant fee of $75 for their services. In addition, members are reimbursed for travel and expenses associated with their official responsibilities.

What We are Looking for

The AQB is a working board. Members are expected to contribute actively, think critically, and engage in thoughtful discussion with fellow board members. Successful candidates typically bring a mix of real-world experience, policy judgment, and a commitment to public trust.

Board members are expected to:

• Contribute 15–20 hours per month on average, and balance board work with their professional and personal responsibilities;

• Prepare for meetings, review materials thoroughly, and come ready to engage in collaborative, focused, and efficient decision making;

• Be flexible and responsive when urgent tasks arise, including occasional short-notice assignments;

• Approach discussions with openness, listen actively in areas of disagreement, and work toward productive consensus;

• Support recommendations and policy decisions with clear reasoning, references to any relevant data or information, and reference to the Criteria.

In addition to strong communication and critical thinking skills, members must have relevant professional experience — whether in appraising, regulation, education, or credentialing — and a strong understanding of what it takes to become a competent appraiser today.

You don’t need to be an expert in the Criteria on day one. But you do need to be ready to learn it in depth, apply it carefully, and help ensure it remains fair, effective, and grounded in the realities of practice.

Required Qualifications

• Strong understanding of appraisal practice and how individuals enter and grow in the profession — including the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for competent performance.

• Familiarity with the Real Property and Personal Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria and a willingness to engage deeply with these documents during Board service.
• Note: AQB members do not need to be appraisers. Effective members have come from regulatory, academic, or policy backgrounds.

• The ability to think critically about policy implications and the downstream effects of qualification requirements — especially as they relate to public trust, accessibility, and competency.

• Comfort working through ambiguity or disagreement to shape fair, clear, and actionable guidance.

• Strong communication skills, including the ability to contribute meaningfully to written documents, collaborative discussions, and public explanations.

• Readiness to commit time for meetings, preparation, and project work (including occasional short-notice tasks), and to prioritize Board responsibilities alongside other professional obligations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience interpreting or applying the Criteria — for example, through state regulatory work, course development, education delivery, or credentialing processes.

• Experience conducting research, reviewing research, or analyzing stakeholder feedback to support evidence-based decision-making.

• Experience developing educational materials, writing technical or policy documents, or working in accreditation, certification, or testing contexts.

• Prior service on a publicly accountable board or in a role requiring consensus-driven decision-making under scrutiny.

Restrictions on Teaching USPAP

Members of the AQB may not teach USPAP at any time during their board service.

Restrictions on Service to Other Organizations

While serving on the AQB, members may not hold leadership or decision-making roles in any professional appraisal or appraisal-related organization other than The Appraisal Foundation. Specifically, members may not:

• Serve on committees or subcommittees related to admissions, standards, professional practice, national education, or curriculum development;

• Serve as chairperson or vice chairperson of any such committee or subcommittee; or

• Serve on the governing board or as an officer of any such organization.

In addition, AQB members may not be employed by a state appraiser regulatory agency during their term of service.

Term

Individuals appointed to serve on the AQB will serve an initial one, two or three years, beginning January 1, 2026. The maximum cumulative service on each Board is eight years.

We recognize that most AQB members balance their board responsibilities with full-time professional roles. That said, service on the AQB requires a significant commitment — not just to meetings, but to active, ongoing participation in a variety of tasks throughout the year.

Board work varies in intensity and type. Some assignments are time-sensitive with short notice; others are longer-term projects you can plan around. Here are some examples of the kinds of tasks and timelines you may encounter:

• Quick-turn review tasks – such as reviewing a drafted response to a stakeholder email, providing input on a guidance memo, or confirming that language in a document is accurate (usually a 10–15 minute read with a 24-hour turnaround).

• Mid-range requests – including helping to review proposed education materials, responding to policy questions, or weighing in on internal process updates (typically with a few days’ notice).

• Longer-term projects – such as reviewing certification or degree programs, preparing for public meetings, participating in work session prep, or helping to evaluate proposed revisions to the Criteria (often with several weeks or even months of lead time).

• Public engagements – if you're assigned to speak publicly or represent the Board, we’ll work with you on advance planning and support, including time to prepare remarks or review materials.

All of this work is managed in a structured, project-based workflow, and you’ll have strong support from dedicated Foundation staff, including scheduling help, drafting assistance, and coordination. However, you’ll need to be responsive, flexible, and prepared to juggle a range of task types — from brief reviews to in-depth projects.

We do our best to be respectful of your time and professional commitments, but board service does require a baseline of availability and follow-through. If something unexpected comes up and you’re unable to respond on short notice, we ask that you communicate this as soon as possible so the Board can adjust accordingly.

This section gives you the opportunity to demonstrate how you think, communicate, and engage with the kind of real-world challenges faced by the AQB. It includes several parts:

• A short essay about your motivation to serve on the AQB

• A scenario-based question designed to assess your judgment and reasoning

• A brief reflection on your availability and commitment

• A question about your perspective on on the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria

• A request to submit a professional reference who can speak about your work style and decision-making

These materials will help the Boards Nominating Committee understand how you approach complex tasks, collaborate with others, and contribute to policy and standards work. There are no “right” answers — we’re looking for thoughtful responses that reflect your experience, values, and approach.

The deadline for submitting completed applications is July 31, 2025.

The Boards Nominating Committee will review all applications and identify individuals to move through the multi-stage selection process. This includes a skills assessment phase, followed by Zoom interviews for selected applicants. Finalists will be invited to participate in public, in-person interviews on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.

The Committee will recommend candidates for appointment to the full Board of Trustees, which will vote on appointments at its meeting on October 16, 2025.

Please Note: All interviews, both virtual and in-person, will be recorded. In-person interviews will be conducted during a public session and shared on social media for 30 days following the event. Public commentary will not be permitted during the interview sessions.

Applicants should provide complete and comprehensive responses to all questions and sections of this application. Applications are deidentified before they are given to the committee and the committee uses a rubric to ensure fairness. The quality of responses play a direct role in determining who is selected for interviews, and incomplete or vague answers may impact the assessment of your candidacy.

Disclaimer: If you use your name, information may be removed from the application to ensure it’s deidentified for scoring. Please ensure you do not use names in the application excluding the Applicant Information section.

Please note that this application form cannot be saved. We recommend saving your responses in a separate Word document to ensure they are not lost in case of any technical issues. Thank you for your understanding.

I declare, unless otherwise explained under REMARKS AND EXPLANATIONS, that I:

• have sufficient business level computer, writing, and group communication (e.g., meeting facilitation, public speaking, etc.) skills,
• will make Board service a priority and devote the time necessary for meetings and conference calls preparation, attendance at meetings and conference calls, completion of assignments, etc. (Usually, meetings and conference calls are during normal business hours; however, some weekends are required).

I certify, or unless otherwise explained under REMARKS AND EXPLANATIONS, that:

• I have never been convicted of or pled guilty or offered a nolo contendre defense to a felony or other crime punishable by more than one year in prison or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or any substantially equivalent crime in any court of law;
• there is no pending civil litigation or administrative proceeding against me or my firm;
• there have been no civil judgments against me or my firm;
• in the past five years, I have not been the subject of a professional practice, disciplinary or administrative proceeding directly or indirectly involved with my professional conduct by either a government regulatory agency or by a professional organization; and,
• I have not engaged in conduct prejudicial to or which undermine the purposes, interests, and work of the Foundation, or in a manner which brings disrepute to the Foundation.
• I have read and understand the AQB Conflict of Interest Policy or the ASB Conflict of Interest Policy and have no current or potential conflicts of interest.

I further certify that the following information is:

• true and correct, to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief; and
• The Appraisal Foundation may perform background checks on me and by signing this application, I consent to such checks.

Persons affiliated with the Foundation, must abide by the Standards of Conduct and Ethics for Persons Affiliated with the Foundation (the Code). Appointed Trustees are subject to more extensive provisions of the Code due to their ability and authority to make impactful decisions for the Foundation.

You may view the Code here: https://appraisalfoundation.sharefile.com/share/view/s95fc0b0a741242fab0bceba486d26c21

Here is a helpful guide created for Board members in identifying what provisions of the Code applies to them: https://appraisalfoundation.sharefile.com/public/share/web-sd72a80ff193d4cb69e6e2e333a76d255

Please note there is a 4000 character limit on all fields.

Read the below carefully before answering:

• Candidates are asked to develop their own answers for each question.
• Any candidate found to have plagiarized or utilized Artificial Intelligence in drafting their responses will be removed from consideration.
• Please limit personal identifying information in your answers as they will be removed to ensure that questions can be scored blindly.
• Please note there is a 4000 character limit on all fields.

Now we’d like you to consider a real-world scenario — the kind of complex, open-ended issue the AQB often faces in its work. These situations rarely have simple answers. Instead, they call for thoughtful deliberation, collaborative problem-solving, and policy-level reasoning.

This exercise is not about solving the problem on your own. It’s about how you think:

• How do you approach uncertainty?

• What kinds of questions do you ask to frame the issue?

• What resources or Criteria sections would you consult?

• How would you work with fellow board members and staff to move toward a reasonable, supportable outcome?

If there are parts of the scenario you don’t fully understand, that’s fine. A good board member knows how to identify knowledge gaps and seek clarity — not just push forward with assumptions. The AQB operates in a collaborative, structured environment supported by a chair, staff, and legal counsel. What we’re looking for here is not technical perfection, but sound judgment, curiosity, and a clear, responsible approach to shared decision-making.

Scenario: Timing and Transition - VB-FH Requirement

In October 2025, an individual is approved by their state to sit for the Licensed Residential appraiser exam under the Criteria existing in 2025, which required 150 hours of qualifying education (QE). However, they do not pass the exam until March 2026—after the new Criteria take effect on January 1, 2026, raising the QE requirement to 158 hours and introducing a new 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing (VB-FH) course.

They then apply for their initial credential in April 2026.

The Criteria allow a 24-month window to take and pass the exam after state approval. However, the Criteria do not explicitly state whether that window protects the individual from newly implemented education requirements.

Your Task

Please reflect on the following questions. Remember, you’re not being scored on whether you “get it right” but rather on how you approach a situation like this:

AQB Programs

The AQB shall be responsible for the development, administration, and ongoing maintenance of the following programs:

Course Approval Program (CAP): CAP is the responsibility of the AQB. The AQB shall develop policies and procedures for the Course Approval Program and oversee the administration of the program.

Real Estate Degree Review Program: The AQB shall develop policies and procedures for the Review Program, as well as oversee the review, approval, and renewal of such programs.

National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examinations: The AQB is responsible for ongoing development of the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examinations, auditing approved vendors, and for reviewing examinations submitted for equivalency review.

AQB Certified USPAP Instructor Program: The AQB is responsible for the certification of USPAP Instructors and developing any policies and procedures associated with the Program. The AQB shall form an Instructor Disciplinary Panel (Review Panel) to review complaints submitted against USPAP Instructors and impose any appropriate disciplinary actions. The Review Panel shall be comprised of at least three individuals, including a member of the AQB selected by the Chair of the AQB; a member of the ASB selected by the Chair of the ASB; and a senior Foundation staff member familiar with the program. The AQB representative shall serve as Chair of the Review Panel. The Foundation General Counsel shall serve as a resource to the Review Panel. A complaint or disciplinary action concerning an AQB Certified USPAP Instructor shall be directed to the AQB Certified USPAP Instructor Program Administrator.

The AQB is responsible for conducting any appeal hearing as a result of a sanction imposed by the Review Panel. The Chair of the AQB shall schedule the appeal for consideration at an acceptable hearing date for the Board. At least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting, the Respondent shall submit to the Chair of the AQB a written brief in support of the appeal, which shall also declare whether the Respondent intends to be present in person to argue the appeal at the AQB meeting.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the AQB shall make a determination regarding the sanction. The AQB representative on the Review Panel may not participate in the AQB’s consideration of the appeal.

Instructor Certification Course (ICC) and Instructor Recertification Course (IRC): Both the ICC and IRC are the responsibility of the AQB. The AQB determines the overall course objectives and target audiences and is responsible for development of the “non-USPAP” portion of the courses.

National USPAP Courses: The AQB is responsible for setting the overall course objectives of the classroom and distance education versions (if applicable) of the 15-Hour National USPAP Course, 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course, 15-Hour USPAP Course for Business Appraisal, 15-Hour USPAP Course for Personal Property,7-Hour USPAP Update Course for Personal Property, and 7-Hour USPAP Update Course for Mass Appraisal (See Section IV.C for more information).

Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA): Review and approval of PAREA Programs are the responsibility of the AQB. The AQB shall develop policies and procedures for PAREA and oversee the review, approval, and renewal of such programs.

Please note there is a 4000 character limit on all fields.

The application is self-contained and attachments (e.g., resumes, curricula vitae, published articles, etc.) will not be considered.

As the last part of your application, you’ll need to submit one professional or personal reference. This reference helps us understand how you work in practice — not just what you know, but how you think, collaborate, and follow through in real-world situations.

Your reference should be someone who has directly observed you navigating complex or time-sensitive work in either a professional or volunteer capacity, especially in settings that required:

• Careful analysis or research
• Collaboration under pressure
• Balancing multiple perspectives or addressing regulatory challenges

We will email the reference form directly to the individual you list on your application.

Reference Timeline & Instructions

• The reference form will be sent on August 4 to the email you provide.
• Completed forms are due no later than August 20.
• You will receive a notification when the form is sent so that you can follow up with your reference if needed.

Important: Reference responses are reviewed and scored as part of the evaluation process. They play a key role in determining whether applicants are invited to the in-person interview stage. If we do not receive a completed reference form by the deadline, your application may not move forward.

The Appraisal Foundation, the foremost authority on the appraisal and valuation profession, believes that the valuation profession should reflect the diversity of the nation. To this end, the Foundation seeks to build diverse boards, councils, panels, task forces and committees, contributing to a profession that is reflective of the United States. To help in this effort, the Foundation conducts a survey of appraiser demographics every few years. In addition, applicants to its boards, councils, panels, task forces and committees are asked to complete a voluntary demographic survey.

View The Appraisal Foundation’s policy on Personally Identifiable Information.

View The Appraisal Foundation's Demographic Data Policy.

Click here to enter your demographics: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f0a628de787b42c19f0fbc658ef6b196

Note: This link will take you to a separate survey. Please be sure to submit this application before clicking the link as your information will not be saved.