The Burt L. Thornton President’s Award is given at the President’s discretion to a person(s) who is: committed to the organization, currently engaged in its activities, an effective spokesperson, representative at all times, and in touch with both the needs of other AI professionals and the changes that the organization must help its AI professionals to meet.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an AI professional who best demonstrates high ethical standards; contributed to the Appraisal Institute at the chapter, regional, national and/or international level(s); provided service to his or her community; and contributed to the appraisal profession. A minimum of 20 years of service is recommended to be eligible for this award.

The Outstanding Service Award is presented to an AI professional who has contributed ideas, service hours and dedication to ensure a specific program or effort is implemented at either the chapter, region, national and/or international level(s). This AI professional must be instrumental to the success of the program or effort, which also must be far enough along to measure and provide proof of success. Additionally, the program or effort must be beneficial to chapters, regions, national, international, designated members, candidates, affiliates, practicing affiliates and/or the profession.

Contact Joan Barngrover (JBarngrover@appraisalinstitute.org) with any questions.

2015 Burt L. Thornton President’s Award Winners

Kerry M. Jorgensen, MAI

Kerry’s service to the Appraisal Institute includes leadership at the highest levels. Currently chair of Region 2, he serves on Appraisal Institute’s policy-making Board of Directors. Previously he worked in numerous roles for the Utah Chapter, including as president. And just yesterday he was honored by the Appraisal Institute Education Trust with the Doctor William Kinnard, Junior, Academic Award, which acknowledges professionalism in education. A developer of Appraisal Institute education, Kerry has been an approved instructor for the Appraisal Institute since 1992. He is currently approved to teach 15 Appraisal Institute courses and seminars.

Kerry began his career as a fee appraiser in 1979 under the tutelage of his father, who received his MAI designation in the 1960s. Kerry received the MAI designation in 1984 from the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers – a predecessor of the Appraisal Institute – and acquired his own practice. Today he is experienced in condemnation appraisal, property tax appeal and expert witness testimony.

Ruth A. Kelton

Ruth serves as executive director for Regions 5 and 8, which encompass a combined eight states: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico and Texas. She also is the executive director of multiple chapters, including the North Texas, Central Texas and Rio Grande chapters.

Over the years, she has served the Appraisal Institute in a variety of other roles, including as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, the Chapter Operations Work Group, the Regional Educational Liaisons Subcommittee, the Region Eight Government Relations Committee, and the Chapter Executive Staff Committee and Panel.

R. Wayne Pugh, MAI

Wayne has served on the Appraisal Institute’s Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, the Finance Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Appraisal Institute Relief Foundation’s Board of Directors, the Appraisal Institute's Education Trust’s Board of Trustees and too many project teams, work groups, task forces, subcommittees, advisory groups and panels to count. Wayne owns and operates the real estate consulting firm he founded in 1975 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is widely recognized for his work appraisal software and other types of technology.

Ken P. Wilson, MAI, SRA

Ken is currently the immediate past president of the Appraisal Institute. He has served on the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, the Finance Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Audit Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, the Appraisal Institute Relief Foundation’s Board of Directors and the Appraisal Institute Education Trust’s Board of Trustees, in addition to work at the local level, including as president of the North Texas Chapter.

2015 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners

John P. Fredrickson, MAI, SRA

John P. “Jack” Fredrickson, MAI, SRA, has impacted the profession not only at the local level, but also at the state and regional levels by giving input to current regulations and standards.

Jack has been active in the Appraisal Institute’s Columbia Basin Chapter, including serving as its president, and he currently chairs the chapter’s Government Relations Committee. He also has been active in government relations at the state and regional level. And he was engaged in the Appraisal Institute’s predecessor organizations.

Jack’s long and distinguished career has included developingappraisals on residential single- and multi-family, commercial and agricultural properties. A former mortgage loan manager, he has been a real estate broker and has owned and operated family farms.

Jack’s community service includes service in the U.S. Army in South Korea during the late 1950s and involvement in organizations such as the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Public School Board, the County Open Space Advisory Committee, the County Board of Equalization, the Real Estate Appraiser Advisory Committee, the Real Estate Appraiser Commission, Whitman College’s Farm Committee, First Congregational Church and First Presbyterian Church in Newberg, Oregon; Portland, Oregon; and Walla Walla, Washington.

Jerome Haims, MAI, SRA

For more than 50 years, Jerome Haims has been one of the leaders in New York City real estate. He founded his own real estate appraisal and consulting company in 1968, with clients ranging from government agencies to financial institutions to attorneys to private individuals. He has been an expert witness in many courts of law and has testified regarding condemnation cases, ground lease and office and retail rent renewals, bankruptcy, tax appeal, and matrimonial and other disputes.

Jerome has been active in the Appraisal Institute on the chapter, regional and national levels. He has served as president of the Metropolitan New York Chapter and twice has been awarded the chapter's “Person of the Year Award.” He served as a regional representative for Region 4 for five years and was chair of the national Bylaws Committee.

Jerome also has dedicated himself to community service over his lifetime. He was a board member at Grace Church School and has served on the Board of the Village Temple. He has been active with the Starlight Foundation and has supported many charities over the years – including sending New York City children to camp every summer with the Boys and Girls Club of America – and he has been an active member of the Real Estate Board of New York.

Richard A. Stephens, MAI, SRA, AAI-GRS

Richard has served the Appraisal Institute in a wide variety of leadership roles over the years. Well known for his work on ethics and standards counseling, he also has served on the Appraisal Institute’s policy-making Board of Directors. His national committee service has included areas such as education, strategic planning, rural valuation, demonstration report grading, and other topics. He has served at the chapter and region level as well. He also has been a developer and/or instructor for at least three organizations and two colleges and universities.

And Richard’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by his fellow Appraisal Institute professionals and others. He has been awarded the James H. Pritchett Award, which recognizes a Designated member of the Appraisal Institute for outstanding contributions to appraisal education or mentoring. He also has received the Arthur A. May Memorial Award in recognition of contributions to appraisal education; and the Robert L. Foreman Award for excellence and dedication to the enforcement of ethics and standards.

Richard was appointed by the governor to two terms on the Arkansas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board. His four-plus decades of community service also includes serving as chair of the Metropolitan Housing Authority for the City of Little Rock; chair of the Diocese of Little Rock Finance Council; member of the Board of Directors for Christopher Homes, low-income housing facilities with units across Arkansas; chair of the Building Commission for Christ the King Catholic Church; and membership in the Lion’s Club of Little Rock.

2015 Outstanding Service Award Winner

Michael V. Tankersley, MAI, SRA, AI-RRS

Michael Tankersley served this year as chair of the Appraisal Institute’s Leadership Development Advisory Council, leading more than 100 valuation professionals at a conference in Washington, D.C. He also has served on numerous committees within the Appraisal Institute’s Greater Tennessee Chapter and currently sits on AI’s national Education Committee.

View 2014 Awards and Recognition