Craig Steinley, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, AI-RRS, of Rapid City, South Dakota, is the 2023 president of the Appraisal Institute. He serves on AI’s Executive Committee and chairs the policy-setting Board of Directors. He will serve as immediate past president in 2024. He also will serve as chair of the National Nominating Committee in 2024.
Steinley’s previous national service includes six years on the Appraisal Institute Board of Directors as a representative from Region II, both as its vice chair and chair. He served on the Audit Committee, including as chair and vice chair; on the Strategic Planning Committee; on the Professional Liability Insurance Program Committee; as Region II third director; on the Governance Structure Project Team; and on the Professional Standards and Guidance Committee. He also has served as president of the Wyoming and Western South Dakota Chapter in 2012 and 2013. He participated three years in the Leadership Development and Advisory Council conference and received a 2015 Volunteer of Distinction recognition. Craig is an education developer and instructor for the Appraisal Institute and is also an AQB-Certified USPAP Instructor.
Steinley is the principal of Steinley Real Estate Appraisals and Consulting in Rapid City, South Dakota. He has also been active in the appraiser regulatory arena since the mid-1990s, including service as the 2018 president of the Association of Appraiser Regulatory Officials. He is a graduate of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with bachelor’s degrees in both Mathematics and Computer Science, and a minor in Electrical Engineering. He also received a master’s degree in Mathematics and worked as an assistant professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at SDSM&T for five years, where he instructed engineers and scientists of all ages.
Sandra K. Adomatis, SRA, of Punta Gorda, Florida, is the 2023 president-elect of the Appraisal Institute. Her one-year term as president-elect will be followed by one year each as president in 2024 and immediate past president in 2025. She serves on AI’s Executive Committee and the policy-setting Board of Directors. She served as chair of the Finance Committee in 2022 and will serve as chair of the National Nominating Committee in 2025.
Adomatis is a real estate appraiser and consultant of Adomatis Appraisal Service in Punta Gorda. She is also an Appraisal Institute instructor, developer of seminars and courses, The Appraisal Journal article author, contributor to textbooks and author of “Residential Green Valuation Tools.” Additionally, she is a national spokesperson to state and federal government agencies, energy organizations, REALTOR groups, state coalitions, national and local homebuilder groups and utility companies. Adomatis contributed to the 2011 “Appraisal Institute Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum,” and to the 2014 “Appraisal Institute Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendum.” Internationally, she is also working with Canada to adopt the AI “Green and Energy Efficient Addendum” to their residential properties.
Adomatis is a member of the Appraisal Institute’s national Government Relations Committee. She previously served on the national Admissions Designation and Qualifications Committee (2013-15); and on the national Education Committee as chair (2012), vice chair (2011-12) and member (2009-12). She also served as president of the West Coast Florida Chapter (2009), and as education liaison for the Appraisal Institute’s Region X (2006-09). She served as member, vice chair and past chair of the Residential Demonstration Report Writing Committee, while currently serving as grader of demonstration reports and writing assignments for the Advanced Residential Report Writing course, the demonstration alternative (1987- present).
She received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Swango Award (2020); Henry C. Entreken Lifetime Achievement Award (2019); Outstanding Service Award (2016); President’s Award (2013); Dr. William N. Kinnard Junior Award (2012); and Region X Volunteer of Distinction (2010).
Paula K. Konikoff, JD, MAI, AI-GRS
VICE PRESIDENT
Paula K. Konikoff, JD, MAI, AI-GRS of Los Angeles, is the 2023 vice president of the Appraisal Institute. Her one-year term as vice president will be followed by one year as president-elect in 2024,president in 2025 and immediate past president in 2026. She will chair the Finance Committee in 2023 and the National Nominating Committee in 2026. She will also serve on the Appraisal Institute’s Executive Committee and on its policy-setting Board of Directors all four years.
Konikoff started her career in advertising and quickly moved to law. She joined the corporate department of a large firm in 1978 where her practice focused on corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions. This corporate practice had her review financial statements and appraisals of both businesses and real estate. Konikoff became active in the AIREA (a predecessor organization to the Appraisal Institute) as a member of her chapter’s Admission Committee and as an instructor. She went on to the Appraisal Institute’s Standards Committee and Ethics Committee. She was also on her chapter’s board of directors. When her term on the Appraisal Standards Board ended, she was appointed to AI’s Professional Standards and Guidance Committee (then ASC), and has been a member or, more often, chair, of a national committee since 2010.
Most recently, she was instrumental in the creation of the Women’s Initiative Committee and was the first chair of that committee starting in 2019. Konikoff has made presentations to AI chapters, regions and at the annual conference. She is the author of the book, “Appraisers in Arbitration,” the developer of online seminars, was on the development team for the AI-GRS qualifying education and is a reviewer of textbooks and articles submitted to The Appraisal Journal. She was also a member of the Body of Knowledge Committee. Konikoff has been honored twice with the AI President’s Award and once with the Y.T. and Louise Lee Lum Award. Konikoff will also serve as chair of the Finance Committee in 2023.
Pledger M. (Jody) Bishop, III, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Pledger M. (Jody) Bishop III, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, is the 2023 immediate past president of the Appraisal Institute. He will also serve on the Appraisal Institute’s Executive Committee and on its policy-setting Board of Directors. He also will be chair of the National Nominating Committee in 2023.
Bishop is currently senior managing director of Valbridge Property Advisors in Charleston. He previously was a partner with Atlantic Appraisals, LLC, an associate appraiser with Appraisal Consultants and a senior staff appraiser with the Charleston County Assessor’s Office.
He has chaired the General Demonstration of Knowledge Grading Panel and has served on the Admissions and Designations Qualifications Committee. He has served as president of the South Carolina Chapter. He also is an Appraisal Institute associate instructor, has been a seminar and webinar author, and has served as discussion leader at the Appraisal Institute’s annual Leadership Development and Advisory Council conference.
He was named the 2018 recipient of the Edward W. Adams, SRA, Outstanding Board Service Award, was presented a 2017 President’s Award and received a 2017 Volunteer of Distinction recognition.
Beata Swacha, CAE
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Beata Swacha is the acting CEO of the Appraisal Institute. She serves on the organization’s Executive Committee and on its policy-setting Board of Directors as a non-voting member. She continues to serve as the chief financial officer where she oversees the financial health of the organization and contributes to its strategic direction. She also leads the organization’s Finance, Information Technology and Human Resources Departments, and is working closely with her teams to ensure that all duties and responsibilities are properly handled as she takes on the acting CEO role. Swacha contributed to the development of AI’s Strategic Plan and continues to play a key role in its implementation.
During her tenure, her efforts led to strengthening the organization’s financial wellbeing with 12 consecutive years of operating surpluses, as well as more than doubling of the organization’s reserves. With her commitment to efficiency and improvement, she championed major initiatives including implementation of a program to support chapters’ accounting needs and modernized the organization’s more than two-decades-old technology platform.
Swacha serves as the liaison to the Appraisal Institute’s Finance Committee, treasurer of the Appraisal Institute Education and Relief Foundation and is the vice president of the Lake Park High School Board of Trustees in Medinah, Illinois. Over the years she has developed and taught various professional development programs covering accounting, budgeting and finance topics.
Swacha has more than 22 years of experience supporting the financial, accounting and operational needs of a wide range of non-profits, including associations and educational organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola University, Chicago, and a Masters of Accountancy degree from DePaul University, Chicago. She has passed the CPA exam and holds the CAE certification.
Swacha was a 2021 Appraisal Institute President’s Award recipient.