September/October Message

Dear MAA Members,

WOW! What an absolutely fantastic summer conference. The 54th Annual Conference was record-breaking, with 278 registrations, including guests.  We also had 34 First-Time Attendees this year; that is great!

This year’s conference offered so many great opportunities. From excellent educational classes, a great Keynote Speaker, a competitive Euchre tournament, a fun time on the golf course, a scavenger hunt in the city, a fun opening reception at Duckpin Bowling, an entertaining evening with Dueling Pianos, and good food with even better networking opportunities.  It was amazing! We started planning this event in September of 2023, and my goal was to make sure everyone’s expectations were met and surpassed, and I think we did exactly that! This event was exciting and made me extremely proud. 

You know the old saying “surround yourself with GOOD people” this conference was a perfect example of that.  I want to thank my entire Conference Committee for all their hard work and dedication to making my visions a reality!  Special thanks to my Committee Co-Chairs Elizabeth Tobias and Stacey Bassi.  These ladies put in countless hours organizing and planning this event, and it would not have been possible without them! Also, Shila Kiander, Joey VanHassel, and Jennifer Genter for working on the app and making that an easy way for us all to know when and where to be!

Thank you to the education presenters: Shila Kiander, Will Jarvis, Matt Wolford, Lisa Hobart, David Rice, Brian Marino, Erick Young, Stacey Bassi, Anthony Meyaard and Will Gast. Also, thanks to our keynote speaker, Michael Hingson. When I look at this list of individuals, I am in awe! 
Also, thanks to our exhibitors and sponsors.  Without their generous donations and support, we couldn’t keep registration costs affordable or offer the events we do. They are greatly appreciated!

If you could not attend the conference and still need continuing ed credits, no worries; we have you covered. Annual School is offering 14 different class options, September 28-30 at Treetops Resort. We also have our MAA Summit Southeast on October 26 in Livonia.  Three Virtual classes will be held in October so that we can all meet the October 31st education deadline with no problem!  Check out the MAA website for registration information on all these excellent classes.

I want to take a moment to congratulate our new Board members who were nominated and approved at the August Annual meeting! Because these nominees were all running unopposed, the board motioned unanimously to suspend the election. Congratulations to Secretary: Shila Kiander, District 1 Rep: Dulcee Atherton, District 2 Rep: Jacob Sutton, and District 3 Rep: Willie Donwell. These terms are effective January 1, 2027.

Best Regards,

Stephanie Boerman, MAAO (3)
2026 President, Michigan Assessors Association