The Kentucky Chapter of IAAO is recognized as a caring and energetic group, having assisted various children's hospitals and orphanages through financial donations and toy drives. A brief history of most of the chapter's charitable activities follows.
The Chapter plans to conduct a children's book drive for two Louisville charities, "Every1Reads" and "SUCCESS BY 6". These community-wide projects are focused on ensuring that children are ready to succeed in school and at home through the joy of reading. Books are distributed to the kids that need them through Family Resource Centers, family literacy programs, Neighborhood Places and Health Department clinics. Books will also be distributed through local healthcare centers that serve low income children.
In March of 2005, the Kentucky Chapter coordinated a proposal to host the 2009 IAAO International Conference on Assessment Administration. The economic impact of this event would be quite significant, with approximately 1,500 visitors being drawn to downtown Louisville for the better part of a week. On April 30, 2005, the list of cities being considered for the 2009 Conference was narrowed to three: Louisville, Kansas City and Calgary. The final decision will be made in August, 2005. The proposal, coordinated by the Chapter through the Greater Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, was personally endorsed by Mayor Jerry Abramson. In addition to the obvious economic impact, having the IAAO conference here will save taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, as it is usually attended by thirty to fifty Kentuckians.
In January 2005, the Chapter awarded 16 persons with $10,953 in scholarships to attend property tax courses this year, bringing its total to $54,577 in scholarships to 96 recipients since 1999. Under this program, all expenses are paid and recipients are required to attend 100 percent of the class time and take the examination. Various selection criteria are utilized, mostly need-based. Recipients are selected annually by the Property Tax Education Committee, composed of PVAs, deputies and Department of Revenue personnel appointed jointly by the presidents of the Kentucky Chapter and the Kentucky PVA Association. Both organizations contribute $3,000 annually to the fund, with the balance made up through fundraisers. This program has allowed many of the PVAs and deputies from smaller counties to continue participating in the education program despite some very difficult fiscal times.
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The Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, a homeless shelter, was the most recent beneficiary of the Chapter's efforts. Two truckloads of needed items were collected from members and taken to this organization in Covington on November 17.
During 2004, the Kentucky Chapter increased its membership to 415 and had members in all of the state's 120 counties. The Kentucky Chapter hosted five IAAO international committee meetings in 2004, including the Executive Board, making logistical arrangements for each committee. The Chapter was honored to have international President Wayne Llewellyn, CAE, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, attend the annual Chapter meeting and preside over the installation of new officers for 2004-05. The Chapter also presented Llewellyn with a check for $7,500, the balance of a $10,000 pledge to the IAAO building fund, to help defray the cost of IAAO's impending move of its headquarters from Chicago to Kansas City. This donation was funded entirely through fundraisers.
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The Chapter expressed its support for our troops overseas by participating in "Operation Phone Home", collecting and sending phone cards totaling over 29,000 minutes to American soldiers serving in Iraq. The Chapter created a cookbook, "The Official Kentucky Officials' Cookbook", with recipes submitted from county officials across the state. The proceeds from the sale of cookbooks are going to the Ronald McDonald House and the Scholarship Fund. A check for $6,500 was presented to representatives at the Ronald McDonald House at the chapter meeting in Louisville, on October 15, 2003. A similar amount will be dedicated to the Scholarship Fund.
The Kentucky Chapter benefited needy families by contributing toys, food, clothing, and over $1,000 in cash to the WBKR Christmas Wish in Owensboro, Kentucky. The Chapter also raised $800 for the United Way, as well as a matching amount for the Scholarship Fund, through its successful "Courthouse Steps" quilt raffle.
The 2001 project involved taking a large cargo van full of toys donated by members to the Diocesan Children's Home orphanage in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.
One of the most satisfying efforts of the Chapter involved 36 of its members painting pumpkins (grown by chapter members) with children at the Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, for Halloween.
A quilt was designed and made with a patch from each of Kentucky's 120 counties. The quilt was raffled off for over $10,000, with the proceeds split between the Kosair Children's Hospital and the chapter's Scholarship Fund.
The Kentucky Chapter conducted a toy drive and delivered the toys to Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. Various supplies for the Ronald McDonald house in Louisville were also collected and delivered.
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Over the past six years, the Kentucky Chapter has awarded a total of 78 scholarships totaling $42,760 to members, to be used for IAAO and state property tax courses. Under this program, all expenses are paid and recipients are required to attend 100 percent of the class time and take the examination. Various selection criteria are utilized, mostly need-based. This program has allowed many of the smaller counties to continue participating in the education program despite some very difficult fiscal times.
In a business where effective public relations is paramount to success, the Chapter has generated much goodwill for the assessment profession. Through its community involvement and support of education, the Kentucky Chapter of IAAO has already built a solid reputation as a professional organization that cares.
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COMMUNITY SERVICE & SCHOLARSHIPS 