Chapter News and Awards

President's Message - Q3 2026

North Star Chapter of the Appraisal Institute
President’s Letter
Q3 2026

Dear Chapter Members,

Greetings! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and was able to find some time to enjoy the sunshine. With Labor Day behind us and the weather starting to feel like fall, it is a great time to reflect on what has been a busy and productive few months for the North Star Chapter. From the Trends Seminar and our Q3 Chapter Meeting at North Loop Green, to our collaboration with the WyDak Chapter in Fargo, we have had some fantastic opportunities for education, networking, and connecting with fellow appraisal professionals. We also have more to look forward to this fall, including our Q3 Chapter Meeting at Canterbury Park and the WIN Brainerd Lakes Retreat in October.

The North Star Chapter has several upcoming events, as noted below:

Q3 Chapter Meeting & Horse Racing Tracks and Real Estate Development at Canterbury Park in Shakopee – September 17

This event has been approved for two hours of continuing education. There will be a guided trolley tour and Canterbury will be giving free general admission tickets to those who would like to stay after for the races starting at 4PM (tour ends at 3PM).

WIN Brainerd Lakes Retreat – October 9–11

One event I am particularly excited about is the WIN Brainerd Lakes Retreat, taking place October 9–11 at Madden’s on Gull Lake. The WIN Committee has worked hard to put together a fantastic weekend that combines continuing education, networking, and some time to experience the Brainerd Lakes Area. We received a $1,500 Chapter Innovation Grant from the Appraisal Institute to apply toward the retreat and we currently have five hours of continuing education pending approval.

Saturday’s programming will include three hours of CE, beginning with a two-hour golf cart tour of Madden’s on Gull Lake. Using the resort as a real-world case study, we will explore resort valuation, highest and best use, and the development and investment decisions that have shaped the property over time.

The tour will be followed by a lunch-and-learn presentation from Steve Kuepers of Kuepers Architects & Builders. Steve will provide a developer’s perspective on multifamily development decisions and current market constraints, connecting those issues to appraisal concepts

Sunday’s schedule will feature two additional hours of CE. We will begin with a Brainerd Lakes Area real estate market update presented by Diane Pogatchnik and her team, with a panel discussion focused on residential and lake property trends. Our final CE session will examine an emerging resort-based vacation home ownership and rental-pool model in the Brainerd Lakes Area, followed by a guided tour of a vacation home rental community.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a retreat without some fun! Registration includes a boat cruise on Gull Lake, along with plenty of opportunities to network, connect with fellow Appraisal Institute members, and enjoy Madden’s and the Brainerd Lakes Area.

WIN Brainerd Lakes Retreat – Details & Registration:

https://north.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=146&ts=1787072798

Java Time with Former North Star President continues to be a monthly event hosted by Byron Miller. Please check the chapter website for upcoming date and location details for Java Time.

Q4 Chapter Meeting & Installation of Officers Dinner will be held at the Minneapolis Golf Club on November 19.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our Chapter events and supported our programming so far this year. I continue to appreciate the members, speakers and sponsors who make these programs possible. I am excited about what we have planned for the remainder of 2026 and hope to see many of you at Canterbury Park and Madden’s in the next few weeks!

Sincerely,

Kelsey K. Hornig (Malecha), MAI, CCIM

2026 President

North Star Chapter, Appraisal Institute

Just for Fun –

My husband and I welcomed our first baby “Ryder” just in time for America’s 250^th celebration! He has already been on several site inspections 😊 This photo was taken at my family’s cabin on Gull Lake. I have so many incredible memories of time at the lake from growing up and I can’t wait for people to experience the Gull Lake area at the WIN Brainerd Lakes Retreat!

End of Year Chapter President Message - Andrew Totzke

North Star Chapter Appraisal Institute End-of-Year Chapter President's Message

Hello North Star Chapter Members,

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to share my appreciation for our membership and all the support throughout 2025. At the onset of my presidency, I created an initiative for the 4 C’s: Collaboration, College Outreach, Cool Events, and Cardboard. We can successfully check three of the four off the list. “Cardboard” is a task that we are not giving up on… Look to check your mailbox for a physical mailer from our Chapter in 2026! Also, a personal goal I set during my term was to offer at least one educational opportunity per month. I believe we can successfully check this goal off the list as well. (Dang, I am starting to feel like Santa with all this list checking, and probably starting to look like him too with all the food this holiday season.)

To save us all some time and fluff, see the following link for my LinkedIn post for a recap of the year: 2025 in Rewind.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7397717978550583296/

Or, is that creating more time, and probably more fluff…? SMH. For those of you, SMH is a text acronym meaning, Shaking My Head (SMH) for disapproving reactions, and it is an attempt at sarcasm in writing this letter. Or, as my kid says, “let me cook”, meaning, let me do my thing… I just can’t help myself and I need to be a little authentic.

Looking forward to 2026, Kelsey Hornig will be taking the reins as your Chapter President. While Kelsey will lead our organization in a more professional manner, I believe she will continue to carry the torch on creating a fun and exciting chapter organization that professionals want to be a part of, and instill a bit of #FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). She has already planned a Chapter meeting on January 28th for an economic update and a tour of the STEAM building at UST. We are also planning a collaboration with the WYDAK Chapter for a series of tours in Fargo on June 11, and of course, the Trends Seminar on May 7.

I highly encourage everyone to attend our Chapter events. These events are great opportunities to learn and socialize. It is non-tangible, tangible, and part of our organization that keeps us active and successful. “Sign up early, sign up often.” ~Kurt Ophus

A couple last reminders, the Chapter Service Fee for 2026 was sent a couple of months back. For JUST three easy payments of $50…. earn yourself an opportunity for four, 2.0-hour CE offerings, and the non-tangible, tangible, that come along with it. Actually, three payments is not an option, but you get it, the bang is worth the buck. Also, a friendly reminder, our chapter leadership (including phishing emails from Kelsey Hornig) will NOT ask for gift cards. Please ignore these requests. Again, do not send payment or any information to anyone attempting to represent our organization.

Lastly, I would be remiss to mention a certain individual who has helped me along the way and has been a priceless resource, colleague, and friend (in that order). Thank you.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the members of our Chapter this past year, and I look forward to an impactful 2026 under the leadership of your incoming executive team and the board.

Thank you all for allowing me to serve.

Andrew Totzke, MAI

2025 North Star Chapter President