Employee background:

I am originally from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I just graduated from the University of Denver in June 2020. I studied business with a focus in real estate and construction management. In college, I participated in a couple of construction-related competitions, so until I interned with a general contractor, I thought I was going to pursue construction project management. However, after I decided that it wasn't for me, I turned my focus to real estate. Before I could settle on a career path though, I had to deal with hunting for toilet paper, trying to pay attention in zoom university, and then on "graduation day" I packed up and came up to Spokane! (There was a lot more time and thought involved in deciding to move here too, just so you all know. I'm not that spontaneous.) Anyway, I still love visiting Colorado but I am loving the inland northwest outdoors too! I am stoked to be here!

What is your title and what do you do at Valbridge?

I started at Valbridge in December of 2020 as a researcher, but I am now an Appraiser Trainee. So, I suppose many of you already know what I do, but I would say mostly I do a lot of pondering, sprinkled with some second-guessing, and then topped with some re-doing. Overall, I am just trying to soak in as much knowledge as I can and I’m constantly learning from mistakes and more experienced people every day.

How did you become a part of Valbridge and VWC?

After moving to Spokane, I gave myself some time to breathe and adjust to moving states, which was a new experience and a little overwhelming at first. Also, the job hunt during the world's twilight zone was also quite a struggle, but my friend from college had begun working for an appraisal firm and she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. I had not been told about appraisal, even in my real estate and construction program, so after some research, I thought, "yeah, wow I could probably be good at this. I should give it a go, sounds interesting." I emailed the Appraisers' Coalition of Washington and said I was looking for a commercial appraisal firm to work with. They sent my email to the Valbridge Property Advisors | Spokane Valley office, and here I am today!

Funny story too, my interview was over zoom and just when I was plugging my computer in and verbally mentioning that I had to plug my computer in, my computer died...right in the middle of my interview. (Facepalm). I got it back up in a few minutes, but it is funny to think if my business professors could have seen me...oh they would have been disappointed! So, shout out to Keri Copley and Karlene Perry for laughing with me about it. It is a good story but absolutely was embarrassing at the time.

What are your specialty areas?

I'm a little too green to answer this question at this time. At this point, I am looking forward to trying each property type and deciding on a specialty farther down the road.

What are some of the most interesting projects you've worked on at Valbridge?

I have only done a few appraisals so far of land and an industrial office/warehouse. These were interesting purely because it was my first time actually getting to think through the analysis piece of the appraisal. However, when I was still a researcher, I enjoyed doing research on a couple of proposed subdivisions and right-of-way projects. Now that I am doing appraisals, I realize how much more difficult, time-consuming, and complicated these must be, but they are very interesting nonetheless.

What do you like most about working at Valbridge and being a member of the VWC?

I like the people the most! The stories that I hear from building owners, brokers, etc., are interesting, to say the least. I am frequently in disbelief, both in an awesome way and in a confused way.

Everyone I have interacted with at Valbridge has been very welcoming and kind. The Valbridge Women’s Council has also added an extra sense of community to the organization which is great. I thoroughly enjoy watching the guest speakers. The takeaways from the different speakers are things that I will carry with me as I move through my career.

Finally, shout out to my fantastic office peeps in the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene offices. Thank you all for helping me learn at an exponential pace and keeping the office life interesting.