The International Association of Assessing Officers recently recognized representatives of the Taylor Central Appraisal District for “assessment excellence.”

David Copeland, chairman of the local board, was recognized along with board members Yvonne Batts and Kent LeFevre, receiving the award on award on behalf of the board and staff. Richard Petree, chief executive officer of the district, and Rhonda Graves and Gary Earnest joined them at the international conference in Kansas City.

The Taylor CAD, the first appraisal district in Texas to receive the international designation, joined 18 other appraisal units worldwide in receiving this honor.

“This is a wonderful way to cap off my 36 years of service to Taylor County,” Petree said in a news release. “I am extremely blessed to be a part of this great community and to have such a talented and dedicated staff that are capable of receiving this kind of designation.”

“We are very pleased with this recognition and are proud of excellent staff,” Copeland said. “We have been recognized for many years as a model appraisal district at the state level, but this truly indicates the quality and accuracy of work that our taxpayers are receiving.”

According to the release, “thousands of pages of information were submitted to IAAO graders who examined every aspect of the local district to ensure that they complied with the international standards. Appraisal procedures, mapping processes, Internet information, and public relations were key areas examined.”

The El Paso CAD became the second Texas district to receive the honor – only two days behind the Abilene district.

The international conference was held in Kansas City, the headquarters of the association. Tax officials from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Iceland, Australia, South Africa, China, Thailand, and Russia were in attendance, the release said.