2025 MAAO Fall Conference

October 5 - 8, 2025

Sugar Lake Lodge
Cohasset, MN

Agenda 

Educational Seminars

The following educational seminars are approved by the State Board of Assessors for Assessor Continuing Education Hours (CEHs). Verified attendees will receive official verification of CEHs and PACE credit, as applicable, via email within 30 days of conference conclusion. Assessors are responsible for ensuring their badge is scanned at the conference at each seminar attended and for uploading both their CEH and their PACE verification, as appropriate, to the Assessor Licensing System and managing their own education.

• FC1 - A Deeper Dive into the Assessment Timeline (PACE-approved)
  Tuesday, October 7, 2025
  1:00 - 5:00 pm
  

  Instructors: Mark Buysse - Lyon Co, Jean Nelson - Lincoln Co, Bonnie Lay - Pope Co.
  When becoming a county assessor/deputy assessor there is a timeline that needs to be followed. Within the timeline, there will be monthly tasks that need to be accomplished to meet Department of Revenue statutes and assessment dates. This interactive course will include the timeline laid out by the Minnesota Department of Revenue with these assessment dates. Each month will be broken down by such assessment date, what each date means, and when each process or procedure shall begin to efficiently complete the task on time. This class may help lead to a less stressful transition to a new position. This course is geared toward new county or deputy assessors but also will be a great refresher class for current assessors.

• FC2/FC3 - Introduction to Fractional Homesteads (PACE-approved)
  Tuesday, October 7, 2025
  Two offerings: 1:00 - 3:00 pm and 3:00 to 5:00 pm
  ​5 out of 4 assessors admit they are not comfortable with fractional homesteads. If you are one of them, join us for our first in a series on fractional homestead. Fractional ownership and homestead can be tricky, but this course will cover all the best bits of residential fractional homestead! The course will provide a thorough and in-depth review on how to deal with residential fractional homesteads. Topics that will be addressed include an overview of types of ownership, residential fractional homestead, and the impacts of fractional homestead on special programs. Attendees will also participate in activities that will allow them to apply what they are learning in this course. There will be no review of basics of homestead or any of the special programs that will be covered. We request that if you need a refresher on those topics that you review that information prior to the course. 

• FC4/FC5 - Beyond Ordinary Least Squares: AI Concepts and Approaches to Direct Market and Comparable Sales Models
  Tuesday, October 7, 2025
  Two offerings: 1:00 - 3:00 pm and 3:00 to 5:00 pm

  This two-hour course introduces assessors to practical AI-based techniques for valuation modeling beyond traditional regression. Participants will be introduced to machine learning approaches, interpretable constraint-based optimization, and neural networks as applied to Direct Market and Comparable Sales models. Concepts such as gradient boosting, general regression neural networks (GRNN), and optimization through mixed-integer programming (MILP) and constraint programming (CP) will be explained in plain language, with minimal scripting experience required. The course will illustrate practical implementation forms within popular AI and data science tools.
  
  Assessors attending this class should have a conceptual understanding of comparable sales modeling, some exposure to general model structures within mass appraisal, and basic familiarity with how scripts (in R or Python script languages) interact with data. No prior scripting experience is required, though some light scripting concepts will be discussed.
  Instructor

  Joseph F. Wehrli (Joe) works at Tyler Technologies and has developed valuation systems for over 25 years. He has presented on AI in valuation at various industry conferences. Joe holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Computer Science.

• FC6 - Analyzing Sales using Excel - Intermediate (PACE-approved)
  Wednesday, October 8, 2025
  8:00 am - 12:00 pm
  **A laptop is required for this hands-on seminar.
  
  This hands-on course builds upon the introductory concepts taught in Intro to Excel for Assessors.  This course demonstrates how Excel can be used to manipulate an MN DOR Sales file to better analyze market conditions and estimate the impacts certain changes will have on the overall Assessment statistics like Median, COD, and PRD.  
  
  
• FC7/FC8 - AI: An Assessors Greatest Ally: Put Chat GPT to work for you and your team  
  Wednesday, October 8, 2025
  Two offerings: 8:00 - 10:00 am and 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
  In this interactive, two-hour workshop,taught by Jake Parkinson, former elected county assessor, Utah Certified Appraisers and IAAO 2017 member of the year, participants will learn how to leverage ChatGPT’s Large Language Model (LLM)—from ingesting and validating raw CAMA data to applying AI-powered quality ratings, automated ratio studies, and query state code and regulations pertaining to assessment. Through live demos and hands-on exercises and prompts, attendees will gain practical skills to streamline data cleanup, enhance model accuracy, and deliver consistent, defensible solutions.
  
  By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Run automated ingest reports to pinpoint and correct missing or inconsistent parcel attributes.

• Execute ratio studies with outlier analysis to validate sales-to-value performance.

• QC appraisal reports submitted in valuation appeals.

• Search statute for on-demand guidance on assessment regulations.

• Find income data, listing information and relevant sales information to support assessments.

• Demonstrate how advanced AI can assign construction quality ratings.

• Design a prioritized data-cleanup plan focused on the seven model drivers (size, quality, age, outbuildings, basements, parcel tags, locational factors).

• FC9/FC10 - Blue and Yellow - Can it be Green Acres? (PACE-approved)
  Wednesday, October 8, 2025
  Two offerings: 8:00 - 10:00 am and 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
  ​This course will focus on the steps of approving Green Acres and Rural Preserve applications. We will look at the process of evaluating the information on the applications to determine if a property meets all the requirements of the Green Acres and Rural Preserve programs. Attendees will have the chance to participate in interactive activities and discussion to help the attendees better understand the qualifications and requirements. 

• FC11/FC12 - Enhancing Property Valuation and Engagement with ArcGIS Solutions
  Wednesday, October 8, 2025
  Two offerings: 8:00 - 10:00 am and 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
  Taught by Kyle Wikstrom, GIS Solutions Architect, Pro-West & Associates - Learn how counties are using ArcGIS Parcel Value Analysis and ArcGIS Hub to share property ownership and valuation data while enhancing transparency through interactive engagement. This session will highlight how GIS supports assessors in visualizing neighborhood trends, making data-informed decisions, and improving access to property information. We’ll also briefly explore emerging technologies and trends shaping the future of land records and outreach.

ADA Policy:  If you have a disability and may require some accommodations, please note them in the accommodations field of the registration form, and we will attempt to make reasonable arrangements.

Cancellation Policy: For the MAAO 2024 Fall Conference, cancellation requests received prior to September 12th, 2025 will be issued a refund less a $30 administrative fee. Cancellation requests received after this time or registrants who fail to attend the conference are responsible for the entire fee due to resort guarantees. Cancellation requests must be made in writing to [email protected]. If a registrant is unable to attend the event, a substitute from the jurisdiction that paid the registration fee can attend at no additional charge. Please send written notification of this change to [email protected] no later than 5 business days prior to the start of the conference.

Additional Information: Refer to MAAO's education FAQs and policies or contact [email protected]. 

Click here to register

  Registration will close September 12 2025 or when capacity is reached.