THE ASCEND APPRAISERS MEMBERSHIP
We are for women in the appraisal industry who are:
Tired of being the only woman in the room (or the only one being ignored).
Ready to increase the value of their work, elevate their fees, and position themselves at the top.
Interested in learning how to write powerful narrative proposals instead of just filling out forms.
Looking for mentorship, mastery, and momentum over bureaucracy.
Craving community, confidence, and a network of women who get it.
If you’ve ever thought “I love this profession… but I know I’m meant for more within it.” Ascend is where you get that “more.”
Where Women Appraisers Rise Higher Together
You’ve spent your entire career navigating an industry that wasn’t built for you. You’ve experienced interruptions, assumptions, and pressure to be twice as prepared and three times as competent just to be taken seriously.
You’ve earned your experience the hard way in courtrooms, conference rooms, municipal boards, and construction sites where you had to prove (again and again) that you belong.
But here’s the truth no one tells you:
Women don’t need to “fit in” to succeed in the appraisal world.
We rise when we lead differently.
Ascend Appraisers™ is the first membership created exclusively for women in real estate appraisal, designed to elevate your expertise, expand your earning potential, and give you the community you’ve always deserved.
This is not another forum, CE course, or industry association that leaves women on the margins.
This is the community where you rise.
Become an
Ascend Member
Our collective experiences, whether by the beach, poolside, at memorable dinners and virtual gatherings are not only strengthening professional ties but also forged meaningful relationships for women in the appraisal profession.
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Find your people and build your network.
Share ideas, learn, and workshop topics and problems together.
Build a safe, inclusive, and fun space for women in the appraisal profession.
Interact daily with the most diverse group of appraisers you have ever encountered.
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Support each other and bring other women into the community.
Cultivate courage and confidence.
Establish best practices and progressive business models.
Build mentor/mentee relationships within the network.
Learn from DEI experts.
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Cultivate lasting and meaningful relationships with other women appraisers.
Improve and modernize both the appraisal profession and our personal lives.
Create and support DEI initiatives.
Create a pipeline for women to enter the appraisal business.
Dive into a wealth of learning and connection inside the Ascend Appraisers Membership Community. As a member, you’ll gain access to exclusive Speaker Spotlights featuring industry leaders and innovators. In this tier, you get access to everything in the Ambassador Membership and more!
NEW! Ambassador Access
Discover what makes Ascend Appraisers the go-to network for women in the appraisal profession. Explore the community first with Free Ambassador Access.
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF ACCESS:
Join our community of women in the appraisal profession with a Free Ambassador Access membership. Connect, learn, and grow alongside peers who are redefining what it means to lead in this field. It’s the perfect way to experience the Ascend network and start building relationships that support your professional growth.
Dive into a wealth of learning and connection inside the Ascend Appraisers Membership Community. As a member, you’ll gain access to exclusive Speaker Spotlights featuring industry leaders and innovators. In this tier, you get access to everything in the Ambassador Membership and more!
When you join the VIP Membership, you’ll receive full access to all 2026 Masterminds, every live cohort and every session throughout the year, along with monthly Speaker Spotlights featuring leading experts from across the valuation profession. You’ll also join Emily each month for an intimate VIP Zoom session, where she opens her reports and walks you through the thinking, structure, and strategies behind complex valuation topics so you can strengthen your skills with clarity and confidence.
MONTHLY:
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Ascend Happy Hour
First Friday of the Month at 3:30 PM ET
A space where women in the appraisal profession can connect. Join us to dive into complex problems, gain insight from experts in the group, and propel your prosperity in the appraisal industry! Free to all women in the industry. Sign up Required.
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Speaker Spotlights
Exclusively for Members: Join us each month for our Speaker Spotlight Series, where standout appraisers share their expertise across a range of specialties. Our featured speaker leads the conversation and opens the floor for your questions.
Speaker Spotlights
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Jessica Ballou, MAI, CRE
May Speaker
Jessica serves as a Senior Vice President in NVC’s Denver office and currently co-leads the company’s Aviation and Senior Housing groups. With more than 15 years in the commercial real estate industry, she is experienced in the appraisal of all property types including income producing, owner occupied, vacant land and mixed-use assets. Areas of specialized focus include FBOs and hangars, self-storage and senior housing properties. She has provided value opinions on several thousand commercial real estate properties around the country to a variety of clients including financial institutions, pension funds, and institutional investors.
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Megan Glosser, MAI, ASA
June Speaker
Megan is the Manager of Valuation at GBX Group. GBX Group focuses on acquiring historic real estate in urban markets that have significant tax and other incentives available to them. For more than 15 years, we have specialized in helping taxpayers use their tax liabilities to fund investments in real estate projects with targeted federal, state, and local incentives. Through our directed investments, we stimulate more than $400 million in real estate development annually. GBX Group has completed over 100 projects in 16 states — breathing new life, vitality, and economic growth into neighborhoods and all they serve.
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Joanna Witte, MAI
July Speaker
Joanna is an enthusiastic and driven Valuation Services Director at Colliers. Valuation experience in multi-year tax litigation valuations, cash flow analysis, along with industrial and hospitality specialization throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwest. An MAI member of the Appraisal Institute and state certified appraiser in Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
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JoAnn Apostol
August Speaker
With over 20 years of experience as a certified residential appraiser, JoAnn has built a distinguished reputation as an expert in complex residential valuations. She is also deeply committed to educating the next generation of appraisers, a passion that truly sets her apart. We are incredibly fortunate to have JoAnn serve as our Education Chair, where her dedication and leadership continue to elevate our community. -
Chandra Mast
September Speaker
Chandra Mast, CGA BCA, is a Certified General Appraiser in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, and a Business Certified Appraiser. She specializes in using econometrics and trend analysis to assess various property types and going concerns, catering to a wide variety of client needs.
Emily is not just an appraiser. She is a leader who has spent 20+ years mastering the work most professionals avoid.
She’s known for her:
Expertise in complex valuation
Clear, compelling narrative proposal writing
Ability to communicate with judges, attorneys, municipalities, and high-level stakeholders
Feminist approach to elevating women’s voices in a male-dominated field
Emily created Ascend Appraisers™ because she knew: When women rise, the entire industry rises.
Founding Members
In May 2023, Ascend Appraisers gathered for the first time ever in Miami, Florida for the Founder’s Retreat!
Women appraisers don’t lack skill. They lack support, visibility, and access to high-level knowledge.
Ascend gives you:
Community so you’re never alone in this field again.
Mentorship from someone who has walked every floor, every courtroom, every complex valuation scenario.
Language mastery so you can communicate your work with clarity and confidence.
Positioning skills that set you apart instantly.
The tools to charge appropriately (or boldly) for your level of expertise.
This membership is designed to help women become the most respected, sought-after, and well-paid appraisers in their markets.
Where Women Appraisers Commune
Where Women Appraisers Commune
Join Ascend Appraisers™
Because you deserve a place where your expertise is seen, your voice is respected, your work is valued, and your leadership is inevitable.