I started at TALCB in the summer of 2020. I was definitely unsure about what I was going to be doing here. I also knew I was only dipping my toe in the work of the Board, because I was completing a remaining term of a member who was leaving.

I’d come to a couple of meetings before my term started, and even after those meetings I still did not know how much work it would be or any insight into what I was going to do. I didn’t realize there was so much that happens behind the scenes, and it is all completed by the support staff here at TALCB.

Since that time, I’ve seen us in persevere through a pandemic and many other challenges, but we put people in positions to succeed within the agency. I’ve seen the effects of policies the Board has implemented, and I love seeing the positive impact these changes have had on license holders and the users of appraisal services. I think this group has the mindset of putting them first with all the decisions that we make. That is definitely something I support fully. It is for these reasons I renewed my commitment to serve on the Board earlier this year.

I see a lot of challenges on the horizon, including PAREA and its impact on our industry, the emergence of artificial intelligence and how that will be coming into play in the industry, and the ever-changing rules from the federal government that impact our state. But I have full confidence we have the right people in the right positions to handle this. I’m proud of the work I’ve done so far and the work we’ve done so far. I know there are many challenges to come, but I am grateful to be here.

Board Member Rolando Castro is associate director at Cushman & Wakefield. He is an MAI Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute, and serves as vice president for Soaring Kidz. Mr. Castro received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Texas A&M University.