19: Monica Williams — Assessing in 2023 and BeyondIn this episode, we're joined by Deputy Chief Assessment Officer Monica Williams from the Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment to talk about being a public servant in the assessment field:We cover: Introduction to Assessment Matters podcast Monica’s bio Falling into an “accidental career” 20 years in various assessment tracks How has the assessment field evolved over the past two decades? Inclusion of technology More attention paid to what assessors do; discussions on transparency Last few years of property markets Explosively rising prices Challenges explaining how this affects property assessment What does transparency mean? How is it an industry challenge? Internal vs External Explaining what people are paying for Explaining the difference between assessment and taxation Big career lessons Getting started by being willing to learn Best practices in the Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment Encouraging personal and career growth Cultivating and picking talent The future of Philadelphia Contending with the fact that housing affordability can get worse for both renters and buyers Possible solutions Monica’s IAAO panel: “Assessing in 2023 and Beyond” Workforce transition — aging assessors Data and transparency — privacy concerns Integration of technology and assessment — pros and cons How has Philadelphia changed? What is “gentrification” and its implications? The pros and cons of neighborhood improvement and change “Gentrification” can be both good and bad What should those in power do? Educating people on the why and how of change and its impacts Parting advice How to reach Monica