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Rick Singh, 2019 State of Orange County Real Estate Lean into Tech

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Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh. Photo: OCPA.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – Nearly 1,000 attendees filled Orange County Property Appraiser (OCPA) Rick Singh’s 2019 State of Orange County Real Estate (SOCRE) event at the Wyndham Orlando Resort Thursday. The annual report was unique and interactive as usual, but this year’s presentation leaned into OCPA’s technology focus with three key updates, including drones.

 

Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh presents the 2019 State of Orange County Real Estate at Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive. Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh presents the 2019 State of Orange County Real Estate at Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive. Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

 

Appraiser Singh opened his presentation with a video of him talking to Alexa, which was pre-programmed with the travel time to arrive at the Wyndham on I-Drive from his downtown Orlando office, wishing him a safe trip to speak at the 2019 SOCRE. Unbeknownst to the audience, this introduction demonstrated what Singh later shared in his annual report with the audience about the forthcoming inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) in OCPA’s operations, in this case, conversational intelligence.

 

Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

 

The second major announcement was the addition of two field property appraisers who are licensed drone operators (below). Much like for realtors, the drones will help appraisers survey properties in a less invasive way and more quickly. Thirdly, OCPA’s long-term tech plans include adding autonomous vehicles to their fleet (above).

 

Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

 

2019 OCPA Statistics

As usual in his report, Singh reported 2019’s numbers as well as cumulative stats for his tenure, which began in 2013 after his election in 2012:

  • Historic market value of $208.2 billion for 2019 (10.3% increase over 2018 in total market value)
  • $4.5 billion in new construction this year
  • 6,555 new homes built (8.6% increase from 2018)
  • All 13 Orange County municipalities experienced market value growth (more than half of which reported double-digit increases from 2018)
  • Cumulatively, OCPA has appraised over $1.1 trillion in market value during Singh’s tenure

 

This Year’s Panel

The 2019 State of Orange County Real Estate (SOCRE) panel (l-r): Fred Kittinger, Dr. Alesia Scott-Ford, OCPA Rick Singh, Dr. Jason Eichenholz, Jeff Fagan. Fox 35's Ryan Elijah moderated the discussion as the panel covered some hot topics and answered audience questions. Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

The 2019 State of Orange County Real Estate (SOCRE) panel (l-r): Fred Kittinger, Dr. Alesia Scott-Ford, OCPA Rick Singh, Dr. Jason Eichenholz, Jeff Fagan. Fox 35’s Ryan Elijah moderated the discussion as the panel covered some hot topics and answered audience questions. Photo: Willie David/Florida National News.

 

Four other panelists joined Appraiser Singh onstage:

Dr. Alesia Scott-Ford
Jacksonville Field Office Director
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Dr. Alesia Scott-Ford was appointed to the position of Jacksonville Field Office Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in April 2014. Dr. Scott-Ford is responsible for overseeing the delivery of HUD programs and services across North Florida as well as evaluating their efficiency and effectiveness to communities and individuals. Along with the Miami Field Office, she coordinates the department’s programs across the state. As the Field Office Director, she serves as HUD’s liaison to mayors, city managers, elected representatives, state and local officials, congressional delegations, nonprofit groups, private entities; faith-based groups, other stakeholders and individual Americans.

Dr. Jason Eichenholz
Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Luminar Technologies

Dr. Jason Eichenholz is a serial entrepreneur and pioneer in laser and photonics product development and commercialization. Over the past twenty-five years, he has led the development of hundreds of millions of dollars of new photonics and photonic-enabled products. At Luminar Technologies, he is responsible for research and development, engineering of new products and bringing Luminar’s technology to market. Dr. Eichenholz is a fellow of SPIE – the international society for optics and photonics – and OSA – the optical society – and holds forty patents on lasers and photonic devices.

Fred Kittinger
Senior Associate Vice President for Government Relations
University of Central Florida

Fred Kittinger is known for bridging the gap between business and government. Currently the Senior Associate Vice President for Government Relations and Director of State and Local Government Affairs at the University of Central Florida, he represents Florida’s largest university to state and local officials. Throughout his career, he has diligently protected the interests of businesses, education, and city and state governments. Notably, Kittinger served on the ground floor team during the planning and approval phase of relocating UCF’s downtown campus to the site of the new Creative Village.

Jeff Fagan
2019 Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association (ORRA) President

Jeff Fagan is the 2019 president of the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association, which represents more than 15,500 real estate professionals throughout Central Florida. ORRA is the 8th largest REALTOR® organization in the country. Fagan’s priorities during his term as president include affordable housing, articulating ORRA’s value to both members and the public; and expanding services to deliver additional high-quality member benefits. He transitioned into real estate after a 20-year career in poultry agribusiness and has held a Florida real estate license since 2001.

This year’s panel discussed a range of hot topics:

  • Will affordable housing challenges impact our region’s ability to attract new business and new talent?
  • How can autonomous vehicles help solve Central Florida’s traffic gridlock?
  • With most of our workforce spending more than 50% of their income on housing, what real estate market changes are on the horizon?
  • With the opening of Creative Village, how is UCF assisting the downtown students in securing housing?

On the point of technology, the audience could track the whole presentation and conversation from the new OCPA app after surrendering an email address and a password to set up an account. In the app, the audience answered several questions presented to them in phases based on the topic the panel was discussing at that moment. The big screens displayed the audience poll results in real time as the panelists talked.

Singh and his team always use innovation to distinguish him from other property appraisers–not only his predecessors, but others around the state–and this year’s tech-savvy approach was another leap for the OCPA team.

________________________________________________

Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com

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St. Lucian Dona Regis-Prosper Named First Female Secretary-General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the premier tourism development agency for 25 Caribbean countries and territories, has appointed Dona Regis-Prosper the new Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer. Beginning her assignment on September 1, 2023, Regis-Prosper, who hails from St. Lucia, is set to make history as the first woman to assume leadership of the intergovernmental body.

With an impressive career that spans more than 22 years, Regis-Prosper brings an unparalleled depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in the tourism industry to the CTO. She has lived and worked in multiple Caribbean destinations, and served as Director of Marketing and Product Development of the St. Lucia Air and Seaports Authority; Director of Business Development for Margaritaville Caribbean Group in Jamaica; CEO of the Tortola Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands; and General Manager of the Antigua Cruise Port where she is currently employed.

Chairman of the CTO, Kenneth Bryan, who is the Minister of Tourism and Ports of the Cayman Islands, welcomed Regis-Prosper to the regional body. “We are extremely pleased to have Dona Regis-Prosper come on board to lead the CTO. Her vast experience, strategic insight, and impressive track record in the tourism sector make her an exceptional choice to propel our organization into a new era,” he stated, adding that having more women in positions of influence enhances the efficiency of the region’s major economic earner and sends positive messages of encouragement and inspiration for women and girls across the Caribbean.

A dynamic and transformative leader who has built and sustained a strong network of professionals in both the public and private sector (working closely with regional government officials, tourism stakeholders, and industry professionals), Regis-Prosper emerged as the top choice from a pool of more than 60 highly qualified applicants. The rigorous selection process included multiple rounds of interviews and a comprehensive assessment related to addressing some of the most pressing issues faced by the regional tourism industry.

Chairman Bryan disclosed that throughout the selection process, ministers, commissioners and directors lauded Regis-Prosper’s transformational leadership style. “They found her to be innovative, forward-thinking, results-driven, and solution-oriented,” he said, noting that her perspective on managing the climate crisis was particularly well-received, illustrating her deep-seated passion for sustainability and her ability to develop practical solutions to critical industry issues.

Regis-Prosper takes over the organization’s leadership reins from Acting Secretary General and CEO Neil Walters, CTO’s Director of Finance and Resource Management, who has been filling the position following the retirement of Barbadian Hugh Riley in 2019. The other two Caribbean tourism professionals to serve in the region’s top tourism post include the late tourism stalwart Jean Holder and Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, former Bahamas Director General and Bahamas Minister of Tourism.

Of her new role, Regis-Prosper stated, “I am deeply honored to have been selected to serve as Secretary General of the CTO and am grateful for the trust and confidence the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism and the Board of Directors have placed in me. I eagerly look forward to working with our dedicated team and diverse stakeholders to promote the Caribbean tourism sector, champion sustainability, and continue to foster impactful relationships and deliver ROI for our members.”

With a Master of Business Administration degree, Certified Professional Marketer qualification, and significant experience in business development, strategy, marketing and sustainability, Regis-Prosper is well able to lead the Caribbean tourism sector into a bright and prosperous future, Chairman Bryan asserted.

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Dezerland Action Park Orlando to host I-Drive Throwdown

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Do you love off-roading and adventure? Or maybe you just want to see a bunch of giant, modified trucks? Dezerland Action Park, home of the Orlando Auto Museum and Central Florida’s car show headquarters, is bringing hundreds of exciting trucks and other off-roading vehicles to International Drive with I-Drive Throwdown.
Presented by American Force Wheels, I-Drive Throwdown will take over Dezerland Action Park from Friday, July 21 to Sunday, July 23. The event is designed to showcase the power and agility of various off-road vehicles, including trucks, side-by-sides, and ATVs, and will draw some of the most popular auto influencers and truck enthusiasts from around the country to the area.
Dezerland Action Park will serve as a one-stop shop for visitors attending the event, with all of the trucks and judging on-site and plenty of attractions, food and nighttime entertainment to enjoy.
“We’ve seen a large volume of ticket sales for the event come from other states, so we’re expecting to see a positive, economic impact on the area’s hotels, restaurants and more,” said Lana Vegosen, director of marketing for Dezerland Action Park Orlando. “Automotive tourism is on the rise, and Dezerland Action Park and the Orlando Auto Museum will continue to welcome car enthusiasts from around the country for elite car and truck shows year-round.”
In addition to the amazing, off-road vehicles, the event’s vendors include some of the best accessory companies, build management groups and special guests who will make I-Drive Throwdown an event to remember. Plus, plenty of awards and prizes will be given away throughout the weekend.
After visitors check out the trucks and vendors, they can head inside the Orlando Auto Museum to see the country’s largest auto museum which is home to more than 2,000 vehicles worth over $200 million, featuring everything from military vehicles used in combat to cars made famous by television and movies and vehicles from a variety of decades and countries around the world.
Guests can also enjoy meals from a variety of cuisines in Dezerland Action Park’s food hall and explore the fun attractions inside, including Florida’s longest indoor go-kart track, a laser tag maze, a virtual reality arena and more.
Spectator passes for I-Drive Throwdown start at $20 and there are still spots available for vendors and those looking to present their vehicles. Entrance to the Orlando Auto Museum and Dezerland Action Park’s attractions must be purchased separately.

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BOGO Orlando Auto Museum passes for Father’s Day

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Wondering what to get your car-obsessed or movie-buff Dad for Father’s Day? Gift him an experience any dad would love with a trip to Orlando Auto Museum.
With over 2,000 vehicles worth over $200 million and plenty of exciting attractions all under one roof, Dezerland Action Park Orlando is the ultimate Father’s Day destination in Central Florida.
On Sunday, June 18, guests can take advantage of buy-one-get-one-free passes to the Orlando Auto Museum. Dad will love exploring the country’s largest auto museum to discover vehicles from a variety of decades and countries around the world, learning about military vehicles used in combat and snapping family photos with vehicles made famous by television and movies.
After experiencing the Orlando Auto Museum, families can take Dad around Dezerland Action Park Orlando for more family fun. Florida’s largest indoor attraction is home to the state’s longest indoor karting track with four skill and speed levels, a boutique bowling alley, VR Arena, Laser Tag Maze and more.
Guests can also enjoy a meal from a variety of cuisines in Dezerland Action Park’s food hall, unlimited cereal for $5 at MILK The House of Cereal and custom soda creations at Sodasquatch.
Entrance to the Orlando Auto Museum and Dezerland Action Park’s attractions must be purchased separately.

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