Katrin Anacker from The Ohio State University was recently awarded the Land Economics Scholarship for her proposed topic, "Analyzing Mature Suburbs through Property Values: Excessive Sprawl, Scarce Reinvestments and Large Disparities". Beginning with the observation that not all older suburbs are alike, the research will examine the determinants of housing prices across different types of older suburbs in an attempt to understand what it is about certain older suburbs that enables them to retain sufficient demand for their housing stock to maintain their value over time. The research will explore how one determinant of sprawl -- individuals' preferences for new and large homes -- affects the fate of houses in older suburbs and why some older suburbs appear to be successful in counteracting this trend that otherwise depresses the value of houses located in older suburbs.

Ms. Anacker's research will combine quantitative and qualitative methods in an innovative research design that takes advantage of Ohio's wide range of suburban communities with interviews and fieldwork conducted in the three largest metropolitan regions in the state: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

A Fulbright Scholar, Ms. Anacker obtained a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning and a second Master's Degree in Public Policy and Management, both from The Ohio State University. Her faculty advisor at the OSU Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture is Dr. Hazel A. Morrow-Jones.

Attention: Chapter Presidents

Do you need new letterhead? Remember, local chapters can order 3,000 sheets of letterhead yearly at no charge from International headquarters.

To place an order, simply email your request to lai@lai.org , or phone 630/579-3284. Be sure to include your roster information along with email addresses. Return envelopes can also be ordered for a nominal fee.

Board of Governors

The meeting minutes of the Board of Governors San Diego 2003 meeting are now posted on the website. Go to 209.224.198.102 , see President's Corner, and click onto Board of Governors Meeting Minutes - May 2, 2003.

Communication is the Key

Have you checked your member profile recently?

Follow these easy steps:

• log onto 209.224.198.102
• Click onto "Membership Directory"
• Enter your email address. Password: LAI
• Click onto "Update Your Profile"

Remember, your email address is your access into the Membership Directory. Contact Barbara Morris at LAI Headquarters if you have any problems logging on. (email her at bmorris@association-mgmt.com or phone 630/579-3284 for assistance)

From Vancouver: The biggest news in Vancouver is, of course, the selection by the International Olympic Committee of our City to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. This major event along with such international gatherings as Habitat in 2006 will have a significant impact on our region. Lambda Alpha members have been active in the Bid Committee and will likely play a key role in the planning and preparations. We have had the head of the Bid Committee speak to one of our meetings and we can expect many more contacts, formal and informal. This is a time of significant change and the community will continue to look to Lambda Alpha members for leadership and insight in the years of work leading up to 2010.

Ely Local Chapter

Congratulations to Ely member John Rutledge, CRE chosen as NICAR's (Northern Illinois Commercial Association of REALTORS®) REALTOR® of the Year. John is President of Rutledge Company, LLC which counsels real estate owners and users on enhancing property performance. Rutledge also advises small business owners on issues including sale, valuation and governance. With over 20 years in banking, Rutledge is a licensed broker, with a BS in Agricultural Science and a MS in Agricultural Finance from the University of Illinois.

An author and international lecturer (most recently in Croatia), Rutledge is active in many professional, community and charitable organizations. His LAI duties have included President of the Ely Chapter (1999) and member of the Ely Executive Board (1994-2001).

Ely Group Photo

Ely's Class of 2003. Twenty Eight members were inducted into the Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International at a banquet June 18, 2003 at the Peninsula Hotel in downtown Chicago. (See June OKN for list of inductees)