David Barnett serves as a principal and senior consultant with GAR Associates, providing leadership for municipal assessment, valuation, technology, and strategic consulting engagements. He holds the MAI and SRA designations from the Appraisal Institute. Over the course of his career, Mr. Barnett has advised municipalities throughout New York State and beyond on reassessment programs, assessment administration, valuation policy, software implementation, and operational modernization initiatives.
Mr. Barnett has played a leading role in the development of GAR’s assessment technology platforms, data collection systems, public information tools, and artificial intelligence initiatives. He also produced training materials, technical articles, and educational programs addressing assessment administration, mass appraisal, valuation methodology, and emerging technology applications within the assessment profession. His combination of assessment expertise, technology leadership, and industry thought leadership provides clients with a unique perspective on both the operational and strategic aspects of modern assessment administration.
F. Cindy Baire is a member and partner of GAR Associates LLC and has played a leadership role in the firm’s operations and government services practice for more than three decades. She previously served as President of GAR’s Government Services Division for over twenty years and continues to provide executive oversight for municipal assessment projects, client relations, marketing, public communications, and corporate management.
Ms. Baire has managed reassessment and mass appraisal projects throughout New York State, overseeing all phases of project implementation including public relations, data collection, valuation support, quality control, and client coordination. Her extensive experience working directly with municipal officials and taxpayers provides valuable leadership for complex assessment and valuation engagements.
Ryan Burns is a Project Manager and Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser who has been a full-time valuation professional with GAR Associates since 2012. He serves as a lead valuation analyst for residential property types and is responsible for managing residential valuation programs, sales verification, market analysis, valuation modeling, and project coordination for municipal reassessment assignments throughout New York State.
Mr. Burns has completed numerous mass appraisal projects across New York and has extensive experience in residential data collection, quality control, valuation analysis, and client communications. His expertise in residential assessment modeling and project management makes him a key member of GAR’s reassessment leadership team.
Scott Schafer is a real estate and technology consultant with extensive experience in appraisal, banking, management consulting, information technology, and corporate leadership. He provides appraisal review, strategic consulting, management advisory, and technology planning services and has previously held executive leadership positions with Newmark, Cushman & Wakefield, HSBC, and Peter F. Korpacz & Associates.
Mr. Schafer holds the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute and recently served on the Board of Trustees of The Appraisal Foundation. His experience spans commercial valuation, appraisal review, strategic planning, information technology, quality management, and organizational leadership. Mr. Schafer is also a recognized industry author and speaker, having published numerous articles and technical publications on valuation, quality management, and real estate trends while serving as a content reviewer for multiple editions of The Appraisal of Real Estate and The Dictionary of Real Estate Appraisal. This multidisciplinary background enables him to advise clients on valuation challenges, technology initiatives, operational effectiveness, and long-term organizational strategy.
Randy Link serves as GAR’s Lead Engineer and is responsible for software architecture, technology strategy, and application development initiatives. He brings decades of experience developing enterprise software solutions for government agencies, transportation organizations, logistics companies, and private-sector clients.
Mr. Link leads the development of GAR’s next-generation technology platform, including field data collection applications, public assessment websites, mobile solutions, cloud infrastructure, and software integration initiatives. His expertise in software engineering, cloud architecture, security, and scalable application design helps ensure that GAR’s technology solutions remain innovative, secure, and responsive to client needs.
Scott J. Shedler is a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, Certified Assessor, and Certified Real Estate Instructor with more than thirty-eight years of experience as an appraiser, assessor, consultant, and educator. A Past President of the New York State Assessors Association, Mr. Shedler has extensive experience in tax certiorari matters, assessment administration, condemnation, easements, estate valuation, and municipal assessment consulting. He has qualified as an expert witness in both federal and state courts and is widely recognized throughout New York’s assessment community.
Dr. Robert Jimmerson is an Artificial Intelligence Engineer with more than twenty years of information technology experience. He holds a Ph.D. in Computing and Information Sciences from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where his research focused on deep learning algorithms and artificial intelligence applications in low-resource environments. In addition to his AI expertise, Dr. Jimmerson brings extensive experience in information security, advanced analytics, software development, and emerging technologies. His work supports GAR’s continuing innovation in artificial intelligence, data science, and technology-enabled assessment solutions.
Carolyn Kaminski is a Senior Software Engineer specializing in full-stack development, user experience design, web application architecture, and computer-assisted mass appraisal systems.
She has led the development of several public-facing assessment applications, including homeowner review portals and advanced data collection systems that improve communication, streamline workflows, and enhance the taxpayer experience.
