Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Lucian.
Hi Christine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Hello! I am Christine. I am 33 years old and I grew up in Utica, Michigan where I lived for 23 years with my parents & older sister. I have been happily married to my husband for almost 9 years, and we have an incredible 4.5-year-old son. Among those 2 very important positions, I am a Michigan Advanced Assessing Officer, and have been in the industry for 12 years.
In the fall of 2006, I began my senior year of high school. I was in a lot of architectural classes throughout high school and found a love for the field. I had a lot of practice drawing homes using CAD programs. This skill allowed me to successfully secure a co-op position in high school working at the Shelby Township Assessing Department. My tasks there included a lot of administrative work, but drawing homes was something I did often. I stayed there for about a year, and I left when I started my undergrad at Oakland University. I ended up studying Web, Graphic, and Video Design because I enjoyed computers but was also very artistic and creative. I graduated in December of 2011 and had no immediate plans on my next step. I was searching for jobs in Spring of 2012 and working on my portfolio when an old friend of mine reached out to me asking if I still remembered how to work in Assessing. She was in the human resources department at Shelby Township, and she started that position as a co-op when I started mine. The Township needed help for a short time, and because I was in between jobs, I accepted the temporary position. A day came when an opportunity fell on my lap. My boss who initially hired me at Shelby Township back in 2006 had since started her own Assessing contract company. They offered me a job and I have been with them ever since. The last 11 years with this company have been wonderful, and I sometimes think back at how this all started and can’t believe it. I still design party invitations and other event-related graphics for friends and family, but I am very happy and fulfilled with the path that chose me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggles create character, and I am so thankful for them. I have found that with every struggle I have faced in 33 years, they make me stronger, smarter, and more ready for all the obstacles that I will face in the future. Life has obstacles whether we like it or not! I struggled for years to truly understand this field and bring it full circle. I was given a mentor to follow who ended up changing my life. He was someone who was very hard to please and wanted things a certain way. We clashed for years, and I tried very hard to make him happy with everything he needed me to do. Today, I owe him so much, and I’ve been vocal about this with him with much gratitude. He taught me critical thinking skills, organization, time efficiency, and a passion for the job. I now run several communities on my own, and I recently called him to thank him for the all the tough love he provided me.
Beyond my early struggles, I still face obstacles every single day at work. There is so much to know, and the laws are always changing, so it can get very overwhelming. Additionally, Assessors are left to decipher the law on their own, and this can create an ununiform trend. Taxpayers understandably get very passionate about their property taxes, especially when they increase, which has been the trend for a decade now! I have perfected my craft in customer service over all these years. Residents truly appreciate how I speak to them and how I am patient with explaining things, sometimes explaining the same thing in 3 different ways. I still run into people who blame me for things that are not relevant to what a Municipal Tax Assessor has a hand in. I accept this with grace, though it can be hard!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am certified through the State Tax Commission of Michigan as a Michigan Advanced Assessing Officer (MAAO). The State holds us responsible for valuing all the real and personal property located within a community. I personally sign the assessment roll in two communities and help manage several others. We handle many other things like property tax exemptions and abatements, land splits and combinations, property transfer processing, and so much more. I wear a lot of hats and must coordinate with all of the municipal departments to ensure the community is running smoothly.
I am most proud of who I am and how much knowledge I have acquired over the last 12 years. I have grown so much as a person and as a professional. I am happy to get the opportunity to train more people to be like me, and I am mentoring someone currently who is turning out to be a wonderful asset.
What sets me apart is my passion for helping people. There are many very helpful assessors, but not all of them have the interest or patience to go the extra mile to help people. Some people I work with poke fun at me for spending so much time explaining things to residents, but I am so proud to be genuinely giving people all my brainpower! I always try to put myself in someone else’s shoes. If I were to visit a nurse, I would not expect her to be rude or snarky if I was uninformed on medical terminology and procedures. I look at assessing in the same way when I get residents apologizing to me for not knowing the information. I have a huge heart and a brain full of helpful information. Assessing information is extremely important for Michigan residents to know because it affects their wallet!
I am using social media to help educate residents and professionals alike. This is something no one has done before, and I am very excited to be able to provide my knowledge on a mass scale! I am creating and participating in educational seminars to help realtors, title companies, tax preparers, attorneys, and all other professionals that have a dealing in a real estate transaction. My hope is that we can all work together to create a seamless and enjoyable experience for all Michigan residents looking to buy and sell real estate.
In addition to educating professionals, I act as a consultant for investors, developers, and even residential homeowners. I can quickly calculate property tax for homebuyers to have an accurate estimate of tax they can expect, because 9/10 times the figures being used are severely inaccurate. I have other services I offer such as land division/combination facilitating. More services are to come the more I grow!
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something surprising about me is that I am a huge nature and camping lover. I have been camping my entire life and can pitch a tent quickly, know how to make a campfire, and so many more things. I also was an athlete growing up until even through college. The people who meet me today see a professional city gal, but in reality, I love playing sports and getting down with nature. This will never change! Any chance I have to be outside, I’m there! I consider myself a very well-rounded person, and I owe that to my parents, my sister, my husband, and a few mentors at work!
Contact Info:
- Phone: (313) 799-2021
- Email:[email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichiganassessor
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@themichiganassessor
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themichiganassessor
Image Credits
Nathan Taib
Shelbie Collins
