Gehres, Tisland win 2015 NAA International Auctioneer Championship

ADDISON, Texas (July 17, 2015) – Emerging from an overall field of 97 competitors, Tammy Tisland, of Hines, Minnesota, and Peter Gehres, of Hilliard, Ohio, were crowned as winners of the women’s and men’s National Auctioneers Association 28th International Auctioneer Championship, which took place Friday at the InterContinental Dallas Hotel.

Both Tisland and Gehres received a $5,000 cash award, trophy and championship ring for their winning efforts through the preliminary bid-calling round, an interview round consisting of three questions, and a final round of bid-calling that included the top 15 men and seven women. In the two divisions, 72 men and 25 women competed for the right to be known as one of the best auctioneers in the world.

The 2015 contest was the sixth IAC try for Gehres, CAI, CES – a first-generation auction professional who also serves as an instructor at The Ohio Auction School.

He topped a fiercely competitive overall men’s field and finals group, coming in ahead of runner-up Dustin Rogers, CAI, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, and second runner-up Scott Mihalic, CAI, of Chardon, Ohio.

“Well, it’s been a goal. I don’t know that it’s really fully sunk in,” Gehres said. “It feels great to be even more a part of the NAA family than I already am. I look forward to serving all the members and taking forward the message that auction work.”

A full-time auctioneer for the past 15 years, Tisland’s title comes in her third attempt after competing in the IAC in 2012 and 2014. She is also the reigning Minnesota State Champion Auctioneer. Beth Rose, CAI, of Maumee, Ohio, finished runner-up. Emily Wears, ATS, BAS, of Solon, Iowa, took second runner-up.

“[Winning IAC] has been one of my professional goals and goal of my lifetime,” Tisland said. “The third time [of participating], I fortunate because so many people have competed for much longer. Through the help of the NAA – the education I’ve received and the things I have learned through competing – it helped get me here.”

Earlier in the evening, Jeremy Garber, of Lincoln, Missouri, was crowned as winner of the International Junior Auctioneer Championship, which features competitors ages 12-18 helps cultivate the next generation of auction professional talent.

Also during the IAC competition, which was streamed live throughout the day on auctioneers.org and conferenceandshow.com, the Chuck Cumberlin Sportsmanship award, awarded to the IAC competitor who shows the best sportsmanship, was given to Denis Barrett, of Cork City, Ireland. The Bob Steffes Rising Star Award, given to a competitor who shows the potential to win a future IAC title, was given to Nolan Bell, of Somerset, Pennsylvania.

Both the IAC and IJAC were conducted as part of the NAA’s 66th Annual International Auctioneers Conference and Show, which took place in Addison this past week. IAC contestants must be 18 years of age or older, a current NAA member, and registered for conference. Seven judges score the contest. Final scores are determined by combining the interview score (40 percent of the total) and the bid-calling score (60 percent of the total).