Certified Estate Specialist

This designation is NAA’s most recently revised designation. The CES designation is designed to prepare designees to run a successful Estate Specialist business. Attendees learn marketing, intensive people skills (as they often deal with families in crisis), advanced networking skills, and auction methods. One of the standout elements of this designation is its attention to nonauction methods of liquidating personal property. The designation discusses tag sales, donations and other ways of selling/liquidating, whether on your own or through a network of other professionals.

Requirements for CES

• Register for the CES class.
• Attend all three days of the designation class.
• After the class, to obtain the designation, submit an auction summary report, with required elements discussed in class.
• All requirements must be completed within two years of taking the CES course.

Check back to this webpage to find out when the next Certified Estate Specialist session will be offered.

What CES can do for you

Earning any designation demonstrates your commitment to continuing education both to the public and members of the industry. It also enables members to network with like-minded individuals in the classroom and through additional networking events, but here are some specific benefits of an a CES designation.

CES is designed to help professional auctioneers understand how to properly conduct and deal with the settling of estates. The course also educates professional auctioneers on working with family members and dealing with lawyers and accountants. Knowing you have spent the time and effort to earn this designation will comfort families and prove that you have their best interests in mind.

CES Instructors

Joe Gribbins, BAS, CES, SRES
Joe is a third generation auctioneer and principal broker with Wardlow Auctions, Inc. in Louisville, KY. He has been an auction instructor for 30+ years. Past President of the Kentucky Auctioneers Association, currently Chairman of the Kentucky Board of Auctioneers.

David P. Whitley, CAI, CES
David currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, and conducts auctions throughout the Rocky Mountain region. In the summer of 1986, he attended auction school at Western College of Auctioneering. He also attended the University of Wyoming, eventually earning a BS in Agriculture Economics and a Juris Doctor from the University Of Wyoming College Of Law. Whitley Auction currently conducts around 60 auctions a year in real estate, commercial and industrial liquidations, government surplus, business liquidations, estates and other specialties. Whitley is a graduate of the Certified Auctioneer Institute and is a Certified Estate Specialist. He is currently one of two instructors for the Certified Estate Specialist designation. Whitley is a member of the Colorado and Wyoming Auctioneers Associations. He served on the CAA board for twelve years, is a past president and past chairman of the board. He is an active member of the National Auctioneers Association, and currently serves on its Board of Directors and is chairman of the Advocacy Committee. He was previously the Chairman of the NAA’s Education Institute. He has attended the last seventeen National Conference & Shows, been a finalist in the International Auctioneer Championship and served on the President’s Think Tank and Technology committees. Whitley currently teaches auction law, technology, marketing and bid calling at the World Wide College of Auctioneering.

Justin Vondenhuevel, CAI, AARE, CES
Justin is the principal owner and Co-Founder of Vondenhuevel Auctioneers LLC in Mid Western Ohio where he and his wife Abby along with a full time staff specialize in Probate, Transitional Services, and Real Estate Auctions. Justin presently serves as a class advisor for the Certified Auctioneers Institute and as an instructor for the Certified Estate Specialist course, both for the National Auctioneers Association and is also an Instructor at Reppert Auction School.