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You are here: Home / About / Meet Sherry

Meet Sherry

Benefit auctioneer Sherry Truhlar escaped a corporate cubicle to launch Red Apple Auctions.

Today she works as an fundraising educator and onstage auctioneer, helping nonprofits across the country plan more profitable benefit auctions.

A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, her advice has been tapped by thousands of auction planners seeking to improve their events.  She offers master classes, books, workbooks, webinars, and checklists for auction planners ready to advance their auction via highly researched strategies.

She’s been covered by Northern Virginia Magazine, Missouri Meetings & Events, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Beacon-News / Chicago Tribune, AUCTIONEER, and others, such as this Boston blogger.

A charismatic presence in the room, Sherry elevates the experience of any live auction.  At over 6′ tall, she commands the stage and comfortably connects with male and female guests.

She is thought to be the only auctioneer who has achieved a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation and is also a graduate of the Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI).  These credentials identify individuals who have achieved their respective industry’s highest standards of professionalism.

She also holds a professional certificate in event management from George Washington University, the Benefit Auctioneer Specialist (BAS) designation from the National Auctioneers Association, an MA degree from the University of Wollongong (Australia), and BA and BS degrees from Emporia State University.

 

Seeking a more personal introduction?  

Here are some insights.

Sherry Truhlar, grizzly bear

Exotic animal training school: When I found a program in California that would teach me how to be an exotic animal trainer, I jumped at the chance. My 2005 graduation project was Bamm-Bamm, this handsome grizzly. Though I decided not to pursue that career, I often recall my experiences working with the big cats, monkey, bears, and especially the elephant, Nellie.  My proudest moment was receiving a T-shirt for setting a new speed record for shoveling elephant poop.

 

Sherry Truhlar, Koch

Corporate career: When I worked for Koch Industries, I sold a specialty cement into the concrete industry in Pittsburgh, PA. My work uniform was often jeans and steel-toed boots. The dress code was different at  General Electric, but the frenetic pace didn’t change — I had five jobs and seven managers in six years at GE.  I worked with top-notch people in both companies.

 

Virginia Rookie Auctioneer of the Year: Virginia auctioneers in their first year of licensing are invited to participate in a rookie contest. In January 2004, I participated and much to my surprise, won!  My fledgling chant had been developed during my morning commute to GE.  Driving to work each day, I practiced chanting in the car while listening to recordings of auctioneers selling.

 

Sherry Truhlar, Andrew Dan Jumbo

As Seen On TV: In a case of being in the right place at the right time, I was selected to be on two cable television programs. In 2007, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi from his E! Style show gave me some fabulous clothing and packing advice. The following year, my home office enjoyed stellar upgrades from Andrew Dan-Jumbo of TLC’s Take Home Handyman. You can watch clips from the shows here.

 

 

Sherry Truhlar

Plus-size model: Armed with information from Google, I made trips to New York and Miami to visit plus-size modeling agencies. A Miami agent overlooked my advanced age (advanced age for modeling) to take a chance on me.  It made my year when I started working overseas a few weeks later.  From 2005-2011, I shot print work in Europe and the USA (view some modeling jobs here), supplemented with TV work and runway jobs, like the shows I worked for Macy’s and Clinton Kelly from “What Not to Wear.”

 

Sherry Truhlar

Chant competitions: When time and money allow, I compete in auction competitions. I’ve placed a couple of times but never won. Most recently in July 2012, I was a finalist in the International Auctioneers Championship contest, and (a few weeks later) placed 1st runner up while competing for the Virginia State Champion Auctioneer. Judges commented on my “platform skills,” “ability to develop immediate audience rapport,” and “direct bid calling technique.” I’m often the only female in state competitions, which supports one statistic indicating that just 15% of auctioneers are women.

 

Sherry Truhlar, Kansas Czech Queen

The Little House on the Prairie: I was raised in Kansas, in what was once a wild cowtown but evolved into a quiet community settled by Czechs seeking farmland. My graduating high school class had 48 students. My outlook on life and interactions with others is influenced by that small-town upbringing.

 

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What auction planners say

Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

Krystal Fenwick

Thank you so much for the outstanding job you did for us on April 1! I have received so much positive feedback from so many who attended. You even earned Sister Suzan’s (our Vice-Principal) seal of approval! Safe travels to all your many events and thank you for making our biggest fundraiser of the year our best ever!

Diane Albano, Director of Development
St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School (St. Augustine, FL)

Sherry is flexible and easy to work with. She gives honest feedback and advice throughout the planning and implementation process. Without a doubt, Sherry and Red Apple Auctions has helped take our annual fundraising event to the next level.

Beckie Middendorf, Development Director and Janet Gulla, Development Coordinator
St. Henry District High School (Erlanger, KY)

Sherry is “on board” from day one of auction planning, works closely with our steering committee and is only just a phone call away. The night of the auction, we toss her the keys and let her drive the event! We are never disappointed!

Charly Ryan, Director of Institutional Advancement
The Academy of the Holy Cross (Kensington, MD)

I was very fortunate to have Red Apple on board for my first auction. Working with Sherry was invaluable. She provided guidance at every phase of planning, from procurement on forward – and she challenged us to make our event more ambitious and more successful at every stage. Thank you, Sherry!

Pete Goldlust, Director of Development
Oak Hill School (Eugene, OR)

If your auction needs to upgrade, call any auctioneer you find on Google. But if you want your auction to be impressive, meaningful, and profitable, you need to call Sherry.

Erin Banda
2016 NYUMBANI Board member

The auction was entertaining .. proactive … the crowd was involved and felt a part of it,” he said, emphasizing, “The entertainment value was huge.

Darrell, a long-time attendee

We plan on booking Red Apple Auctions much earlier for our next event so we can take advantage of more of the pre-event offerings.

Nicole Carr, Director of Grants and Special Events
The Ivymount School (Rockville, MD)

2012 Oakcrest Anne and CarolinaSherry, personally, I can’t even begin to tell you the immense amount of positive feedback that I received having YOU (and Darby) there with is this year!… Read The Rest “Anne Livaudais Knudsen, 5th year gala co-chair”

Aren’t KK and Michael a cute couple? PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiIHNyYz0iaHR0cDovL3JlZGFwcGxlLmV2c3VpdGUuY29tL3BsYXllci9NakF4TWkxSGRXVnpkSE10UW5Wc2JHbHpMVXRMTFdGdVpDMU5hV05vWVdWc0xVcHZjMlZ3YUM1dGNEUT0vP2NvbnRhaW5lcj1ldnAtV0JBVTkwTlVBUyI+PC9zY3JpcHQ+PGRpdiBpZD0iZXZwLVdCQVU5ME5VQVMiIGRhdGEtcm9sZT0iZXZwLXZpZGVvIiBkYXRhLWV2cC1pZD0iTWpBeE1pMUhkV1Z6ZEhNdFFuVnNiR2x6TFV0TExXRnVaQzFOYVdOb1lXVnNMVXB2YzJWd2FDNXRjRFE9Ij48L2Rpdj4= They liked that I “moved the crowd along … kept the crowd engaged but wasn’t obtrusive or invasive. We were able to talk but still keep track of what was going on.”

Staci Meruvia 150 ptYou have NO idea of how many people came up to me (I know Julie as well) and said, ‘That auctioneer was incredible … she engaged the crowd, …… Read The Rest “Staci Meruvia”

Geri said: “Great job of getting potential donors in the room to step up to the plate and not feel guilty or bad about it. They actually wanted to give more … and that’s not something I’ve seen in many other auctioneers.” 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 The following… Read The Rest “Geri”

Irene attended one of my New Hampshire auctions and assumed I must be a radio personality — until I started to chant that fast talk. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiIHNyYz0iaHR0cDovL3JlZGFwcGxlLmV2c3VpdGUuY29tL3BsYXllci9SM1ZsYzNRdE1qQXhNUzFPU0ZOUVEwRXRTWEpsYm1VdWJYQTBMVEU9Lz9jb250YWluZXI9ZXZwLTVHMlVHQlFGN1YiPjwvc2NyaXB0PjxkaXYgaWQ9ImV2cC01RzJVR0JRRjdWIiBkYXRhLXJvbGU9ImV2cC12aWRlbyIgZGF0YS1ldnAtaWQ9IlIzVmxjM1F0TWpBeE1TMU9TRk5RUTBFdFNYSmxibVV1YlhBMExURT0iPjwvZGl2Pg== “I’ve been to this event before with a couple of other auctioneers,” she said, “Your ability to get personal… Read The Rest “Irene”

Most product & consulting remarks are found on their respective webpages, but I’ve listed two below so you’re assured my products are as spot-on as my auctioneering.   Not only was our 2013 auction a blast, but our Washington, D.C. public school raised $67,000 — that’s $25,000 more than last year! The evening went… Read The Rest “Carolyn Kahn-Hall and Andrea Del Vecchio”

Cynthia Steele Vance_150X180As a former Fox News Anchorwoman, I am often called on to perform at auctions. So, I know first-hand that auctioneering can be a difficult job. Sherry Truhlar is one of the best in the business.… Read The Rest “Cynthia Steele Vance”

Cynthia Steele Vance
Guest at The Potomac School 2014 auction (McLean, VA)

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