Eltopia auctioneer wins international championship

ELTOPIA — A Central Washington auctioneer took top honors recently at the 2022 National Auctioneers Association International Auctioneer Championship, according to a press release from the NAA.

Chantal Kimball, of Booker Auction Company in Eltopia, vied in the competition held among the top auctioneers in the world, according to the release. Kimball was one of two champions named; the other was Jerick Miller of Cambridge, Ohio.

Kimball, a third-generation auctioneer, had previously competed in nine IAC events, the release said. This year’s event took place in San Diego, California.

Kimball attended the Reppert Auction School in Indiana while still in high school, according to the release. She then attended Spokane Falls Community College and ultimately graduated from Boise State University.

Kimball began working full-time for Booker Auction Company, her family business, in 2011. She specializes in benefit auctions, focusing her professional efforts around securing vital funds for organizations that make an important impact in their respective communities, the release said.

Kimball is the fourth member of the Booker family to earn an IAC championship, the release said; C.D. Butch Booker was the champion in 2008 and Camille Booker in 2011. Additionally, Cotton Booker won the International Junior Auctioneer Championship in 2017.