As my Presidency comes to an end at the upcoming ICE Annual Educational Conference in Atlanta, GA, I opted to write this letter solo, as opposed to jointly with ICE Executive Director Jim Kendzel, as we have done for past issues. I thought of all of the great accomplishments achieved by the staff and volunteers while I have had the privilege of serving ICE as President, and wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge them.
Due to the brilliant talent of those who have served on the Board with me, along with the commitment and dedication of ICE volunteers and staff I have worked with, I humbly note the following accomplishments our organization has achieved over the last two years:
· Achieved significant revenue growth and maintained ICE reserves while having invested in new ICE products and services - all through uncertain economic times.
· Created a strong and vibrant Research and Development Committee, which has issued reports of great value to our industry, including: recertification practices, industry benchmark data, best practices, performance testing guidelines, credentialing professional job analysis, and others.
· Expanded accreditation services through the significant growth of NCCA as the largest, fastest growing and highly respected accreditor of personnel certification programs in North America - and the implementation of a new accreditation program for certificate providers.
· Increased number of educational offerings through the ICE Academy, including governance workshops, marketing courses, and Webinars on a variety of topics related to credentialing and managing our organizations.
· Embraced the concept of Policy Governance in the ICE governance culture setting the foundation for continued data-driven decisions by the ICE Board and clarity of roles of the Board and staff providing a path for clear implementation of strategic initiatives.
· Focused on collaboration rather than competitiveness in the credentialing community with successful education program delivery in partnership with the Association Forum in Chicago and involvement in bringing together the Credentialing Association Leadership Forum.
There are many achievements I can point to however watching industry professional take roles of leadership and work with staff to accomplish so much will always stand out when I reflect on my time as President. The accomplishments of our organization are even more significant considering that ICE is not a large organization; I am constantly amazed how much the small ICE staff is able to accomplish while making our volunteers’ work much easier. Whenever you have the opportunity, please let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.
There is one group I want to thank directly for their tireless efforts in service to ICE and the credentialing community – the NCCA Commission. I believe we often take the work of the NCCA for granted but it is because of their commitment to quality and integrity of the accreditation process that the NCCA accreditation continues to grow and gain increased respect throughout the world. Over the last year, in addition to the workload placed on the Commission for reviewing applications and annual reports, the Commission contributed valuable input to the Board in the implementation of the Policy Governance model and Bylaws revision project. Thank you Denise Fandel for your leadership as the NCCA Chair and thanks to all of the Commissioners for the valuable work you perform.
I could go on and on about how proud I am of this organization, its members, and its staff, but I think you know just how lucky we are to have these resources available to us. I will leave you with two thoughts. First, never underestimate the value that volunteering can provide to you and your professional growth. There is no better environment for learning and challenging yourself than the opportunity to work with your peers at ICE. Second, I want you to know that as I hand over the leadership to our incoming President, Melissa Murer Corrigan, RPh, the future of ICE could not be in better hands. I have personally been an active member in ICE since its inception more than 30 years ago and I believe that our future has never looked brighter!
Thanks to all of you for your support during my time as President. Your efforts and passion for credentialing made my tenure so much easier and rewarding. See you in Atlanta!