Workcred, a new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) affiliate organization focused on workforce credentialing, is pleased to announce the selection of the members of its first-ever board of directors. Workcred was established by ANSI in May 2014 [see related story] and is tasked with increasing awareness of competency-based, industry-recognized workforce credentials and supporting efforts to improve the quality, transparency, portability, and market value of these important tools.

The board includes representatives of industry, nonprofit organizations, and ANSI senior staff, among others. The members of Workcred's board of directors are:

• S. Joe Bhatia, president and CEO, ANSI
• Keith Bird, Ph.D., senior policy fellow for workforce and postsecondary education, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
• Beth Carlson, vice president, global talent development and learning, Raytheon
• Stephen Crawford, Ph.D., research professor at the George Washington University's George Washington Institute of Public Policy (GWIPP)
• Ron Dearing Jr., manager, worldwide program development and technology, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
• Peggy Jensen, CPA, vice president of finance, administration, and chief financial officer (CFO), ANSI
• Fran Schrotter, senior vice president and chief operating officer (COO), ANSI
• Roger Tadajewski, executive director, NC3 - National Coalition of Certification Centers
• Cynthia Woodley, Ed.D., COO and psychometrician, Professional Testing, Inc.

As more and more jobs require applicants to have special training or experience beyond a high school diploma, industry-based credentials have become a growing part of the workforce, providing new opportunities for job seekers and employers. But with less than 10% of the more than 4,000 personnel certification bodies active in the United States accredited or reviewed by a third-party accreditation body, there's a lot of work left to do to ensure that these certifications are valid and have market value. Workcred is an important part of this effort, providing new knowledge, increasing the quality and ensuring the market value of credentials, and offering other support for the creation of a competency-driven workforce credentialing ecosystem.

Workcred is led by Roy Swift, Ph.D., as the organization's executive director. Dr. Swift, retired U.S. Army colonel, previously served as ANSI's chief workforce development officer and senior director of personnel credentialing accreditation programs, executive director of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), and chief of the Army Medical Specialist Corps in the Army Surgeon General's Office, among other positions.

For more information about Workcred and its various initiatives and activities, follow Workcred on Twitter and Facebook.

About Workcred
Workcred is private organization working to bolster understanding and awareness of workforce credentials and assisting efforts to increase industry recognition, transparency, and portability of these important tools. Workcred, a new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) affiliate, maintains a separation from and respects the impartiality of ANSI's accreditation services.