Certification Board – Annual Meeting Part Two

Part One of this post described the work the Certification Board did regarding the certification exams and standards. In addition to working on materials and standards, the Certification Board also spends some time to look forward, asking, “What does NARI need to do to make the programs better, available, and profitable?” Below are highlights from the meeting and how the Board is looking for ways to improve.

New Certified Professional Identity

With NARI’s new branding and tagline, Remodeling Done Right, came changes for NARI Certified Professionals:

• New certification logos
  If you are certified you’ll receive an email outlining how to request your certification logo.
• New certification certificates
  An interim certificate had been selected and brought into service in September but the Board felt a better one could be found.  Elizabeth McKenna, Director of Marketing/PMO, joined the Board to discuss the needs of NARI Certified Professional.  Her team is now in the process of providing examples to test.  The expectation is that we will be using new certificates by mid-January.

In addition to the new logos and certificate, the Board discussed ideas on what to give members as they achieve certification and when they renew.  Options include window clings, lapel pins, stickers, and return address labels.  New lapel pins will be developed and distributed to people as they get certified and made available at-cost to those already certified.  Staff will research and budget the other items.

The Board also discussed marketing options with the NARI PMO.  The marketing agenda includes messaging to homeowners and the industry in general.  The NARI PMO will continue to develop an outreach plan for consumers to be deployed by mid-2017.  Marketing materials have already been provided to the industry magazines to use as space becomes available.

Study Groups – We Want You

The Board discussed study groups and methods to engage chapters and their members in the study group process.  The NARI Industry Partner Program has a study group sponsorship where an industry partner can directly fund a chapter-managed (in part of whole) study group.

History has shown that certification study groups help the chapter grow by helping identify future chapter leaders, all while directly supporting the mission of NARI.

More work remains to be done in this area and the Certification Board will continue to work on how to engage chapters and members in the study group process.

Certification Pricing

Finally, the Certification Board addressed its most difficult question, should certification prices be raised.  The cost of certifications at NKBA and NAHB were reviewed and it was found that NARI’s were far less than any of the others.  The Board moved to raise prices. The table below outlines the new fee schedule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2017