Newsletter: Feature

CSKMS Skills Certification Update, from Kathy Roletter

Lots of progress to report this time! Here are the results of our 2020 class of 15 Beginner Level Certification candidates:

• 11 have completed their submissions and have attained certification.
• 3 have requested to move to the 2021 group due to personal situations related to the Covid-19 pandemic this year.
• 1 was invited to re-submit some work but did not by the end of October.
• 4 became judges for future classes due to their outstanding results.
• Our total budget for 12 participants was $900 ($75 per person) in fees and $300 ($25 per person) subsidized by the CSKMS board for a total of $1200.
• Our actual expenses (judging fees & postage costs) came to $1207.59.
• Our dedicated group of judges for the 2020 group deserve recognition for their careful evaluations and thoughtful comments. Jenny Deters, Rosalyn Keys, Hope Martin, Jamie Mayfield, Kerry Sheldon, Jane Stewart, Sue Vunesky and Judy Weller, thank you for this valuable service to our CSKMS members!

I have been on a quest to find someone who is able and willing to manage the Beginner Level candidates in the future so that I can spend time developing and testing the Intermediate Level. My quest was short! When I announced at our annual meeting that I was looking for someone (hoping against hope that maybe one person would volunteer), I was shocked and pleased to receive half a dozen emails from volunteers!

Although I initially said that it wasn’t necessary to have completed the Beginner Level, I had second thoughts about that as I reflected on the kind of information and support that our 2020 candidates needed over the last few months.

Lucky for all of us, Annie Rieck stepped forward! Annie completed the Beginner Level this year with flying colors. She’s also newly retired from a responsible professional career in administration, so she has the understanding and skill set for project management. See her biography here. I’m thrilled that she’s already begun working on the 2021 Beginner Level program, and I’m enjoying working with her already. Thanks, Annie, and welcome aboard!

We are compiling a notification list of all those interested in the 2021 Beginner Level class. An email with the application will be sent out in January, and we are planning for that group to run from February 15 through August 15, 2021.

Acceptances for 2021 will be first come, first served, and space will be limited. The completed application and the $75 fee will need to be submitted to reserve a space. Detailed directions will be provided in the email Annie sends out in January.

Read more detailed information about the program. If you’re interested or have questions, email Annie and me at certification@cskms.org.