Here at IDA, we pride ourselves on providing the best resources, strategies and advice to members and showcasing the leadership expertise our profession brings to city building. This is why I’m so very delighted to announce the launch of our new Leadership in Place Management certification program.
Applications will open next week, and successful candidates will be the FIRST to earn the LPM designation. Certification is a personal achievement and public acknowledgment of the work our place management professionals carry out daily, and the years of preparation, experience, and development necessary to do their jobs well.
Certification for the industry was first envisioned by the IDA Board at the 2014 retreat answering the question: What defines the profession? We all knew it was a unique and multidisciplinary practice area. Our long-tenured leaders emerge from many different educational backgrounds and professional experiences, but all of them embody a special ability to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.
Beginning first with codifying the profession by establishing clear knowledge domains, the new LPM certification program has been developed under a rigorous process over several years to include a formal job task analysis, use of 34 subject-matter experts, and now includes a comprehensive examination question bank and full certification oversight provided by the independent LPM Commission.
The Commission was established December 3, 2020, consisting of six Commission members elected by the full IDA Board. LPM certification recognizes place management professionals who demonstrate the knowledge and skills to manage and lead a place management organization. The goal of the certification program is to provide LPM professionals the ability to demonstrate proficiency in all aspects of the place management profession, while also maintaining a commitment to ethical conduct and personal and professional growth.
I’m so excited to deliver this news to our membership and I hope you will find this new offering to be as fulfilling as it was designed to be. While many people have contributed to the certification program through the years, I want to extend special thanks and recognition to Kate Borders and Rena Leddy who chaired the Professional Development committee, and Carolyn Dellutri for her staff leadership throughout the entire project. Please look for notification next week on Tuesday, August 10 when the application process will open.
You may direct any comments, ideas and feedback to david@downtown.org. I’m looking forward to your participation in this program and hope to hear from you soon.