I.C.E. Exchange Session Preview: How Fostering a More Diverse Candidate Base Benefits Professions and Their Programs

Credentialing professionals benefit greatly by listening to a diversity of experiences and opinions. Innovation, inclusion and respect flourish when credentialing candidates represent perspectives from across the population.

At the 2024 I.C.E. Exchange, held Nov. 17-20 in Miami Beach, Florida, the following panelists will discuss the importance of including DEI initiatives when looking at a credentialing candidate pool:

• Alexander Jean-Baptiste, PCM® Content Marketing, Senior Manager, Content Marketing & Social Media, Board of Pharmacy Specialties
• Pam Weber, MPA, CAE, Vice President, National Apartment Association Education Institute
• Terreline (Shellie) Sims, MS, Director, Workforce Development, National Apartment Association Education Institute
• Michelle Cohn, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, PMP, Assistant Vice President, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards

Moderator Sarah Hasnoo, director of customer engagement at Meazure Learning, shares a preview of this session — “How Fostering a More Diverse Candidate Base Benefits Professions and Their Programs” — below.

I.C.E.: Can you share the panelists’ background in this field?

Sarah Hasnoo (SH): The panelists for this session hold a wide range of roles within their organizations and represent a diverse range of credentialing industries, from architecture to residential property management (real estate) and pharmacy (healthcare). Each is a subject matter expert in their respective responsibilities and all have a wealth of experience in credentialing, some with more than 20 years of service. What excites them most is unique to each individual, but they all collectively draw inspiration from helping their credentialing programs and candidates grow and achieve new milestones. 

I.C.E.: Why is this topic important to the profession?

SH: Candidate diversity is imperative to drive professions forward. It ensures each profession reflects the population it serves, increases innovation and creative problem solving from diverse perspectives, broadens the talent pool and enhances the perception of the profession. Furthermore, diversity among candidates and professionals enriches the group of assessment SMEs available in the profession, which increases fairness and equity. 

I.C.E.: What are one to two key highlights you hope attendees will take away from this session?

SH: We hope attendees will walk away with a solid understanding of why diversity in their candidate population is so important. We also hope to provide actionable guidance for building out a plan to diversify candidate populations in a way that ensures long term success. 

I.C.E.: What is something many find surprising about the topic you will be covering?

SH: Building a plan is the easy part. Implementing the plan effectively will likely require a change in organizational culture and process. It will also take time, and programs should not expect to see results within the first year. But sticking with it will make programs more accessible than was historically possible. 

I.C.E.: Is there anything else you want to share?

SH: While diversifying your candidate pool is a hard thing to do, we believe that sharing best practices and success stories can inspire others to adopt similar approaches and make meaningful changes in their organizations. Collaboration and open dialogue are key to overcoming challenges and achieving the collective goal of a more inclusive and representative profession.

Registration is now open for the I.C.E. Exchange held Nov. 17–20 in Miami Beach, Florida. Early-bird discounts last until Oct. 4, so register early!