GBCI Accredited under ANSI's personnel certification program.

Press Release Summary:



ANSI announced accreditation of Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) under ANSI's Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies. Specifically, accreditation has been granted to GBCI's professional credentialing programs for LEED AP Homes, LEED AP Operations + Maintenance, and LEED Green Associate. On behalf of ANSI, Dr. Roy Swift commended GBCI for achieving accreditation and demonstrating "their commitment to the continual improvement of their credentialing programs."



Original Press Release:



ANSI Accredits Green Building Certification Institute Under Personnel Certification Accreditation Program



The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment systems, is pleased to announce the accreditation of the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) under ANSI's Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies.

Established in 2008 to administer certifications and professional designations within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® Green Building Rating Systems(TM), GBCI is a third-party organization that provides independent oversight of professional credentialing and project certification programs related to green building. GBCI is committed to ensuring precision in the design, development, and implementation of measurement processes for green building practice through professional credentials and certificates, and green building performance through project certification.

The ANSI accreditation has been granted to GBCI's professional credentialing programs for LEED AP Homes, LEED AP Operations + Maintenance, and LEED Green Associate. A LEED Professional Credential provides employers, policymakers, and other stakeholders with assurances of an individual's competencies, and is the mark of the most qualified, educated, and influential green building professionals in the marketplace.

Since the inception of ANSI's Personnel Certification Accreditation Program in 2003, the Institute has accredited 30 personnel certification bodies in a range of industry sectors under the international standard, ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024. GBCI is the first in the green building industry to distinguish its professional credentialing programs from others in the field through ANSI accreditation.

"ANSI commends GBCI for achieving accreditation and demonstrating their commitment to the continual improvement of their credentialing programs," said Dr. Roy Swift, ANSI senior director of personnel credentialing accreditation programs. "This achievement marks the culmination of a multi-month effort to demonstrate compliance to a rigorous internationally recognized accreditation process. Accreditation by ANSI creates a valuable distinction for GBCI's credentialing programs. This value extends through the service network - from certification body, to certification holder, to employer, to the public they serve."

"We owe it to our 162,000+ credential holders to demand a level of rigor that ensures that their LEED Professional Credentials stand for quality," said Beth Holst, vice president of credentialing at GBCI. "This accreditation from ANSI validates the integrity of our processes under a global standard. That provides a singular level of differentiation for our credential holders, and the respect of the market that employs them."

The ANSI accreditation process is designed to increase the integrity, confidence, and mobility of certified professionals. ANSI's accreditation program is based on the American National Standard and international standard ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024, Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. ANSI is the only personnel certification accreditation body in the U.S. to fulfill the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011:2004, Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, which represents the highest internationally accepted practices for accreditation bodies.

About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

About GBCI
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third-party confirmation that specific criteria related to LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing have been met. Early in 2009, GBCI assumed responsibility for administering the LEED building certification program for the more than 37,000 commercial projects seeking third-party verification of compliance with the industry's leading green building rating system. For more information, please visit www.gbci.org.

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