The NKBA is unveiling its Specialty Badge Program this week at KBIS 2019. By Loren Kessell

 

Certification has long been a cornerstone of the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s mission. But the various levels of certification, from Associate to Certified Master, are limited to designers.

Now, the association is launching the NKBA Specialty Badge Program at KBIS 2019 in Las Vegas, providing an opportunity for any members to develop expertise and earn credentials on various skill-set niches.

“This program gives all NKBA members an opportunity to differentiate themselves from their peers and show their depth of knowledge in a given area,” said Johanna Baars, Senior Manager of Member Services & Professional Development for NKBA. “In addition, our information and assessments will always be cutting-edge, thanks to the online Knowledge Base.”

The program will make its debut with the following five badges, which were created by the NKBA and tested by qualified NKBA member subject matter experts (SMEs): Remodeling, Living in Place, Cabinetry, Floor Plans & Specifications and Sales & Marketing. The badges were developed with a micro-credentialing system to provide personalized learning. This allows NKBA members to gain specific knowledge of a particular trade or skill.

“It was a long journey, since we started from the ground up,” Lindsay Franco, NKBA’s badge program specialist, said. “The subject matter experts were great to work with, they were forthright with their information.”

Members enrolled in a badge course receive online access to study material for their subject, and then they take a formal exam online. The badge participant has a full year to complete and pass the course to earn the credential.

To maintain the specialty designation, badge holders will be required to either retest every two years, attend a total of four NKBA chapter events in two years, join an NKBA webinar session, attend a National event, or attend a Voices from the Industry session at KBIS.

“I see the badge program as a great step to further education,” Paula Kennedy, CMKBD, said. “It helps promote your credibility.”

The badge requirements are as follows:

  • Cabinetry. Cabinetry badge holders will be knowledgeable in various types of cabinets and materials, including recognizing core materials, different wood species and finishes. This specialization also requires the participant to understand basic cabinetry terminology, basic methods of cabinet construction, and possess knowledge of cabinet door construction and hinge placement. The cabinetry SMEs included Mark Goldman, AKBD, Pennville Custom Cabinetry; John Petrie, CMKBD, Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry; Jeannine Laitres, CKBD, and Marnie Brenden, CKBD, Masterbrand Cabinets Inc.
  • Remodeling. Badge holders with remodeling expertise will possess knowledge on remodeling project assessment; codes and regulations, and requirements for licenses, permits, and inspections. They will also have knowledge of creating, customizing and revising remodeling design plans, remodeling processes and estimates, construction methods and material costs. Tamara Myers, Myers Construct Inc.; Christopher Grubb, Arch-Interiors Design Group Inc., and Matthew Ferrarini, Ferrarini Kitchen & Bath, served as the SMEs.
  • Living In Place. Living in Place specialists will understand basic terminology, processes, determining clients’ needs, and an understanding of access-related laws codes and standards. Paula Kennedy, CMKBD, Timeless Kitchen Design; Alissa Carbone, CKD, Dfw Improved; Mary Jo Peterson, CMKBD, Mary Jo Peterson Inc., and Maria Stapperfenne, CMKBD, Tewksbury Kitchens & Baths, contributed to the Living in Place badge.
  • Sales & Marketing.Sales & Marketing badge holders will understand the fundamentals of targeting a potential client, presentations and applications, social media platforms, and basic strategies and campaigns. John Morgan, Morgan Pinnacle LLC; Randy Krebs, Cascadia Pacific Market; Nick Ritota, CKBD, Companion Cabinet Software LLC, and Robert Foltz, CKD, Kitchen Sales Coach, served as the SMEs.
  • Floor Plans & Specifications. Specialists in floor plans and specifications will understand kitchen and bath materials and products, hand drafting and computer-aided drafting, tools and methods for measuring spaces, how to relate floor plans and specifications to construction, and the designer’s role in project development as it relates to the effect on their trade. Debra Norris, CKD, Logic Build Inc.; Margaret Krohn, CKD, Century College; Richard Landon, CMKBD, Richard Landon Design; Jonas Carnemark, CKD, Carnemark + Design Build, and Peter Salerno, CMKBD, Peter Salerno Inc., contributed as SMEs.

To learn more at KBIS, visit NKBA’s booth N2627 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, click here, or visit NKBA.org for more information.

“It is my hope that through the badge program, our members see that NKBA is offering education and ongoing professional development for so much more than design,” said Stapperfenne. “We are helping to raise the bar for every professional in our field.”