UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROTOCOL TRAINERS FIRST TO QUALIFY FOR PREMIER CREDENTIAL
Teresa Babb IAPC | Certified Protocol Officer® | CPO® Program Manager, Defense Attaché Spouse Training Program Joint Military Attaché School DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Anna Hart IAPC | Certified Protocol Officer® | CPO® Social Director and Protocol Advisor to the Commandant and to the Brigade of Midshipmen UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
Washington DC 18 October 2006 - As a third-party, standard setting, nonprofit organization, the International Association of Protocol Consultants® / Officers (IAPC) takes great pleasure in announcing the first recipients of the prestigious designation Certified Protocol Officer®, CPO®: Ms. Teresa Babb and Ms. Anna Hart.
Teresa Babb is the Program Manager of the Defense Attaché Spouse Training Program at the Joint Military Attaché School (JMAS), Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington DC. She helps train DOD and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers, noncommissioned officers, civilian personnel, and their spouses selected for duty at United States embassies worldwide. Since 2000 her thrice yearly twelve-week program has incorporated protocol, etiquette, civility, and cross-cultural information for the express purpose of improving the lives of military diplomats. The public nature of embassy assignments requires extensive preparation for success.
Anna Hart has been the Social Director and Protocol Adviser to the Brigade of Midshipmen and Protocol Adviser to the Commandant, at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland since 2003. She is the first to develop and present a four-year officer training program in protocol, etiquette, and civility for a student population of 4,000 Midshipmen. Her programs prepare Midshipmen to represent the Academy today and to be respected as future officers, as well as ladies and gentlemen. Hart enjoys lecturing and interacting with civilian college-age people also. She designed a model formal dining practicum for The University of Maryland Alumni Association, Student Programs and Advocacy (professional development program for Juniors and Seniors) which she has been delivering as a guest lecturer for more than a decade.
Both Babb and Hart have been recruited for the IAPC Board of Advisors. Certification credentials fulfill a long-standing need for competency recognition in our career field, says Cherlynn Conetsco, Chair, IAPC Certification Council. Serious industry professionals, including those with the federal government, know the importance of an independently evaluated and documented portfolio. CPO®s meet rigorous eligibility requirements, sign a code of ethics, adhere to best international practices, and commit to continuous education.
In order to provide an incentive for recruiting and retention of civilians, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 in Section 5757, Title 5, United States Code, authorizes expenses to obtain professional credentials to be paid for both appropriated and non appropriated fund employees. This policy also permits agencies to pay expenses for employees to obtain and renew professional credentials, including expenses for professional accreditation, certification, and such additional expenses as membership fees, registration fees, travel and per diem costs. DOD's dedication to such assessments is indicated by the recent change to Title 10 of the US Code to permit the Services to use appropriated funds to pay for commercial credentials for their personnel.
IAPC was founded in 2002 as the all-inclusive promoter of active protocol professionals in corporate, diplomatic, government, or military arenas at the local, national, and international levels. The Association is a knowledge network that offers a single, authoritative source for ethical and professional standards in Protocol, Etiquette, and Civility. IAPC also provides unparalleled executive education to the public. The biennial Executive Education / Leadership Conference was held May 18-20, 2007 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel, Washington DC. Presentations were made by protocol icons Letitia Baldrige, Judith Martin (Miss Manners), Peggy Post and other subject matter experts. To learn more about the varied protocol, etiquette, and civility services and programs available through IAPC, see: ChoosingCivility.ORG
International Association of Protocol Consultants®, Certified Protocol Consultant®, CPC®, Certified Protocol Officer®, and CPO® are Service Marks filed and registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.