NCIDQ's Board of Directors begins 2007 with new faces and new leadership, but it will continue to focus on its central mission: protecting the public by setting competency standards for the practice of interior design.

NCIDQ's Board of Directors is composed of seven interior designer members, all of whom hold the NCIDQ Certificate, and one public member who is charged to represent the public's interest in the profession.

At NCIDQ's annual meeting in November, two new members were elected to the Board of Directors. Sharon Del Bianco and Deborah Steinmetz will serve two-year terms beginning this year. Both bring strong backgrounds of local legislative involvement to the Board.

Joining Del Bianco and Steinmetz on the Board are three returning Directors, Carol Jones, Kim Marks and Beth Holst, and this year's officers--Jan Bast, President, Sandy Friend, President-Elect, and Barbara Pallat, Past President.

"I am so excited to lead NCIDQ this year!" Bast says. "We'll roll out many technological improvements, including online Certificate Renewal and instant, electronic Certificate Verification to licensing boards and employers. Stay tuned, because we have a lot in store for you this year!"

Nearly 1,400 exam candidates registered for the Fall 2006 NCIDQ Examination--the greatest number of registrants in NCIDQ history!

Results were mailed to candidates in December. Pass rates were 72% on Section I (multiple-choice), 65% on Section II (multiple-choice) and 62% on Section III (practicum/drawing).

The next NCIDQ Exam will be offered March 30-31 in 48 locations across the US and Canada. For information on upcoming application and registration deadlines, see the Exam Dates & Deadlines Schedule.

Donna Vining received the 2006 Louis S. Tregre Award at NCIDQ's Annual Council of Delegates Meeting in November. The Tregre Award recognizes an individual for outstanding volunteer work at the grassroots level in support of the NCIDQ mission. The award was created in 1991 to honor the memory of Louis Tregre, who served as NCIDQ President from 1974 until the mid-1980s.

Vining, a registered interior designer in the state of Texas and an NCIDQ Certificate holder, currently serves as Executive Director of the Texas Association for Interior Design. Vining has a long history of NCIDQ involvement. After passing the exam in 1987, she volunteered as a Practicum Exam juror. She went on to join and eventually chair the Multiple Choice Exam Committee. She was elected to the NCIDQ Board in 1999 and served as President in 2003. Vining is one of NCIDQ's most visible ambassadors, speaking year-round to students and emerging professionals on the NCIDQ Examination and licensure.

“What an honor!" Vining says. "Spreading the news about NCIDQ has been and will continue to be just one way I can do something to help this profession grow.”

Active Certificate holders are invited to submit nominations for the next Tregre Award recipient! The nominee may or may not be an interior designer, but should be someone whose volunteer efforts at the grassroots level are furthering NCIDQ's mission of public protection. Send us your nominee's name and contact information, a written recommendation of approximately 150 words, your name and contact information, and the name and contact information of two additional people who can verify the nominee’s qualifications. Nominations are due by June 1, 2007.