"More than 170,000 professionals have proven their commitment to green building through LEED accreditation," said Beth Holst, Vice President of Credentialing at GBCI. "ANSI accreditation validates the integrity of our processes under an international standard. It reinforces the superior standard of LEED Credentials and the professionals who hold them."
With the announcement, the LEED AP Building Design + Construction, LEED AP Interior Design + Construction and LEED AP Neighborhood Development credentials join LEED AP Operations + Maintenance, LEED AP Homes and LEED Green Associate in this prestigious category. The latter LEED Professional Credentials earned ANSI accreditation in March 2011.
LEED Professional Credentials provide employers, clients, policymakers and other stakeholders with assurances of an individual's competencies, and are the mark of the most qualified, educated and influential green building professionals in the marketplace.
GBCI stands among an elite group of 34 personnel certification bodies in a range of industry sectors that have achieved ANSI accreditation since the program's inception in 2003. ANSI accreditation is designed to increase the integrity, confidence and mobility of certified professionals and 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.
"ANSI commends GBCI for 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 that extends through the service network - from certification body, to certification holder, to employer, to the public they serve."
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. To underscore this commitment, GBCI has undergone the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation process for personnel certification agencies complying with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 17024. 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.
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).