Standards for Excellence Institute Announces Newly Licensed Consultants

BALTIMORE, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Standards for Excellence
Institute, an initiative dedicated to strengthening management and governance
in nonprofit organizations, announces that seven new nonprofit professionals
completed a three-day, intensive training program to become Licensed
Consultants for the Standards for Excellence(R) program.

As Licensed Consultants, these individuals may use the Standards for
Excellence(R) training curricula, educational materials, and implementation
tools nationwide, in areas not presently served by Institute replication
partners. These Licensed Consultants provide professional assistance to
nonprofits in implementing improvements to their governance and management
though organizational assessments, consulting, and training in order to
facilitate the application process for national certification.

Peter Berns, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute said, "The Standards for
Excellence(R) program is moving forward on its goal to expand its national
outreach with the certification of over 150 organizations across the country,
the addition of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management as a
community specific program, and the licensing of this wonderfully dedicated
group of nonprofit professionals. This group of licensed consultants reflects
our purpose and mission, and we are very excited to increase the ranks of our
official ambassadors that help us spread this important program of ethics and
accountability nationwide."

When asked to share their thoughts on the Standards, two training participants
provided as follows:

"Standards for Excellence(R) has been proven to 'raise the bar' for what is
usual and customary within nonprofit organizations. I have worked with
nonprofit organizations for many years, and I am excited that Standards for
Excellence(R) will be coming to Texas. By participating in these training
programs, Texas nonprofits can begin to set or refine benchmarks to improve
their organizational practices."
Rose Mary Fry, Texas Nonprofit Management Assistance Network

"As a seasoned professional in the health care field and particularly end of
life hospice care, I truly appreciate the knowledge, experience, and
enthusiasm of the Institute staff! The Standards for Excellence is a
significant gift to the nonprofit community and to those of us who serve it.
Thanks for the years of work in developing, refining, and sharing the
Standards for Excellence guidelines so that they are more easily understood
and ready to be implemented for an organization of almost any size. I am
delighted to be able to share this new knowledge with confidence and
enthusiasm in Hawai'i and with clients in other parts of the country. The
focus on accountability, ethics, and transparency has never been as important
as it is today. "
Bill Musick, Honolulu, Hawai'i

The seven new licensed consultants are:
Terry Berg Edgewater, Maryland
Rose Mary Fry Texas Nonprofit Management Assistance Network
Phillip Hahn West Seneca, New York
John McCastle Kimberling City, Missouri
Bill Musick Honolulu, Hawai'i
Lynda Ramirez-Blust Arlington, Virginia
Sandi Timmins Baltimore, Maryland

To find one of the licensed consultants nearest you, look for their names and
contact information on the Institute website at:
http://www.standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org

STANDARDS FOR EXCELLENCE INSTITUTE
The Standards for Excellence Institute is the national sponsor of the
Standards for Excellence(R) program, a comprehensive system of self-regulation
and organizational improvement for nonprofit organizations. The program
provides nonprofits with clear benchmarks to measure their own performance
against the highest standards of nonprofit governance and management; delivers
educational programming and technical assistance to make it easy for
nonprofits to make improvements; and grants the Seal of Excellence to
organizations that make it through a rigorous peer review. The Institute is
an operating division of the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations,
recognized as the largest and one of the most effective nonprofit associations
in the country.

For more information about the Standards for Excellence Institute visit
www.standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org.

For more information contact Amy Coates Madsen, Program Director of the
Standards for Excellence program, at 410-727-1726 ext 14, 877-277-4177
extension 14, or acmadsen@standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org or call Peter V.
Berns, Chief Executive Officer, Standards for Excellence Institute,
410-727-1726, ext. 16 or pberns@standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org.

SOURCE The Standards for Excellence Institute

Amy Coates Madsen of The Standards for Excellence Institute, +1-410-727-1726
x14, acmadsen@standardsforexcellencinstitute.org