Announcement

Press Release: IACET Announces the 2023 Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sterling, VA September 18, 2023 - The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training announces the recipients of the 2023 Awards. These organizations and individuals significantly contribute to the field of Continuing Education and Training and have been honored at the Awards Ceremony on September 13^th during the Annual Conference.

IACETs Interim President & CEO, Randy Bowman said “we stand in awe of the exceptional achievements of our IACET award winners, whose dedication to excellence and innovation not only inspires our organization but also sets a standard of excellence for the entire industry. Their remarkable contributions serve as a testament to the power of continual learning and the unwavering commitment to quality that drives our mission forward.”

Award Winners:

The Exemplar Training Organization Award, IACET's most prestigious award, goes to CypherWorx.

This award honors exemplary, results-oriented programs or projects that demonstrate the best of the best in adult learning, significant and relevant impact on the populations served. CypherWorx provides learning solutions to customers in the public, nonprofit, and small business sectors. Their online training platform consists of a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SAAS) Learning Content Management System (LCMS), with ancillary offerings and a significant catalog including management, leadership, software, education, OSHA, and regulatory courses.  CypherWorx specializes in supporting organizations and associations with their LCMS, instructional design services, certification, and credential programs for more than 1.5 million individuals working in 1,900 organizations and associations, including school districts, colleges and universities, correctional facilities, childcare providers, YMCAs, zoos, aquariums, museums, geriatric care providers, cultural attractions, fire departments, and EMS organizations. Please visit CypherWorx’s website.

The IACET Innovation of the Year Award for Technology Integration goes to Compass Digital

This award recognizes the “best of the best” in the use of eLearning design, simulation programs, virtual learning platforms or other uses of technology that enable highly engaging and effective learning. Compass Digital is a technology innovation arm of Compass Group North America — a global leader in food service and hospitality. Building and delivering innovative technology solutions that empower Compass Group associates across North America to serve over 11 million meals and maintain more than 1.9 billion square feet of space daily, Compass Digital is at the forefront of transforming the industry from within.

Crissy Bradford, Compass Digital’s Sr. Director of Digital Learning, says, "At Compass Digital, we firmly believe in the transformative potential of technology within the hospitality sector. We are dedicated to creating exceptional experiences for our customers and providing our valued employees with the tools and learning opportunities they need to excel. From day one, our mission has been to create and deliver highly engaging and effective learning experiences through technology, and being honored with this award reaffirms our team’s unwavering commitment to that goal." Please visit Compass Digital’s website.
 

The IACET Innovation of the Year Award for Learner Engagement goes to US Dept. of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)

This award recognizes the “best of the best” in engagement and the classroom learning environment and granted to organizations with a specific course that is successful at engaging the learner in the classroom in an innovative way. Mandated by law, the US Dept. of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) focuses on key services that help agencies meet energy- and water-reduction requirements and goals. FEMP works with its stakeholders to identify affordable solutions, facilitate public-private partnerships, and provide energy leadership to the country by identifying government best practices. The FEMP training program provides live and on-demand training to foster and maintain a high-performance workforce that constructs, operates, and maintains energy-efficient and cost-effective federal facilities. Please visit US Dept. of Energy Federal Energy Management Program’s (FEMP) website.

The IACET Distinguished Service Award goes to Nael Nmair

This award recognizes an individual for exceptional service and major leadership to IACET or the Continuing Education and Training Industry. Nael Nmair was born in Jordan and moved to the U.S. at the age of 18 to pursue a degree in electrical engineering.  He has four children and has been married for 32 years. All six members of his family are engineers.  His professional accomplishments include achieving Certified Professional Engineer (PE), Project Manager Professional (PMP), and Certified Level II Contracting (Contracting Officer) status. Nael has over 15 years of supervisory experience and over 30 years of experience in facility evaluation, identification, design, and construction. He enjoys taking an innovative approach to challenges and is a world traveler, having visited over 35 countries. 

In his own words, he is “passionate about delivering engaging and effective training that is also ‘fun’. Discussing the value of accreditation, educating others on the value of CEUs, and pushing the production of good training products to serve our stakeholders is of the utmost importance,” to him.

The IACET Emerging Leader Award goes to Mike Maether

This award is bestowed on his award recognizes individuals, that although new to the professional workforce, have demonstrated exemplary leadership potential and outstanding service. The Emerging Leaders Award serves to highlight the accomplishments of our achieving peers who demonstrate visionary leadership with great promise for the coming years. 

Mike Maether began his career with CypherWorx in 2013. Since that time, he has held a variety of roles from Junior Programmer to Vice President of Programming, and now serves as their Vice President of Business Development. 

In this role, Mike facilitated a partnership with ViaPath Technologies, leading efforts to make online coursework available to the incarcerated population. In its first year, incarcerated learners have successfully completed 5.7 million clock hours of education. This includes the successful completion of over 2.8 million courses, resulting in the attainment of more than 142,000 CEUs. By providing education that awards CEUs to a population that is often marginalized and is at the highest risk of reoffending, the partners involved in this work are providing the opportunity for incarcerated learners to truly transform their lives.  

About IACET: The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) is a non-profit organization dedicated to quality continuing education and training programs. IACET is the only standard-setting organization approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for continuing education and training. The ANSI/IACET Standard is the core of thousands of educational programs worldwide.