Professional Director Certification, the "Gold Standard" for public company board members conferred by the American College of Corporate Directors

BOSTON, Jan. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Professional Director Certification, conferred by the American College of Corporate Directors, the education and credentialing division of the Corporate Directors Group (CDG), was the first, and has been the most respected credential for directors of publicly held companies since 2007.  The original, "Gold Standard" credential is available only through the American College of Corporate Directors.

The American College of Corporate Directors offers forums, seminars and teleconferences designed to provide a better understanding of corporate governance, and the issues and challenges confronting public company directors today. The first level Professional Director Certification requires 50 Credit Hours of public company director education.   Members may continue on in the program, earning additional Credit Hours to qualify for more advanced credentials, including Masters, and ultimately, the Executive Masters Certification.  In order to remain active, each credential must be renewed every two years by participation in additional American College of Corporate Directors educational venues. The stringent requirements at each level of Certification demonstrates that holders have made the effort to stay current on important corporate governance issues to better serve their shareholders.

Currently 700 members of the Corporate Director's group are enrolled in the Certification program. Included in the Corporate Director's Group membership holding a Certification is a Brigadier General, two Lieutenant Generals and a Major General, all of whom have retired from the military and gone on to public board service.

Former New Jersey Governor, Christie Whitman, a member of several public boards and a holder of a Masters Professional Director Certification said, "In this fast moving world of corporate governance, the CDG has found a formula that works for everyone involved. Timely topics, available in a variety of ways, give everyone a chance to keep up-to-date, and be better board members."

The next Director Education Forum is at the Ponte Vedra Club in Ponte Vedra, Florida, April 2&3.  The topic of the Forum is "Running a Successful Board Meeting." This director education forum topic focuses on mis-managed and mis-directed board meetings that often sidetrack the important issues facing public company directors. 

The Professional Director Certification program is offered to public company directors exclusively through the American College of Corporate Directors. Directors who are interested in a Professional Director Certification must first join the Corporate Directors Group (www.corporatedirectorsgroup.com) whose membership is free of charge.

SOURCE Corporate Directors Group