2009-04-30 14:38:09 -

The Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM), a leading management development and leadership educator, announced today that five James Madison University students in the College of Business – Jessica Clatterbuck, Kevin Dubs, Andrew Gauldin, Jake Housman, and Jamie Lavin – had the distinct opportunity to participate in ICPM’s Certified Manager (CM) certification program.

The CM ™ certification program is traditionally a 15-month course of study that develops and assesses management and leadership skills. Students must meet eligibility requirements for education and experience and pass three challenging certification exams in order to obtain the professional “CM” credential. The students completed the coursework in 9 months, in addition to their college course load.

In May of 2009, the five students will receive college degrees and

step into the real world with an advantage – a professional credential which is recognized worldwide and that will distinguish them from their peers.

The students were selected to participate in the CM program based on their high academic achievements and their major emphasis in management.

“It seems to be quite a unique achievement that other students are not likely to have,” said Jessica Clatterbuck, JMU Management Student and CM participant. “It shows that we have expertise in the field of management, as per a certification rather than just the degree that others have.”


The CM certification, coupled with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, will help these students compete in a highly competitive market of entry-level positions and will also make them viable candidates for future management-level positions.

“They are excellent students in the classroom and take extra time and effort to seek out external opportunities that might increase their knowledge base and skill set,” said Christine Roeder, CM, JMU Management Professor and CM instructor. “Equipped with this type of work ethic and strong academic toolkit, these students are prepared to make significant professional contributions.”


Roeder continued by stating, “Having a certification is valuable in any industry; however, it becomes even more valuable during times of economic hardship. In this tough economy, any edge a student can get with their job search is more important now than ever. The CM certification will provide these top notch students with another way to differentiate themselves from graduates of other universities.”


After the students graduate, ICPM and JMU will stay in touch with the students to track their progress and see how the program has benefited them as working professionals. Additionally, there are future plans to bring these students back to the university to assist with JMU’s mentoring program.

“We have conducted research in regard to firms that hire our highly-regarded JMU graduates,” said Dr. Robert Reid, Executive Director, ICPM, and Dean of JMU’s College of Business. “By continuing to enhance the business curriculum and provide opportunities, such as the Certified Manager Program, we feel we are giving JMU graduates a competitive advantage that employers want. And, by bringing back these students after a few years of professional experience, we feel it will also benefit future students that participate in the mentoring program.”


ABOUT ICPM

Founded in 1974 by the National Management Association (NMA) and the International Management Council (IMC), the Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM) has a 35-year history of educating managers, supervisors and leaders through the CM™ certification program.
The CM program certifies a level of management competency which supports enhanced on-the-job performance. CM certificants are recognized worldwide by the “CM” professional credential. ICPM is a business center of the College of Business at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. It is governed by a Board of Regents comprised of business executives, industry representatives, academicians, and the NMA president. For more information visit www.icpm.biz : or call (800) 568-4120.



ICPM:Red Dot Public RelationsKimberly Pepper,

757-502-5430 kpepper@red-dotpr.com : mailto:kpepper@red-dotpr.com