Parking October 2010 - 16

The CAB Report Bobby Williams, CPP
The Certified Parking Professional Designation
Much has changed over the years with respect to how our industry is managed and approached from within, as well as how we are viewed by others. The days of throwing down some asphalt or gravel on an open lot, putting up a “park here” sign, and beginning operations are gone. The realization of parking revenue potential by those outside of the business has also played a significant role in the evolving parking industry landscape. As interest in maximizing the return on investment for parking assets has grown, the scrutinizing and expectations of our business have increased exponentially with it. Over the many years and from its formative days, the National Parking Association and its volunteer members have developed and provided industry-leading processes, tools and training to its membership. The introduction of the Certified Parking Facility Manager (CPFM) program in the mid-90s presented membership the opportunity to become certified in a standardized “best practices” training program that would complement the operators’ inhouse training programs. The program covered all aspects of the day-to-day professional parking business and was the first certification program of its kind in our industry. With many parallels to the real estate industry, and property management specifically, the parking management business attained a certification program that brought a new level of professionalism to our industry. NPA has reached another milestone in our never ending quest for excellence. The culmination of two years of hard work has yielded the most up-to-date and comprehensive certification program ever. The Certification Advisory Board (CAB) has finished the revised study guide, materials have been edited, test questions scrubbed and the new test format completed. Now it’s time for everyone to take advantage of this preeminent certification program. As one of the authors of the latest CPP Study Guide, I am very proud of the final work product. In the coming months, my company, MarcParc, which includes subsidiary valet and transportation companies, will look to certify newer managers as well as back-of-house key support personnel. MarcParc touts this certification and level of expertise on each and every proposal we submit when competing for new business, and is very proud of the fact that we maintain a full complement of management personnel that are Certified Parking Professionals (CPP). In addition to our proposal submissions, we have also incorporated the same information into our website at the beginning of the section which lists our operations management team. For a marketing guy, this is a no brainer to me. It is a way to separate my company from others. All of our certified professionals have “CPP” listed after their name on their business cards. I am constantly networking and handing my business cards out. I have had many opportunities to educate those outside of our industry as to the level of professionalism available when they work with our certified members. NPA’s CPP program is a comprehensive curriculum designed to assist managers in performing their duties in an effective and professional manner. The program includes an examination whereby, if a passing score is achieved, the Certified Parking Professional (CPP) credential is granted.

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Members Save on CPP Fees. Group Discounts Apply.
NPA members save over 50 percent on CPP application fees. The first-time fee for members is $400; $950 for non-members. For member companies registering 10 or more employees at the same time, the application fee is reduced to $250 per candidate. Visit http://www.npapark.org/careercenter_cpp.php for an application form and test details.

National Parking Association PARKING October 2010

Parking October 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Parking October 2010