CERTIFICATION

Evolving Attitudes toward Education

Many of us remember when we only had the National Retail Security Survey, produced by Dr. Richard Hollinger of the University of Florida, and the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) as professional resources. It wasn’t long ago that our industry had no LP-specific magazine, with only broad security magazines that occasionally mentioned the term loss prevention in an article. We had no academically accredited research, such as what Dr. Read Hayes and the LPRC have provided in recent years. We were still transitioning from retail security to loss prevention and still very focused on apprehensions and investigations.

certification is not a substitute for a degree, and a degree is not a substitute for professional certification. There is a reason why most reputable professions embrace both. They truly complement each other. this industry has to offer.

Many of us also remember when the only certification remotely related to the private sector was the certified protection professional (CPP), a broad security-focused one. Then, finally, Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates created the certified forensic investigator (CFI) certification that addressed a very important skill set—interviewing and interrogation.

It was not that long ago that most companies seldom asked for a college degree as a preferred requirement. If they did ask, it was likely a criminal-justice degree; never a business or finance degree.

Those of us who have studied the educational needs of our profession for years have admired and respected two types of executives. There are those executives who have ascended to the highest levels without a formal college degree. However, after you interview them, you see they clearly have a degree from the “College of Hard Knocks,” which is very valuable. Equally impressive are the many

by Gene Smith, LPC

Smith is president of The Loss Prevention Foundation, the not-for-profit organization charged with the responsibility of managing certification. He was formerly president of the industry’s largest executive search and consulting firm. During the past fifteen-plus years, Smith has provided career counseling for thousands of industry professionals nationwide. He can be reached at 704-837-2521 or via email at gene.smith@losspreventionfoundation.org.

senior executives running large loss prevention organizations who go back to college to finish a degree or seek a higher one. Despite how busy LP executives are, they find the time for university study because it is that important to them.

While I have spoken passionately over the years for the need to embrace higher education, I have always respected anyone who has climbed the career ladder without it. Some of our most successful industry-leading professionals have no degree. However, those who don’t still recommend that others should get one, and I can assure you they all have encouraged their kids to get one. Why?

Educational Resources in LP

Most would agree that our industry has changed and evolved for the better. We now have professional resources, such as LP Magazine, LP Foundation, and LPRC, that other professions have had for years. We now have degrees that are industry-specific from several universities. And certification, once just a vision by a handful of forward-looking LP executives, is fast becoming a standard in loss prevention like other professions.

Human resources and internal audit have had certification for years. Teachers must have degrees as well as certification as do financial planners, insurance agents, realtors, accountants, fraud investigators, and safety and risk professionals. Why, after receiving a bachelor’s degree and often a master’s degree, do these professionals still have to be certified?

Certification is not a substitute for a degree, and a degree is not a substitute for professional certification. There is a reason why most reputable professions embrace both. They truly complement each other.

If we want to continue to elevate our profession to the level of our peer professions, we must embrace the common place of college graduates entering our profession in higher numbers than in the past. We must support professional certifications like the LPQ, LPC, CFI, and CFE. We must encourage our working professionals to enroll in traditional college or convenient online courses.

Attitudes toward educational degrees and professional certifications have changed rapidly in recent years. The LP Foundation has worked with several institutions who have launched or are about to launch industry-specific programs. Most recently the LPQ and LPC certifications

have been granted academic credit toward a degree with one of the largest online universities in the world—the American Military University. This accomplishment would not be possible unless the developmental process was solid, the course content of high quality, and the exam psychometrically sound.

Loss prevention certification has made tremendous progress since its inception. Consider these statistics: ■ 223 different companies now have at least one employee certified. ■ 134 companies have LPC-credentialed employees. ■ 134 companies have LPQ-credentialed employees. ■ 429 companies have employees working on LPQ or

LPC certification. ■ 75 companies now hold LPQ or LPC as a preferred requirement. ■ 8 of retail’s top ten companies have LPC certified employees. ■ 21 VPs and 56 directors are LPC certified. ■ 1,400 U.S. and 5,000 worldwide locations offer the

LPQ and LPC exam. ■American Military University, Eastern Kentucky

University, and Fairleigh Dickinson offer credits for

LPQ and LPC certification.

The Gift of Education

Personally, I always believed one of the greatest gifts any parent could give their children was a good education. As a working adult, one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself was the gift of continued education. That education is best when obtained from both an accredited college and from the “College of Hard Knocks.” Professional certification is just another quality educational resource that not only confirms the understanding of core competencies, but also provides industry-specific information that professionals can apply to their present positions.

A vice president of LP once told me he was concerned about paying for certification or a college degree for his people because he was afraid his people would leave him and go to another company after they were educated. I told him something I had read once—the only thing worse than paying for their education and having them leave, was not paying for their education and having them stay.

newly certified

Following are individuals who recently earned their LPC and LPQ certifications.

Recent LPc Recipients

Leo Anguiano, LPC, Rite Aid Daniel Barnes, LPC, Streamwood Police Department Deb Brown, LPC, 7-Eleven LaRoy Carff, LPC, DICK’s Sporting Goods Doug Carter, LPC, easyhome Jih-Hao Jim Cheng, LPC, DICK’s Sporting Goods James Deese, LPC, Rite Aid Paul Feiner, LPC, City Market, Onion River Co-op Tim Flowers, LPC, Best Buy Jennifer Fogarty, LPC, Walgreens Kevin Foote, LPC, Staples Charlotte Gandon, LPC, Majid Al Futtaim Retail James Hawkins, LPC, Sears Holdings Chris Hawthorne, LPC, Brookshire’s Food Stores Tony Hentges, LPC, T-Mobile USA Sandra Hinson, LPC, Lowe’s Mike Kimbrough, LPC, DICK’s Sporting Goods Darrell Kingore, LPC, Walgreens Tyrone Macon, LPC, TJX Justin Maiorana, LPC, Harris Teeter Michael Mann, LPC, Macy’s Logistics and Operations Kenneth Matheson, LPC, BJ’s Wholesale Club Patricia McDonald, LPC, Big Y Thomas Nelson, LPC, Nelson Investigations and Loss Control James Nelson, LPC, Office Depot Jack Pendergast, LPC Daniel Reeves, LPC, TJX Daniel Rhatigan, LPC, The Home Depot Kenneth Ridolfi, LPC, Walgreens David Roberts, LPC, Lowe’s Chris Scheutzow, LPC, Bed, Bath & Beyond Howard Schwartz, LPC, Staples Micah Seal, LPC, Brookshire’s Food Stores Thomas Sevcik, LPC, Rite Aid Tony Sheppard, LPC, CVS Caremark Rick St. James, LPC, Wegmans Eric Stahmann, LPC, Walgreens Matt Taylor, LPC, Walgreens Paul Templeman, LPC, Z Gallery William Van Hoose, LPC, Walgreens Erik Van Wagner, LPC, Kroger’s Annette Wall, LPC, REI Angela Wilkerson, LPC, Beall’s Dustin Hudgins, LPC, CFI, Rent-A-Center Michael Korso, LPC, CFI, Ascena Retail Group Jose Lopez, LPC, CFI, T-Mobile USA

Recent LPQ Recipients

Cami Beckerdite, LPQ, Orchard Supply Hardware Miguel Bonilla-Roman, LPQ, U.S. Navy Matthew Boyle, LPQ, Michaels Stores Vicki Burnette, LPQ, MRCO, LLC Casey Carroll, LPQ, Cabela’s Ian Garrett, LPQ, Sports Authority Andrew Gourley, LPQ, Walmart Katherine Houston, LPQ, Contact Justin Kemp, LPQ, Contact Bryan Knepper, LPQ, Vector Security Services Rory MacDonald, LPQ, Walmart Amber Manion, LPQ, Ascena Retail Group Ryan Mason, LPQ, Shelburne Museum Jason Maurice, LPQ, Kraft Foods Wade Moeller, LPQ, Publix Super Markets Roger Moore, LPQ, Weis Markets Julie Morris, LPQ, Lowe’s Joseph O’Brien Jr., LPQ, Target Dalida Omerovic, LPQ, lululemon athletica Michael Osborne, LPQ, The Northwest Company Brian Palmer, LPQ, Genesco Trevor Pfeifer, LPQ, Federated Co-operatives Limited Cynthia Ramos, LPQ, Michaels Stores Joshua Salthouse, LPQ, Walmart Antonio Salzedo, LPQ, AT&T Kevin Shultz, LPQ, Publix Super Markets Amber Virgillo, LPQ, Contact Ryan West, LPQ, The Home Depot Christopher Whitton, LPQ, Cabela’s Laura Zane, LPQ, Rite Aid Santo Zenone, LPQ, Gap