Tina Geiselbrecht, research scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), has become one of the first people in the United States to become a Certified Public Participation Professional (CP3) as designated by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). IAP2 is a professional association “whose members seek to promote and improve the practice of public participation in relation to individuals, governments, institutions, and other entities that affect the public interest in nations throughout the world.”
An individual receives the CP3 designation after successfully completing a three-step assessment process based on five core competencies across 29 distinct criteria.
“Achieving this professional certification is a validation that I have the knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively plan and execute meaningful public participation,” Geiselbrecht says. “This certification assures my sponsors that the work I conduct on their behalf meets the highest standards and has with the core values and ethics of a professional organization to provide credibility and accountability to the process.”
Geiselbrecht manages TTI’s Planning and Engagement Program, where her work focuses on innovation in the public involvement process, which helps sponsor agencies engage the public and stakeholders in decision-making. She’s also a member of the Transportation Research Board Public Involvement in Transportation Committee and serves on the IAP2 Board of Directors.