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Posted By SDA Headquarters,
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Updated: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
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As we continue our CDFA Spotlight series, we’ve been thrilled by the positive feedback and engagement from our community. Each story has highlighted the dedication and hard work it takes to achieve the Certified Design Firm Administrator designation. We’re excited to keep bringing you more of these inspiring journeys. This week, we’re featuring Terri Blackert, CDFA, Senior Administrative Assistant with DLR Group in Phoenix, AZ. Her insights on learning all aspects of the industry are sure to inspire!
What motivated you to earn your CDFA certification?
A couple other Admins in our firm have earned their CDFA so I talked to them and found out that it is essentially the only certification related to a design firm we can get as an Admin.
Did you have any concerns, or fears, about taking the exam? If so, how did you address or overcome them?
I have held about four different Admin positions with DLR Group, so at first, I thought, "I got this!" But then as I started looking over the study material, I wasn't sure if I really knew what I was getting into. I decided to just take one section at a time.
What study tools did you find most useful (study group, CDFA-yoU materials, flash cards, other?)
CDFA materials - I put them in a binder and made a tab for each section so I could go through it and highlight sections. Flash cards were great for quick at a glance items.
Did you learn anything new, or surprising, while preparing for the exam?
It has taught me that I know more than I thought I did in areas like Marketing, which I do not normally work in.
What section of the exam was the most difficult for you?
Financial Section
What role, if any, has your CDFA played in advancing your professional or personal development, growth, network or career?
It has taught me that I know more than I thought I did in areas like Marketing, which I do not normally help with.
Was your employer supportive of your CDFA goals and accomplishment? If so, please share how they demonstrated that support.
Yes, they pay for my SDA membership and encouraged me to set aside time during the week to study prior to the exam.
What is your top tip to someone considering the pursuit of a CDFA designation?
Give yourself plenty of time to organize the materials and study. Do not try to cram right before the exam.
How did you, and your firm, celebrate your achievement?
They posted it on our internal knowledge sharing platform. People sent congratulations across the firm.
What has obtaining your CDFA meant to you?
It means a lot to me to know that I have a well-rounded knowledge of the different aspects of a design firm and hold a certification for it as an Administrative Assistant.
Feeling inspired by our CDFA Spotlight features? If you're ready to elevate your career and join the ranks of Certified Design Firm Administrators, now is the perfect time to take the next step. The CDFA designation not only strengthens your skills but also positions you as a leader in our industry. Visit our certification page to learn more about the application process and how you can start your journey today!
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AEC Learning
CDFA
Certified Design Firm Administrator
Get Certified
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SDA National
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Posted By SDA Headquarters,
Monday, September 23, 2024
Updated: Monday, September 23, 2024
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Many moons ago Gloria Jackson wrote an SDA blog about Homophones……words that are pronounced alike but have different meanings…..or spellings.
Such as: accept and except.
Both are primarily pronounced “ek” cept or “ak” cept. Very similar sounding.
Accept functions as a verb….to receive or take something willingly.
Except is most often a verb (but can be a preposition)....to leave out or exclude (key here is “ex”…..exclude).
For example:
I accept your gift of a chocolate cake (yes, I would).
All the kitties were adopted except one (sad little kitty).
And as a bonus….I’ll put them in one glorious sentence:
I would most gladly accept your platter of delicious cupcakes, except the chocolate one with mustard frosting.
For more information on “accept vs except” please see the “Merriam Webster” site.
Thanks to Carol Wanda Spradlin, CDFA, for providing our current Word Nerd feature.
Carol Wanda is the Office Manager for Baylis Architects in Bellevue, WA and
is a member of the SDA Seattle Chapter.
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Posted By SDA Headquarters,
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Updated: Thursday, September 19, 2024
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Welcome back to our CDFA Spotlight series! After a brief hiatus, we're excited to return with fresh stories and insights from our members who have recently achieved their Certified Design Firm Administrator designation. Our time away has been spent gathering some truly inspiring interviews, and we’re eager to share them with you. This week, we’re proud to feature Lindsay Durden, CDFA, Office Manager with PES Structural Engineers in Atlanta, GA
What motivated you to earn your CDFA certification?
I wanted to expand my general knowledge of new and different aspects of the AEC industry and what it fully takes to help run a firm smoothly.
Did you have any concerns, or fears, about taking the exam? If so, how did you address or overcome them?
I have never been a great test-taker. I tend to second guess myself with each answer which usually leads to changing a correct answer for the worst. I strived to be confident in the answer before me, knowing I do not need to second guess...I have this!
What study tools did you find most useful (study group, CDFA-yoU materials, flash cards, other?)
The CDFA-yoU materials were very helpful! I would read a section and highlight key points, watch the associated video while taking notes on the handouts, re-write my notes from the resource guide along with my handout notes in a separate notebook, create flash cards, and go through the example questions.
Did you learn anything new, or surprising, while preparing for the exam?
I do not handle the HR, financial, or marketing aspects in my firm. The resource guide was very informative on these subjects for me and now I feel that I have a better understanding in these areas.
What section of the exam was the most difficult for you?
I would say the financial section was the most difficult for me. Lots of information, spreadsheets, and formulas there!
Did you have a CDFA mentor help you with the material? If so, tell us about that experience.
No, but I had many people offer assistance if it was needed. Great cheerleaders!
What role, if any, has your CDFA played in advancing your professional or personal development, growth, network or career?
Completing my CDFA has made me more confident in my career. I have been in the industry for 10 years, but there is still so much more to learn and apply. I look forward to gaining knowledge in all aspects and sharing those points that our firm can use to keep us up-to-date and relevant in the AEC industry.
Was your employer supportive of your CDFA goals and accomplishment? If so, please share how they demonstrated that support.
Yes, my firm was very supportive! They encourage professional development and were more than happy to help me along the way by sending me to EDSymposium23 (and future conferences to come)!
What is your top tip to someone considering the pursuit of a CDFA designation?
My top tip would be to not get overwhelmed by the size of the resource guide and accompanying materials. There is a lot of information there, but it becomes very manageable when broken down and you focus on one section at a time.
How did you, and your firm, celebrate your achievement?
My firm celebrated by posting on our social media pages and through our internal Teams "Weekly Wins" post. I celebrated with a big glass of wine!
What has obtaining your CDFA meant to you?
Obtaining my CDFA has shown me that I can still learn and retain new information. When you have been out of school for a while, trying to get back in a study/memorization habit can be difficult...but it can be done!
Feeling inspired by our CDFA Spotlight features? If you're ready to elevate your career and join the ranks of Certified Design Firm Administrators, now is the perfect time to take the next step. The CDFA designation not only strengthens your skills but also positions you as a leader in our industry. Visit our certification page to learn more about the application process and how you can start your journey today!
Tags:
CDFA
Certified Design Firm Administrator
Get Certified
SDA
SDA National
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Posted By SDA Headquarters,
Monday, September 16, 2024
Updated: Tuesday, September 17, 2024
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Reviewing an ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance may seem like a straightforward task, but it’s far from a simple ‘check the box’ exercise. The intricacies involved in this process require understanding the insurance verbiage and its implications.
It’s easy to glance past the standard verbiage at the top of each certificate without much thought. However, the wording at the top of every certificate is essential to understand: “This certificate is a matter of information only and confers no rights upon the certificate holder.” In other words, it’s just a snapshot of the policyholder’s insurance coverages, effective dates, and insurance limits at the time of the certificate’s issue date. It does not provide anything more than that. This leads to the second box, which is equally as important:
Important: “If the certificate holder is ADDITIONAL INSURED, the policy(ies) must have ADDITIONAL INSURED provisions or be endorsed. IF SUBROGATION IS WAIVED, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, certain policies may require endorsement. A statement on this certificate does not confer rights to the certificate holder in lieu of such an endorsement(s).”
What this means for your firm
What this means for your firm is that simply stating on the certificate that the holder is an additional insured does not ensure that the certificate holder is, in fact, an additional insured. To be an additional insured can only be accomplished through a policy endorsement. If you have requested that your sub-consultant include your firm in their policy as an additional insured, you will want to be provided with a copy of that endorsement. To protect your firm, insist upon being provided with the endorsement. You may even provide them with your company’s COI as an example. Absent this endorsement (or functionally equivalent embedded language within the actual policy(ies), which must be provided in lieu of an endorsement(s)), you cannot assume your firm is protected in the event of a claim.
What is an additional insured?
Policies are written to cover the entity that purchased the coverage for its own protection. They are the named insured. To extend the policy coverage to others, a policy endorsement is required. Endorsing the policy to name your firm as an additional insured means that your sub-consultant has agreed to extend commercial general liability and automobile liability coverage to your firm for claims caused in whole or in part by your sub-consultant. Neither professional liability nor workers’ compensation coverage can be endorsed to another entity including additional insured or primary and non-contributory status, period.
Primary and non-contributory coverage
Equally important is assuring that your subconsultant’s insurance is primary and non-contributory. Primary and non-contributory insurance is a term used in insurance policies and certificates of insurance to specify the priority and obligation of an insurance policy in relation to other applicable policies. To clarify these terms:
Primary insurance is the insurance policy that responds first in the event of a claim. It pays out up to its coverage limits before any other applicable insurance policies are triggered. The primary insurer is responsible for handling and paying the claim without waiting for other insurers to contribute.
- Example: If a contractor has a primary general liability policy and an incident occurs on a job site, this policy will cover the claim up to its limit before any other policies are involved.
Non-contributory insurance means that the primary policy will not seek contribution from other insurance policies that might be available to cover the same loss. In other words, it prevents the primary insurer from sharing the loss with other insurers. The primary insurer is solely responsible for the claim up to the policy limits without expecting payment from other insurers.
- Example: If a client requires a contractor to have primary and non-contributory insurance, it means that the contractor’s policy will cover any claims first and in full without asking the client’s insurance to share in the payment.
Importance in Contracts
- Risk Transfer: This provision is often required in contracts to ensure that one party’s insurance policy (e.g., a contractor’s policy) will handle claims without involving the other party’s insurance (e.g., the client’s policy), effectively transferring the risk.
- Clarity and Priority: It provides clarity on the priority of coverage and ensures that the party requesting the COI (e.g., the client) is not financially impacted by claims arising from the insured party’s (e.g., the contractor’s) actions.
Example Scenario
Imagine a scenario where a contractor works on a client’s project, and the contract specifies that the contractor’s insurance must be primary and non-contributory. If an accident occurs on the job site and a claim is made, the contractor’s insurance will pay for the damages up to its coverage limit without involving the client’s insurance. This protects the client from potential premium increases or claims on their insurance policy.
Ongoing Operations and Product-Completed Operations Hazard
Another element of the Additional Insured Endorsement is in the “Who is an Insured” section of the endorsement. Some firms may include only “ongoing operations” in their endorsement. An “ongoing operations’ endorsement does not protect against post-completion claims. You want to see verbiage to the effect of “In the performance of your ongoing operations” and “In connection with “your work” and included within the “product-completed operations hazard” to ensure that claims that occur both during your ongoing services and after the project has been completed will be covered. If not, your firm stands in that coverage gap.
Summary
Understanding and enforcing these insurance requirements for your subconsultants will significantly mitigate your firm’s claims risks. Ensure that each certificate of insurance is reviewed carefully for these essential elements. Additionally, set up a system to track and monitor your sub-consultant insurance renewal dates. Many software programs have this system built-in to provide reminders.
Want to learn more? Here are some resources.
SDA Recordings: Understanding and Complying with Client Insurance Requirements
AIA Trust – “Understanding Insurance: Additional Insureds: Home - AIA Trust (theaiatrust.com)
SDA Blog - Certificates of Insurance: An Essential Guide for Businesses - SDA (sdanational.org)
SDA does not endorse any products or services mentioned, and SDA does not assume responsibility for any circumstances arising out of the interpretation, application, use, or misuse of any information presented. SDA recommends that the reader consult the appropriate legal, financial, or human resource counsel before implementing the information contained herein.
Tags:
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Posted By SDA Headquarters,
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Updated: Thursday, September 12, 2024
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Welcome to the marvelous world of MarCom madness! Picture this: a dynamic squad dedicated to spreading the sparkle of SDA's brand nationwide! From crafting captivating content to managing our social media shindigs, we're the creative force behind SDA's buzz.
As the reigning Co-Chair of MarCom along with the amazing Fran Carrillo from San Diego, we are leading this extraordinary team of trailblazers. Let me introduce you to our powerhouse crew! Liz Harris, FSDA from the Baton Rouge Chapter is our resident rock-star, bursting with enough energy to rival a dozen 12-year-olds! Then we've got Mary Jacobs, CDFA from Dallas who, along with Fran Carrillo, are the masterminds behind the eye-popping graphics that light up our blogs, social feeds, and marketing materials. Jennifer HinkleyKarnisky, CDFA from Denver is our editing virtuoso, while Gretchen Renz, FSDA from Spokane swoops in superhero-style whenever a helping hand is needed. Our newest member, Kate Petrovich, CDFA of New York, is diving in headfirst! With tons of experience and energy to spare, she’s ready to make waves and find her groove. And let's not forget Kim Celenza, our ExCom Liaison extraordinaire!
But hey, the fun doesn't stop there! We're always on the lookout for new recruits to join our fabulous, slightly wacky crew. Trust me, there's never a dull moment in MarCom! Only a few hours a month, and you'll be hooked on the excitement. Join us and learn a few new skills that you can apply back at your office or in your other volunteer roles. Don't miss out—reach out to us at jmgreene880@gmail.com or fcarrilo@migcom.com for all the details!
Jennifer M. Greene, CDFA Fran Carrillo
SDA New York Chapter SDA San Diego Chapter
Tags:
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